From the course: Audio Mixing Bootcamp
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Learning subtractive equalization - Pro Tools Tutorial
From the course: Audio Mixing Bootcamp
Learning subtractive equalization
While you might think that you'll automatically make an instrument or vocal sound better by randomly adding some EQ, that's not always the case. I'm going to show you an effective EQ technique called subtractive equalization that works by attenuating frequencies instead of boosting them. Many superstar mixers love this method because it's a lot more natural-sounding than if you boosted any of the frequencies. That's because every time you boost an EQ there is a form of distortion called phase shift that's added to the signal. Phase shift is a byproduct of the way an electronic equalizer works. By using subtractive equalization, you completely avoid any phase shift, and the track blends a lot better with the other tracks in the mix as a result. Here's how to use subtractive equalization. Set the Booster Cut control to about 8 or 10 dB. I like to use 10 dB. Actually the more, the better. You can even go deeper if you want. Then you want to sweep through the frequencies until you find…
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