Knowing how the different types of EQ function, is just as important as playing the right part. This happens when they are given a source that is overall balanced.Īs we unpack equalization it’s important to note that there are different types of “EQ’s”. You can only take advantage of compressors and limiters if they are set up to win. The key to solving this issue and having big full mixes is equalization. Both of these things are caused by a poor balance in the mix and EQ. We have all heard songs on big home theater speakers turn into an assault of low end as if the vocal and all top end has vanished somehow. We have all heard songs distort on phones and smaller speakers.

If your song lacks cohesiveness in that area, then no compressor or limiter will be able to really help you achieve something that competes in today’s industry. To get things loud, we often need to have the range in which our ears are most sensitive, extremely dialed in. Just by knowing this, we can start to think about why some songs sound “loud” even though they are not compressed. We perceive that range to be louder than any other range on the frequency spectrum. Within that range, our ears are most sensitive at 2,000Hz to 5,000Hz.

They can hear typically anywhere from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. The cone and woofers may be firing off at different times or if there is too much low end for example, then the sound may feel weak and lack impact because the speakers can not handle it. If a mix is unbalanced then the speaker will struggle to push out sound. There’s a lot that goes into this miracle but one of the main things that makes a speaker pump out rich full sound is dependant on whether or not the signal is balanced.Įqualization or commonly referred to as “EQ” is used all over the music creation process, but it’s main application is normally to help cut, boost, and balance different elements individually or in a mix in order to achieve something sonically that’s pleasing. Speakers take an electrical current and push it essentially through a coil and then a cone, which pumps out soundwaves that our eardrum can interpret into music. Let’s talk a little bit about what makes something loud.Īll music is experienced currently from speakers and your ears. We have limiters, compressors, expanders, exciters, and multibands, but all of these things are just one part of getting your mixes into a place where loudness can actually be achieved. In an industry that’s flooded with plugins and gear that continually tries to offer a one size fits all preset to make your music louder than then next person, we have missed the foundation of how to actually achieve loudness. Loudness is a major concern for almost every artist and engineer.

Loudness equalization