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Something about EQ

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:54 pm
by OfficialDAPT
I've started to notice something recently when lowpassing or hipassing sounds. When I roll off something at a certain frequency and then put a spectrum right after it there's still something coming up in the range that I rolled off. If I duplicate the EQ a few more times then the spectrum usually shows that there's nothing in that range anymore.

My question is why are there still frequencies being registered there when I just EQed them out? Could be an extremely easy answer but I haven't come across anything yet.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:56 pm
by Gravehill
OfficialDAPT wrote:I've started to notice something recently when lowpassing or hipassing sounds. When I roll off something at a certain frequency and then put a spectrum right after it there's still something coming up in the range that I rolled off. If I duplicate the EQ a few more times then the spectrum usually shows that there's nothing in that range anymore.

My question is why are there still frequencies being registered there when I just EQed them out? Could be an extremely easy answer but I haven't come across anything yet.
Try using a steeper slope on your EQ, pro-q has a 48 db per octave slope if you have that plug-in

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:05 pm
by mthrfnk
EQ's normally roll off frequencies on a slope at so many dB/octave - normally 12dB/octave or 24dB/octave, meaning you'll still get some of the frequencies coming through. This doesn't mean they're cutting the frequencies, they simply attenuate or reduce them depending on what slope you set.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2013 11:46 pm
by OfficialDAPT
mthrfnk wrote:EQ's normally roll off frequencies on a slope at so many dB/octave - normally 12dB/octave or 24dB/octave, meaning you'll still get some of the frequencies coming through. This doesn't mean they're cutting the frequencies, they simply attenuate or reduce them depending on what slope you set.
Yeah I guess seeing the actual EQ curve kinda tricked me because it looks like it's just cutting it right where you want it to and not at 24Db/octave but now that you say that I guess I did know that, it was just at the back of my mind. :Q:

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:02 am
by RandoRando
if you want to cut the frequencies entirely you, try a linear phase EQ

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:14 am
by bkwsk
Question to Ableton Live users: if you do a Multiband Dynamics on a track, set the Compression to 0%, then frequency divide it and mute one of the bands, does that get rid of all the frequencies altogether or does it work like a normal EQ8/EQ-3?

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:16 am
by Isley
cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:22 am
by bkwsk
Isley wrote:cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer
It really depends on what frequencies you're cutting. I always use a 48dB per octave HPF on every track (including subs) at 28-30Hz to allow more headroom and energy into the mix. And sometimes I'll even use a High Cut 48dB filter at 19.5kHz if I need a lot of high-end pumping all the time. I'm sure 90% of people wouldn't notice that a lot.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:31 am
by OfficialDAPT
bkwsk wrote:
Isley wrote:cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer
It really depends on what frequencies you're cutting. I always use a 48dB per octave HPF on every track (including subs) at 28-30Hz to allow more headroom and energy into the mix. And sometimes I'll even use a High Cut 48dB filter at 19.5kHz if I need a lot of high-end pumping all the time. I'm sure 90% of people wouldn't notice that a lot.
I wish I had those options on the ableton stock EQ, something to look forward to in live 9 i guess.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:38 am
by deadly_habit
RandoRando wrote:if you want to cut the frequencies entirely you, try a linear phase EQ
Or a multiband compressor will do the trick for a dead cutoff. The multiband setup in Izotope Trash does the trick as well.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:00 am
by bkwsk
OfficialDAPT wrote:
bkwsk wrote:
Isley wrote:cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer
It really depends on what frequencies you're cutting. I always use a 48dB per octave HPF on every track (including subs) at 28-30Hz to allow more headroom and energy into the mix. And sometimes I'll even use a High Cut 48dB filter at 19.5kHz if I need a lot of high-end pumping all the time. I'm sure 90% of people wouldn't notice that a lot.
I wish I had those options on the ableton stock EQ, something to look forward to in live 9 i guess.
It is coming, man, it is coming. I'm glad too, because even though I've got —and I love— Pro-Q, I love Ableton's native workflow even more.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:18 pm
by didge
bkwsk wrote:
OfficialDAPT wrote:
bkwsk wrote:
Isley wrote:cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer
It really depends on what frequencies you're cutting. I always use a 48dB per octave HPF on every track (including subs) at 28-30Hz to allow more headroom and energy into the mix. And sometimes I'll even use a High Cut 48dB filter at 19.5kHz if I need a lot of high-end pumping all the time. I'm sure 90% of people wouldn't notice that a lot.
I wish I had those options on the ableton stock EQ, something to look forward to in live 9 i guess.
It is coming, man, it is coming. I'm glad too, because even though I've got —and I love— Pro-Q, I love Ableton's native workflow even more.
I always assumed that each filter pole on the EQ8 had a 12 dB/octave slope so you could get a (8*12=) 96 db/octave roll off if you stacked them all.

