This is a look at the most popular classic types of EQs, from my best-selling book « YOUR MIX SUCKS ».
The book is a Complete Mix Methodology for the entire process from DAW preparation to delivery.
Before we dive into specific types of EQs, and where to use them, know that you will need to use a combination of these to cover all your EQ-needs in a mix.
If you are not yet familiar with the classifications explained in this article, take some time to explore the possibilities of these on different sources – I’ll give you some typical examples but don’t limit yourself: on many, if not most of my DAW-channels, I’m using ALL of these EQs at different stages of the plug-in chain.
EQing doesn’t have to be complicated – in the context of setting levels in your mix, EQs can be used in a very basic way.
When you level for example a piano or guitar in the mix, this is as simple as having the upper range of the instruments, including the noise component (piano hammer noises, guitar picking noises) sit right in the mix first, and then use a broad EQ between 200 – 400Hz to adjust the lower range of the instrument by boosting or cutting.
Classic EQ-types
„PULTEC“-TYPE EQS
Probably the EQs I personally use the most in my mixes – the hardware-versions of these are tube-EQs that come in two basic types:
1. the EQP-1 „Program Equalizer“ can boost and reduce bass at the same time (in steps from 20 to 100Hz), and has similar controls plus a bandwidth-parameter for treble (switchable boost for 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16kHz, Attenuation/Reduction for 5, 10, 20kHz).
2. the MEQ-1 „Midrange Equalizer“ is an EQ for mids – it has a boost (here called „Peak“) for selectable lower mids (200, 300, 500, 700, 1000Hz), a selectable „DIP“ (reduction) for 200, 300, 500, 700Hz, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7kHz and another boost for high mids (switchable between 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5kHz).
Pultec-type EQs are great for shaping tones in a very natural way. It is difficult to get a bad-sounding result out of them. Even when frequencies are fully boosted, the boost still has a smooth and natural character about it. The reason for this are the Pultecs broad EQ curves. Even when you boost below 100Hz, the boost reaches up to 700Hz. While these EQs have their own character, you can apply EQ-curves similar to them even if you don’t own one. Simply try out broader curves (smaller Q-factors) with the EQ you have at hand.
The EQ-part of the Pultec consists of „passive“ electronics that reduces gain internally, and the tubes are used for a 2 stage line amplifier to make up for the gain lost in the passive EQ-circuit.
There are a couple known variations of these from known manufacturers, and an almost endless number of plug-in versions.
Pultec EQs used to be very exclusive to high-end recording studios, and while the original hardware-versions are still amongst the most expensive EQs you can buy for money, plug-ins are of course a way to use these on pretty much every channel in your mix.
Note that Pultecs add a very desirable and subtle tube saturation to your signal even when the EQ is set flat.
PULTEC EQs – APPLICATION EXAMPLES
Pultec MEQ 5 – WARMTH ON A VOCAL
The Pultec MEQ 5 is usually my first EQ in the vocal chain, using a broad boost between 200 – 500 Hz, but you can simulate these (broad) curves with many stock EQs that come with your DAW. I don’t ever go lower than 200 Hz, and occasionally up to 700Hz. The effect we want to get here is that the vocal gets more weight and warmth in the mix.
If the vocal is well tracked, it comes with a lot of that quality in the recording and you may not need to do anything here. This is why people use Neve 1073s and various tube-based equipment (from Tube Mics, Tube Mic-Pres to Tube Compressors) during tracking.
However, a lot of modern vocal recordings sound rather thin, and a nice boost in the low mids can fix that. If you like the character you’re adding with the boost, you can even do a little bit too much of it. You can counterbalance it later in the chain, for example by using a gentle compressor like a Fairchild or Summit TLA-100A. In case the vocal already sounds overly „muddy“ or „boomy“, add a Linear Phase EQ at the beginning of the plug-in chain, locate and remove the frequencies that cause this effect. Watch the interdependence of that – once you’ve removed resonances, you have more leeway again to use that broad Pultec-boost again.
Pultec EQP-1a – FINAL EQ ON A VOCAL CHAIN
A Pultec EQP-1a as a final EQ can round off treble and bass. I like a Pultec EQP-1a here, to boost at 20Hz, and Attenuate at 20kHz. Your vocals will sound more analogue when you roll off the top end – I always do that at least slightly, sometimes a lot. Both the boost at 20Hz, and the attenuation at 20kHz should not affect the essence of the tone you have created. The boosts can add little bit of weight, and the cut removes top end energy that only hurts at loud volumes.
