EQ- Are you a Cutter, or a Booster?

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lightandmind
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EQ- Are you a Cutter, or a Booster?

Post by lightandmind » Wed Dec 20, 2006 6:17 pm

When asked how he created the 17-foot tall "David" from a block of marble, Michelangelo addressed the stunned observer by replying-
"David was already in marble, all I did was chip-away the excess".

Kind of like cutting EQ, (a good boosting analogy would be like adding more marble for a bigger wang or something). Although I will sweep and sweep, back and forth, every track, individualy, I find that I probably wind-up cutting frequencies about 75% of the time, (maybe more). This is probably due to bad tracking because of a lack in better equipment, but I feel 75% is too much. I am afraid of keeping these same cutting habits when I finally get some decent gear, and was curious to know what you fine folks do most of the time. If anyone wants to post (constructive):D suggestions, thoughts, or comments- they will certainly be appreciated.

P.S. If anyone wants to use this time to post any methods of-their-own for finding the right EQ, then by all means!
Thanks guys, your too good to me sometimes- :twisted:

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Post by ??????? » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:02 pm

I'm a cutter. And that 'bigger wang' thing made me actually laugh out loud a little.

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Post by sammyp » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:28 pm

My first effort is a cut then if i still can't get it right i look at boosting.
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RefD
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Post by RefD » Wed Dec 20, 2006 8:59 pm

cutting mostly, boosting only sometimes.

exception: EQ/filtering as an effect.
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

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Post by @?,*???&? » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:09 pm

Boost and attenuate are the opposites actually...could have more accurately appeared in your header...fyi

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shakestheclown
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Post by shakestheclown » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:35 pm

Mostly cutting here however I'm not afraid to wrangle anything into submission if it's necessary.

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Post by Rigsby » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:43 pm

shakestheclown wrote:Mostly cutting here however I'm not afraid to wrangle anything into submission if it's necessary.
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Post by drumsound » Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:47 pm

I cut more than I boost. I was once told "cut and re-gain." It took me a while to understand it. I'm not afraid to boost, and often do, especially to find the point on BD or to add richness to a vocal for instance.

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Post by ??????? » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:13 pm

drumsound wrote:I cut more than I boost. I was once told "cut and re-gain." It took me a while to understand it. I'm not afraid to boost, and often do, especially to find the point on BD or to add richness to a vocal for instance.
Totally.

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trodden
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Post by trodden » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:24 am

fuck i don't know, both. I cut out the shit, and then boost the stuff i like that i think needs it. My mixes are usually wrestling matches though, so i'm sure i'm making more work for myself than needed.

i'll cut the hell out of stuff in the box and then boost out of the box, and sometimes just the opposite.

hahah i guess i'm bi. i welcome both.

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Post by dirk_v » Thu Dec 21, 2006 12:55 am

Digital: 50/50 Analog: 70% cut, 30% boost.

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Chrisbrownsound
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Post by Chrisbrownsound » Thu Dec 21, 2006 3:46 am

Impossible to answer as it depends entirely on the audio source.

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Post by mjau » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:35 am

trodden wrote:fuck i don't know, both. I cut out the shit, and then boost the stuff i like that i think needs it. My mixes are usually wrestling matches though, so i'm sure i'm making more work for myself than needed.

i'll cut the hell out of stuff in the box and then boost out of the box, and sometimes just the opposite.

hahah i guess i'm bi. i welcome both.
Perfect. Me too.

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apropos of nothing
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Post by apropos of nothing » Thu Dec 21, 2006 8:29 am

I like the parametric boost the shit outta a freqency range about > . < big, sweep it back and forth til you hit the partial you wanna nuke, and then cut as neccesary strategy.

If I boost, I like boosting in analog. Mmm. Gainstaging. Mmm.

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Post by JGriffin » Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:48 am

There is, of course, the school of thought that boosting with an analog EQ also introduces more nasty phase shift into your mix and is therefore a bad thing. I'm not all that great at explaining it though, perhaps the Professor would like to take a crack.
"Jeweller, you've failed. Jeweller."

"Lots of people are nostalgic for analog. I suspect they're people who never had to work with it." ? Brian Eno

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