Am I missing something?

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:33 pm
by deadly_habit
didge wrote:
bkwsk wrote:
OfficialDAPT wrote:
bkwsk wrote:
Isley wrote:cutting frequencies that rigidly though will make your sounds not sound natural. especially when doing it to every track in your mixer
It really depends on what frequencies you're cutting. I always use a 48dB per octave HPF on every track (including subs) at 28-30Hz to allow more headroom and energy into the mix. And sometimes I'll even use a High Cut 48dB filter at 19.5kHz if I need a lot of high-end pumping all the time. I'm sure 90% of people wouldn't notice that a lot.
I wish I had those options on the ableton stock EQ, something to look forward to in live 9 i guess.
It is coming, man, it is coming. I'm glad too, because even though I've got —and I love— Pro-Q, I love Ableton's native workflow even more.
I always assumed that each filter pole on the EQ8 had a 12 dB/octave slope so you could get a (8*12=) 96 db/octave roll off if you stacked them all.

Am I missing something?
The 8 is just referring to the max number of points you can place on it to articulate.

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:42 pm
by didge
^^^ Lol, yeah I get that, I use Ableton; they just seem a bit unaware that EQ8 can get 48 db/octave slopes (or 60 or 72 etc.)

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 4:03 pm
by OfficialDAPT
didge wrote:^^^ Lol, yeah I get that, I use Ableton; they just seem a bit unaware that EQ8 can get 48 db/octave slopes (or 60 or 72 etc.)
Ableton 8 has some minor downfalls but I love it to death. It's a part of me. :U:

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:33 pm
by bkwsk
didge wrote:^^^ Lol, yeah I get that, I use Ableton; they just seem a bit unaware that EQ8 can get 48 db/octave slopes (or 60 or 72 etc.)
You're right, actually. It's absolutely doable. Stack them up and you get more dBs per octave. But it's easier to just drop Pro-Q there than doing that innit :dunce: .

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:34 pm
by SUBFLEX
bkwsk wrote:
didge wrote:^^^ Lol, yeah I get that, I use Ableton; they just seem a bit unaware that EQ8 can get 48 db/octave slopes (or 60 or 72 etc.)
You're right, actually. It's absolutely doable. Stack them up and you get more dBs per octave. But it's easier to just drop Pro-Q there than doing that innit :dunce: .

using the Pre+Post analyzer with Pro-Q has totally changed how I see EQ'ing

watching the changes makes you realize how much (or how little) you might actually be doing by adjusting notches, shelves, and passes

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:51 pm
by OfficialDAPT
SUBFLEX wrote:
bkwsk wrote:
didge wrote:^^^ Lol, yeah I get that, I use Ableton; they just seem a bit unaware that EQ8 can get 48 db/octave slopes (or 60 or 72 etc.)
You're right, actually. It's absolutely doable. Stack them up and you get more dBs per octave. But it's easier to just drop Pro-Q there than doing that innit :dunce: .

using the Pre+Post analyzer with Pro-Q has totally changed how I see EQ'ing

watching the changes makes you realize how much (or how little) you might actually be doing by adjusting notches, shelves, and passes
Well not everyone is rich enough for those PRO PLUGINS! :(

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 7:52 pm
by atlascesar
the representational notion of a certain range of frequencies in a signal being eliminated is a falsity in reality. electronic filters, and their software emulations, can modify a signal to emphasize or deemphasize a portion of its spectral content, as well as shift the relative phase of the signals spectral content, for a given range of harmonic frequencies. as there are many types of filters, filter designs, and methods of synthetically emulating these filters, there are countless ways to affect a signal with regard to its phase and magnitude in a given range of frequencies

so much. keep on pumping my friends

Re: Something about EQ

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:01 pm
by OfficialDAPT
atlascesar wrote:the representational notion of a certain range of frequencies in a signal being eliminated is a falsity in reality. electronic filters, and their software emulations, can modify a signal to emphasize or deemphasize a portion of its spectral content, as well as shift the relative phase of the signals spectral content, for a given range of harmonic frequencies. as there are many types of filters, filter designs, and methods of synthetically emulating these filters, there are countless ways to affect a signal with regard to its phase and magnitude in a given range of frequencies

so much. keep on pumping my friends
Well the frequency doesn't have to be eliminated completely, I just want to bring it down so that it doesn't show up on a spectrum analyzer and take away my headroom. Compressing the living shit out of frequencies you don't want until they are really low using a multiband compressor should do the trick :W: