Linear phase EQ on the master. Why?

[romariozen]

Hi all
Can some good mastering engineer explain to me please why it is needed for the EQ on the master bus to be in linear mode? The argument that it doesn't change phase doesn't say anything as we deal with not two separately recorded tracks that can cancel each other out due to difference in phase but with the whole track and hence there can be no phase issues after alternating the phase. Yes, I can notice that it saves a bit of volume because high-pass in the low end can raise the peak. But it sounds a bit punchier and with no pre-ringing 4 me to set the EQ to natural phase or to just default mode. Is there anything I don't know why people are so obsessed with linear EQ on mastering?
Thanks very much in advance

[Tarekith]

Marketing, the same reason musicians think they need to stress over which dither algorithm they use too.

I don’t know any mastering engineers who regularly use linear phase EQ over other options, but it can be useful in some situations like the pre-ringing one you mentioned. I probably only need to resort to using one once or twice a year, otherwise minimum phase EQs work just fine and I prefer them.

[romariozen]

Marketing. I don’t know any mastering engineers who regularly use linear phase EQ over other options, but it can be useful in some situations like the preringing one you mentioned. I probably only need to resort to using one once or twice a year, otherwise minimum phase EQs work just fine and I prefer them.

Thanks for your response.

[fishmonkey]

this is one of the best explanations of how linear phase EQ works, and pros and cons:

https://cravedsp.com/blog/linear-phase-eq-explained

[romariozen]

this is one of the best explanations of how linear phase EQ works, and pros and cons:

https://cravedsp.com/blog/linear-phase-eq-explained

Thanks

[Calagan]

I may be wrong because I don't use often linear phase equing (it often sounds better in minimal phase to me), but the most commun scenario in which you use linear phase is in a multimic recording situation (for exemple drums), applying the linear phase EQ on the separate elements (not on the bus).
And even in this multimic scenario, the phase distortion minimum phase brings is not always an issue because there is anyway a lot of phase distortion when playing at the same time overheads and snare mics (for exemple) : you can't avoid the fact the snare impact in the OH is delayed from the snare impact in the close mic. And I tried many times to align (by delaying them) the drum sources, most often finding it doesn't help the general feeling.
Sometimes it's better, but sometimes (most of the time if the recording was good) it's not.

Coming back to the linear phase EQ on master, the idea may come from the fact the processing on the master is supposed to be only corrective and not "colored". But I don't see the point if it smears transients and brings pre-ringing...
And by the way, in a mastering studio using analog gear, they never use linear phase EQ - because it doesn't exist in analog...

P.S. : the cravedsp link is very nice. Thanks fishmonkey

[Tarekith]

Dan Worrell also has some excellent videos on the benefits (or not) of linear phase EQ. Having trouble getting the app to load properly in my hotel room, so can think you directly yet. Sorry.