MIXING TECHNIQUES: Heavy use of individual EQ on all style tracks

[♔Chello]

MIXING TECHNIQUES: Heavy use of individual EQ on all style tracks

Heavy use of individual equalization (EQ) on all tracks is a common, yet debated, approach to achieving a polished, modern mix, particularly in genres with high track counts. This technique aims to carve out dedicated frequency space for each instrument, ensuring clarity and preventing "mud" by reducing overlapping, unnecessary, or unappealing frequencies, rather than solely relying on master bus processing.


Key Considerations and Techniques

* Context is King: The most critical rule is to EQ within the context of the full mix, rather than in isolation, to ensure that individual adjustments serve the overall sound.

* Subtractive First: A common strategy is to use EQ primarily to remove unwanted frequencies (e.g., rumble, mud) before boosting desired tones.

* The "Heavy" Approach: While some engineers advocate for "less is more," others, like Eric Valentine, are known for aggressive, large EQ moves, such as 10dB-12dB+ boosts or cuts when needed to drastically reshape a sound.

* High-Pass Filtering: A frequently used technique is to apply a high-pass filter to nearly every track that isn't a low-end instrument (like bass or kick drum) to clear up mud and free up headroom.

* A/B Testing: Always use the bypass button to compare the EQed sound with the original to ensure the change is actually improving the mix.

* Individual vs. Group: While some prefer to EQ on individual channels for precision, others use group/bus EQ for a more "holistic" blend, with some engineers favoring only one channel strip per channel for efficiency.


Potential Pitfalls

* Over-processing: Using too many plugins can clutter a mix. If a track requires ten EQ adjustments, it might be better to re-record it or change the mic position.

* "Solo" Misuse: Over-relying on the "solo" button to EQ can lead to sounds that seem great in isolation but don't fit together in the final mix.


Ultimately, the goal is to make the song sound good. If heavy EQ achieves that, it is justified.


Korg engineers use both High-Pass Filtering and Individual EQ extensively on the Pa5X for modern styles.

The early original styles used High-Pass Filtering extensively, while the latest ones use extensive Individual EQ (up to +/- 18dB..!).

I have remixed all Pa5X internal styles several times over almost 4 years, and have found that Korg uses these setups for mixing to a pronounced extent.

I have tried these techniques myself with both the Pa5X and previous models, but found that even minimal individual adjustments affect the entire soundscape in an unpredictable way - the effect of EQ is always higher than what each track indicates, and an A/B test always results in everything having to be minimized so that the soundscape does not run wild.

Another thing is the use of effects, which are all EQ-dependent - too many effects can quickly result in the mix being messed up and ending up as something that is not desired at all.

My experience is also that each track's individual adjustments affect all the other tracks to varying degrees; even if they are made individually (psycho-acoustics).

One should also be aware that adjustments of this kind are extremely affected by dB levels, as these follow a logarithmic curve - a sound level of 70 dB will sound very different from a sound level of 90 dB.

The higher up in the frequency range this EQ is made (from about 8kHz and up), the greater the audible effect, because our hearing decreases greatly from this range and upwards, while many dB extra means that all of this suddenly becomes audible.

The only track I find using these techniques useful is drums and percussion, which I do exclusively with Drum Editor.


Here are some examples from the Pa5X's internal styles:

This picture (Blinding Pop) shows the use of EQ effects as Insert Effect - all acc's have.
   


This picture (Mona Lisa) shows the use of EQ in the bass range - LF for Acc 2, 4 and 5 shows -18 dB..!
   


I would argue that both techniques ruin the sound - I can easily mix the sound with better results myself.

The next picture also shows another thing; that effects have been used exclusively to control ALL levels - all tracks are set to 100.

This is NOT my way of doing it..!


There are also styles (Abstract Orchestra) where all levels are set to 127, instead of using effects that could have easily provided the necessary headroom.
   


Korg obviously has a lot of engineers, each with their own vision of how mixing should be done.
Some of them should have been fired..!