Using EQ in Your Mix

EQ stands for “equalizer,” which makes it somewhat obvious what its role is. When EQ is used it’s meant to equal out the tone of each instrument. You always want to ensure you have balanced your audio out perfectly. After all, mixing is balancing. The proper use of EQ can improve the mix of a song; it can bring your tracks into perfect balance, so the listener hears all your parts with clarity. EQ plugins bring the tonal balance to the mix. Using EQ is a regular tool for the mixing engineer, but it should be used the right way to take advantage of the improvements it can make in your music.

A common problem for beginning “mixers” is how to ensure great sounding individual tracks sound as good when played together. Sometimes it may seem like the more tracks you add, the muddier the mix becomes. It turns out this is a problem of “masking.” One of the reasons an EQ is so important is because there is so much frequency overlap from instrument to instrument. With EQ you can remove overlapping frequencies and make room for everything. For example, if the bass guitar covers up the kick drum, using EQ on both makes each instrument occupy its own slot in the audio spectrum.

Another reason to use EQ is for control over the audio frequencies in your mix. Because some frequencies may be louder than other frequencies, they show up in bursts of sound. EQ controls these tonal bursts and gives you a more controlled track.

Learn about how to correctly execute EQ in your final mix at Apprentice Academy, one of the best music production schools in the country. Contact us for more information on admissions and online classes.