This method is responsible for enhancing sounds and recordings, giving them originality, making different elements in a mix (e.g. different instruments) sound in harmony and complement each other well, adding dynamics to sounds, creating effects, or making sounds sound better and more attractive, adding “decoration” to them by means of EQ.
Enhancing sounds
What do we mean by enhancing? It is about giving those aesthetic arrangements that the sound needs to obtain the desired effect. For example, in a pop song we would want to make the voice brighter and more present, soften it by removing the harsh frequencies, and make it more pleasant. In a heavy metal album, for example, we would want the vocals to be a bit darker and heavier, prioritizing the mids and lows. If, on the other hand, we want an acoustic guitar to sound with more harmonics, we will increase certain treble and high treble frequencies.
Giving originality to the sound
This is where creativity increases a little more. We can make a sound stand out from the rest by simply changing its frequencies. We can give a guitar a whole new tone or even a voice. You can experiment as much as you like until you find the sound you are looking for, but don’t overdo it: EQ should always be used with discretion, or else you will be killing the initial sound of the recording.
Creating a better blend between various instruments or sounds
We can, within a mix, make several instruments be in harmony and not cover or cancel each other out, which is a situation that often happens.
An example: we have a bass drum and a bass guitar. Both have their fundamental frequencies low. This will cause some problems, since many times these two instruments will tend to compete with each other for space in the mix. If they both join their low frequencies together, we will get an overloaded and unpleasant sound. The solution would be to attenuate a certain range of one and a certain range of the other, but not the same. For example, we remove a range between 100Hz from the bass, and in the kick drum, we would remove a range around 300Hz. We would be giving a balance, so that both complement each other and do not cancel each other out or overload the mix. The idea is to give air to each instrument and at the same time create space for the others, removing certain frequencies from each other.
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Create dynamics and give space to the mix
A mix where all the instruments have all their frequencies at their maximum will sound overloaded and saturated. We need to give space to the mix by balancing the frequencies of all the elements in the mix. In equalization, there is a rule of “less is more”. Often giving space and removing frequencies is much better than adding or boosting them.
Creating effects
We can use an EQ to give unique or unusual effects to recordings. For example, we can make a voice sound like it is speaking into a telephone by removing its high and low treble frequencies. We can make a guitar sound sparkling or dark, make a piano sound vintage or a synthesizer sound punchy.
Summary:
We will use this type of EQ to:
-Boost or exaggerate certain frequencies to make an instrument stand out or shine in the mix.
-Make a sound “sound better” and more harmonic.
-Change the sound of an instrument to make it fit the style and intent of the song.
-To make the instruments in the song blend more harmoniously.
-To create interesting effects and give sounds unique and original qualities.
For example: We have a drum kit recorded and we want to make the cymbals sound “brighter”. Then we will boost the high frequencies (5000 to 10000 Hz) of this instrument in the mix.