LEAD GUITAR E.Q. ISSUE

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Member Since: Jul 21, 2010

Hey guys,

I need clarification/advice on EQing lead guitar already recorded in the studio. I've read a lot about filtering very high frequencies. I get the mentality behind it just fine. But what exactly does it MEAN?

Does filtering frequencies mean to basically eliminate them (like tanking down the e.q. altogether above a certain freqency)? For example -- using a high cut filter set at -20db for anything over 20Kilohertz? Or does it mean a more moderate cut of 4-6db? I guess I'm just not sure what "filtering" means.

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Member
Since: Sep 14, 2010


Sep 28, 2010 05:57 pm

filter is a very broad term.

An eq, hi pass, low pass, notch pass ect.... these are all filters.

filter as a verb ( something you do) means to use eq, hi pass, low pass ect. It characterizes no specific use of an eq. Just simply the use of it.

So don't get hung up on terminolgy.

I would reccomend using a lo pass filter with the cutoff freq around 18khz. I would also use a hi pass with the cut off around 100hertz. then i would make a small cut (-4DB maybe) around the 200-400 hertz band. I make this cut on alot of instrements cuz pretty much every instrement shares harmonic content in this band and cutting it from the instrements that don't absolutely need it for tone reasons can help clean up the final mix.

then from there just listen to the guitar in the mix and see if it is masking or is masked. If so, carve it out a nice spot in the spectrum.

when using a digital eq, I would make cuts instead of making boosts. And anytime you make a cut bigger than 6 db, consider rerecording it with a different mic position or something.

Typo Szar
Member
Since: Jul 04, 2002


Sep 28, 2010 09:51 pm

ive found its very dangerous to "filter" as in actually use high cuts and so, because u can end up with unnatural sounding pieces very quick. Low cuts in the extremes, like 80hz or so r ok but i use to chop off the high end of my guitars to make room for cymbals adn things and it just didnt work out

i shelve alot now, u can rein in much more but still not lose too much. I shelve my guitars as far back as 4khz sometimes, but for a lead id probably not go that far. Shelving unlike cutting is kind of like just nudging ur fader down for those particular frequencies, so u can have ur guitar sit under the high end of cymbals but still atleast have the airy element they bring. Shelving on the low end retains their body but can keep them from intefering with the bass and such.


http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Sep 29, 2010 12:19 am

I agree wth crux and ckg, i do however keep a very close eye on overlapping the eq's a bit.
By this i mean, obviously i want to hear the cymbals clearly, but i dont want to seperate them so much from the guitar highs that they dont gel anymore.

I know more than ever now, that you dont mix much at all until everything has been recorded, then tweak it. or youre gonna end up with a very all over the place mix and not know where to start to fix it.

Typo Szar
Member
Since: Jul 04, 2002


Sep 29, 2010 08:30 am

right dematrix thats totally wat i meant, taht shelving allows u to get things to gel better than cuts, but it should be mentioned that it also depends no the eq plug ur using, they all cut and shelve differently so u gotta listen

Member
Since: Jul 21, 2010


Sep 29, 2010 01:06 pm

Thanks for the insight,

I'm also looking for suggestions too. As a starting point, where would be a good place mto start rolling off the high end of direct-recorded lead guitar? My ears are the final judge, but just looking for suggestions on a starting point to roll off/cut/shelve/filter.

Very appreciated,

turbologic16

Byte-Mixer
Member
Since: Dec 04, 2007


Sep 29, 2010 02:31 pm

When I'm figuring out where to start making adjustments for individual instruments, I tend to use this page as a reference:

www.independentrecording....ain_display.htm

It's an interactive page and the column on the right updates as you mouse over stuff. It's pretty good for a guideline, and should help give you an idea where to make tweaks.

Member
Since: Sep 14, 2010


Sep 29, 2010 06:10 pm

yes, i failed to mention that. the lopass and hi pass i use lets you set a decible per octave slope ratio, therfor letting you use it as a shelf instead of a textbook cutoff. I should have mentioned that. It is bad to use cutoffs due to the sharp artifacts adn also the harmonic resonance on the low end.

http://www.unitedmusicians.info
Contributor
Since: Nov 11, 2007


Sep 29, 2010 06:44 pm

To touch on a few things the moderately cool one mentioned:

All the digital EQ's I've used have loudness/frequency slopes of some kind.

It's not bad to do anything with audio, however, what you hear is what you get. I can't think of many situations where you would want an EQ filter to let everything under X frequency through while muting everything over X frequency; normally I would want some kind of roll off to make the eq a little more transparent. Using a notch setting an an EQ is far more useful for removing unwanted artifacts than the "textbook cutoff filter" described. If there's a particular frequency that's ringing out or if there's something obtuse about a particular frequency on a track I'd load up a notch EQ and wiggle the freq until I found the offensive sound and cut it as necessary.

In my opinion, as far as your guitar sound is concerned: don't use any EQ. You should only use EQ if you need to. If you listen to the guitar sound in the mix and don't like it...get in front of your amp and listen. If it doesn't sound good, you need to change your guitar sound at the source. If it does sound good, consider your room. Take the amp in another room and play, does it still sound good? If not, maybe your amp sounds good in your recording room where you stand but it doesn't sound good 2 inches from the grill where you're mic'ing the amp. You can either use a room mic to capture the sound from the position where the gutiar DID sound good (LDC or ribbons can work for this) or you can change your guitar amp sound so that it sounds good 2 inches from the grill where your mic was placed when the track sounded bad. Once you've gone through that process, you probably won't need to EQ anything...but if you do, load up a notch eq, cut a frequency out completely and sweep the frequency knob. Listen to all the options. Then boost a frequency to the limits of your plugin and sweep the frequency knob. Listen to all the options. Mix and match to your heart's content. In my recordings the goal is to get a sound I like with the least amount of alteration. I think most people agree that less is usually more. Of course, certain circumstances require unusual tactics. It's all about your ears, from beginning to end.


Member
Since: Sep 14, 2010


Sep 29, 2010 07:03 pm

I totally agree with quincysan.

Don't "engineer" a guitar tone in post production. Make sure you have a good recording. Like i mentioned earlier. If you make cuts and boosts more than 6 DB, you should consider recording the part again.

http://www.reverbnation.com/2ndg
Member
Since: Nov 27, 2007


Sep 29, 2010 09:54 pm

think of it as,
well i have this band recording, so now i'll tweak it to get what i want out of it.


Member
Since: Jul 21, 2010


Sep 29, 2010 11:04 pm

Greetings Again,

Let me be specific. I've got a direct recorde lead guitar track. It sounds good but I think it's a little too strong on the high end. I'd like to tame the highs a bit AND I find it to be taxing on my ears after a while.

Any suggestions on what to try to tame the high frequencies OR "piercing/harsh" aspect of the sound?

Member
Since: Sep 14, 2010


Sep 30, 2010 04:42 pm

you may have recorded too hot but I haven't heard it.

You can try to engineer a nice sound out of it but it really sound like you need to rerecord it.

You shouldn't fix stuff in the mix. Fix it in the recording process. When mixing, your goal is to make recordings that sound good by themself, sound good with each other.

main point being, the recordings need to sound good by themself first.



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