The allure of adding EQ up top. The fear of adding too much

[kslight]

Shouldn't people get their ears checked if they start feeling the need to add treble to mixes later in their careers? The treble is the first thing to go, no?

I once jammed with these guys after listening to their tunes off of soundcloud or whatever. I thought the mixes were oddly bright and just figured that they liked shit shiny. When I met them they were all middle aged stoners, nylon tips on the drumsticks (ping-pa-ping-ping), ear damage, the whole deal, and it I realized that they just couldn't hear it. The jam degenerated into a "smoke break" before I could figure out a way to try to explain it to them. What?

This is exactly what every Ministry record from the last 10+ years has suffered from.

[vvv]

So Snarl, didja like Al?

And did he have good smoke-age?

Bompy-bomp-bomp ...

[blungo2]

Haven't read the whole thread, so i don't know if this applies...

Just got a Maag 2, i'm loving it! Wonderful on ribbons, even airy mics that you want to add a little more not harsh or tizzy air to. I wouldn't have believed it could sound so good. I could never pull this off ITB.

[GussyLoveridge]

2.7k is Satan's Frequency...turn the vocals into laser beams of hate...

Well, shit. Wish I'd known that years ago.

Yeah that's totally one of those where you feel like the lead vocal isn't popping out enough and you start fishing around for frequencies. Some where around there it pops out and you go "hmmmm, that's radically doing something.... but is it better?"

Sometimes eq'ing can be such tail chasing. I hear bad eq decisions I made on mixes years ago in like 5 seconds. At the point of mixing it was an hours long process. Weird.

Me too - But I try and frame it as improving and not as something I'm just embarrassed of. I still dream of remixing my first few projects in another 5-10 years.

[Ryan Silva]

I've been intrigued by the MAAG thing too. I saw a yourube video of Cliff Maag explaining how when you set the frequency at 40k (yes FORTY KILOHERTZ) and then crank the boost, it make a subtle effect in the audible high range because it's the bottom of the slope. I might break down and get the plugin soonish.

Ive noticed I approach other 20+k EQs in the same manner.

With my BAE 1023 its got a 24k stop on the shelve. What I'll do is setup another Parametric or shelve to boost around 10-12k. Then I will set the 1023 up at 24k, I'll raise the boost until it starts sou8nding audible, then I'll compare. More often than not the smoother approach is the 24k shelve.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

one thing i forgot to mention before....

if you're boosting high end on vocals...and you recorded those vocals with an affordable condenser of chinese origin...be VERY MINDFUL of what happens to the sibilants.

if i had a buck for every time i've had to get heavy handed with a de-esser at 10 or 12k, i could pay garges back the two million i owe him, buy a distressor for everyone else on the board, and still have enough left over to spend the rest of my life as an internationally-beloved philanthropist.

i'm just sayin'.

[drumsound]

one thing i forgot to mention before....

if you're boosting high end on vocals...and you recorded those vocals with an affordable condenser of chinese origin...be VERY MINDFUL of what happens to the sibilants.

if i had a buck for every time i've had to get heavy handed with a de-esser at 10 or 12k, i could pay garges back the two million i owe him, buy a distressor for everyone else on the board, and still have enough left over to spend the rest of my life as an internationally-beloved philanthropist.

i'm just sayin'.

Your Garges debt is up to $2 Million!?! No wonder I can't get a loan.

[jgimbel]

one thing i forgot to mention before....

if you're boosting high end on vocals...and you recorded those vocals with an affordable condenser of chinese origin...be VERY MINDFUL of what happens to the sibilants.

My love of doing airy vocals with certain genres came right along with the point I started using higher quality microphones. Boosting high end while I was using cheap Chinese mics is what caused me to think there was no such thing as "bright" and "good" - my recordings from those years are dark and lack clarity. Now with using better mics I get the full spectrum back - I actually really love bright sounds amongst darker sounds.

[Osumosan]

just a RCH, can make a huge difference in the perceived brightness.

Did you all catch that?!

Red hair IS very fine.