A few EQ questions...

Kent_in_CO · Post by **Kent_in_CO** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:59 pm

- Let's say I want to cut everything below 60Hz on a track. A parametric EQ like EQ8 lets me do this, but because of the slope of the EQ curve, it also takes out (or at least decreases) higher frequencies as well. What I'd like to do is take out those unwanted frequencies while leaving the rest of the spectrum untouched. Is this possible with a parametric EQ?

- What I'm looking for could be easily accomplished with a graphic EQ. What are some of your favorite VST plug-ins for graphic EQ's?

- Is it common to use a combination of parametric EQ's and graphic EQ's in mixes?

Thanks in advance, and pardon the newbishness of these questions. I'm trying to get a good feel for what it takes to cut the fat out of mixes.

pat the dog · Post by **pat the dog** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:25 pm

you can do this with the eq eight - just make sure you change the slope type to low cut - it's the left hand icon above the freq dial.

Kent_in_CO · Post by **Kent_in_CO** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:15 pm

I understand how you can do that, but doesn't that impact higher frequencies as well?

In this example, everything under 48Hz is cut - but because of the downward slope, a large part of the spectrum above that is reduced. What if you want to cut out under a certain level and leave higher frequencies unchanged?

ARDJ · Post by **ARDJ** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:23 pm

you need to use the "Q" setting... the "Q" determines how your setting point will effect the frequencies around it

Machinate · Post by **Machinate** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:24 pm

hehe, thanks for hot-linking to our content, naughty boy!

Anyway, see the "Q" parameter? that's turned way down, leaving the slope nice and long. Turn up the q and you will get a more abrupt, but less natural roll-off.

Also, if you just want to cut frequencies dead there's a notch-filter in eq8 in Live 7 too.

Kent_in_CO · Post by **Kent_in_CO** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:38 pm

Thanks...the notch cut is more what I had in mind. And how could I resist that link when it was so damn hot?!

Nogi · Post by **Nogi** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 5:43 pm

For lo-cut, I'd recommend a Q of 0.7. Use another instance with the same settings behind it if you need more cut. You may have to lower the Hz of both instances slightly to preserve more of the top end.

If you get a white noise sample and a spectral analyzer (Live7, Blue Cat's FreqAnalyst, Voxengo SPAN) you can compare the response curves of different EQ's directly. Also, the brickwall EQ in Wave Arts TrackPlug is very good for lo or hi cuts (among other things).

Bassic Dave · Post by **Bassic Dave** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:53 am

Yeahh but the problem is, at least in the old EQ that when you turn up the q you get a boost in the low freq right before the slope. For surgical cutting of the low end you will have to go with an EQ that gives you control of the slope like the sonalksis eq, my favorite. It has a dedicated band to cutting low freqs, and you can specify the slope from 6-36 db i believe. So how it will look is if you want a cut below 60hz, the line will go almost straight down from there, and you wont get the boost. That is pretty drastic but you can change it to a 6db curve instead.

Dave

Nogi · Post by **Nogi** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:22 am

True enough. For my own purposes, setting the Q=0.7 (with gain=0) produces an acceptable amount of overshoot for a single instance of EQ8. (YMMV.) For purposes of an Ableton Live native lo-cut, using the steeper slope of AutoFilter may be preferable.

Bassic Dave · Post by **Bassic Dave** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:59 pm

Good idea about autofilter. It is preferable IMO to stay native, I wish eq8 let you control the slope, but ill try that.
D.

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:06 pm

You can control the slope, but you need more filters to do so...

After adjusting the Q setting for the bass cut in your example above, you then engage another filter, with the same low cut setting, and you put it right next to the already cut frequencies, and you'll see the slope go down more.

This is standard EQ behaviour for most EQs out there, and EQ8 is among the better of Live's bread-n-butter FX. L7's new high quality setting is that much better...

Bassic Dave · Post by **Bassic Dave** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:20 pm

Wow nebulae, thanks for that info. I used 3 filter bands and achieved a cut just like the 32db super-steep cut from the sonalksis eq, using 2 lowcut and 1 negative bell filter. Dont know why i never thought of that! This will save me much cpu resources on my next mix.
Many thanks

Dave

nebulae · Post by **nebulae** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:22 pm

woo hoo, I was helpful today

particle · Post by **particle** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:48 pm

live's eq 8 has got alot of frequency bleed through. you can generally cut anything that is strong in the highs all the way up to 350 Hz, but 100Hz wont be much different than the 60 Hz cut if the sound you are using it on is mostly high freq. you want it sounding perfect more so when its sitting with the rest of the mix than when its playing all alone / soloed out, so its good to cut out things usually around 200-250 for keeping the lows out..especially when using eq 8 as its got alot of bleedthrough

Robert Henke · Post by **Robert Henke** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:09 pm

EQ 8: brute force but works well:

- set all eight bands to lowcut, learn macro for all frequencies, range 20Hz- 200 Hz
- learn Q to second macro 0.02 - 1.0

---> pretty hard cut. ( and all phase problems such a filter produces, this is why i call it brute force. but it works

R.