Multiband EQ in Logic Pro

What is EQ used for in music mixing?

1 Frequency balancing – Adjust levels of different frequency bands within an audio signal. This ensures all elements of the mix can be heard clearly without any frequencies dominating or masking others.

2 Tonal shaping – Sculpt the tonal characteristics of individual instruments or tracks. This is done by boosting or cutting specific frequency ranges to enhance or attenuate certain tonal qualities, like warmth, brightness, or thickness.

3 Corrective EQ – Correct problems like resonances, harshness, or muddiness by applying EQ adjustments.

4 Frequency carving – Create separation between different instruments and tracks, ensuring that each instrument has its own sonic space. This allows engineers to achieve clarity and balance in the mix.

5 Creative effects – Achieve unique tonal textures like telephone vocals or distant vocals.

History and development of EQ

Equalisation (EQ) in music mixing has a rich history of technological innovation and creative application. In the early 20th century, audio engineers used basic passive filters to shape the frequency response of audio signals. However, the development of active EQ circuits in the mid-20th century marked a significant advancement, allowing more precise control over individual frequency bands.

Analog era (mid-90s)

During the analog era, equalisers like graphic EQs and parametric EQs became essential tools in recording studios. Engineers utilised these devices to sculpt the tonal balance of recordings, shaping the sound according to artistic and technical preferences.

Digital age (late 90s)

With the introduction of digital audio technology in the late 20th century, EQ processing underwent a profound transformation. Digital equalizers gave audio engineers unprecedented flexibility and precision, allowing precise manipulation of frequency bands and advanced features such as dynamic EQ and linear-phase EQ.

Dynamic EQ

A versatile tool that can be used for de-essing vocals, balancing frequencies, and taming resonant overpowering frequencies in e.g. drums and guitars. It can reduce these resonances when they exceed a threshold. It can also help with masking issues, where certain frequencies in one instrument mask important frequencies in another. By dynamically reducing the level of masking frequencies only when they overlap with critical elements in the mix, dynamic EQ helps to improve clarity and separation between instruments.

Reference list

Roey Izhaki (2013). Mixing Audio: Concepts, Practices and Tools. Oxford: Taylor And Francis.

Katz, B. (2013). Mastering Audio: The Art and The Science. New York: Focal Press.

Rumsey, F. and Mccormick, T. (2014). Sound and Recording: Applications and Theory. New York: Focal Press.

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