Pultec MEQ 5 – WARMTH ON THE STEREO BUS
Similar to the vocal chain, the MEQ 5 is boosting when „warmth“ is needed. Test if our mix bus lacks anything between 200Hz and 700Hz by switching through the frequencies. Don’t boost anything just because you can. Try the same with the upper band as well – a little boost between 1.5k and 7k can add some energy.
On all accounts, I’m talking about a +2 or +3dB boost here at best – which is still a very subtle amount on the Pultec.
Pultec EQP-1a – FINAL TONE CONTROL ON THE STEREO BUS
Again the Pultec EQP-1a (never confuse it with the MEQ used above) does a subtle boost here, usually 2dB at 20Hz, and I attenuate treble by 2dB at 20kHz. Another very „esoteric“ setting, the Pultecs on my mix bus are mainly used to add an analogue vibe.
CLASSIC CONSOLE EQs (SSL, NEVE, API)
These are the EQs found on the most popular large format recording consoles from the 1970s until today. You don’t need to own one of these recording consoles as all of these EQs are available as hardware from the original manufacturers, in the popular 500-series format (all three, SSL, AMS Neve and API now offer EQs in the 500-series format, which was an API-invention) and also other formats, like SSL’s « X-Rack ».
Console EQs were designed very flexible, to be able to shape all kinds of signals. They usually have a shelf EQ for the lows and highs, and 1 or 2 bands or fully parametric EQs for the mids (fully parametric meaning including a Q-factor pot that determines the width of the boost or cut). These can often reach as high or low as the low and high shelf EQs.
Today, most people learn about and use them in the form of plug-ins, some of them developed officially with SSL, Neve or API.
I might be a bit simplifying here – but you mainly use these when you want to boost or shape a sound more narrow, or more agressively than what can be achieved with the Pultec-type EQs.
CLASSIC CONSOLE EQs – APPLICATION EXAMPLES
SSL EQ FOR PRESENCE IN A LEAD VOCAL
In a dense mix, we need to create frequencies that make the vocal cut through the rest of the instruments. We can go to extremes here, but before you start playing with the mid boost, set up a compressor that follows it right away. It’s needed to tame the mid boosts as they can get very harsh.
Often, less or no boosting in the mids is needed in less populated parts of the song, but when the vocals are up against a wall of sound, you will need a musically composed texture of „cut through“ frequencies there.
This is more complicated to get right, compared to creating warmth. Start with an SSL-type EQ and boost the high shelf at 8k +10dB, then pull back again to 0dB and find a great setting for it somewhere in the middle. Try switching between BELL and SHELF characteristics (BELL will just boost around the set frequency, while shelf also includes all frequencies above. If 8k is boosting sibilance too much, go a tiny bit lower.
Continue by using the HMF band to boost at 4k. And the LMF to boost 2k. Move these around until you find a good balance – but keep in mind, not boosting anything is always an option.
The goal is to create a cluster of mid-boosts that appears as one colourful and musical texture of mid-boosts between 1 and 8k.
Chris Lord-Alge is a master of this technique, and you can learn a lot from him by studying the Chris Lord-Alge presets for the Waves SSL Channel. Check specifically the « Rock Vocals » preset.
You will probably be able to achieve good results with the stock EQs of your DAW, but there is a reason why SSL EQs are famous for their musicality in the mids. API, Neve works as well. Not a job for a Pultec.
LINEAR PHASE EQs
These are digital EQs, and they were first introduced as super expensive digital outboard boxes for mastering engineers, who have used them for many years. Like everything expensive and digital, it is now available in plug-in form, and for example Logic Pro has a very good linear phase EQ that comes with the software.
There is a ton of technical info on linear phase EQs on the web, none of which will help you improve your mix. One thing they all have in common is adding a signifi- cant latency to your signal that needs to be compen- sated by your DAW. This is a problem when using it on live instrument, but not in mixing. As shown in the chap- ter on parallel compression, just make sure your plugin delay compensation is switched on across all types of audio tracks, and you’ll be fine using it. The reason for the added latency is that instead of „post ringing“ which we see in traditional EQs, the linear phase EQs adds „pre ringing“, which in turn keeps the phase response linear. All you need to know is that the linear phase behaviour makes these sound more neutral and less drastic. They don’t add harmonics and resonances – their effect is to- tally isolated to the frequency range you have selected. They can be used for boosting and attenuating, both broad and narrow.
LINEAR PHASE EQs – APPLICATION EXAMPLES
LINEAR PHASE EQs – USING NOTCH-FILTERS TO SURGICAL REMOVE « STUFF » & BOOSTING SPECIFIC FREQUENCIES WITHOUT AFFECTING ANYTHING ELSE
Linear Phase EQs are unbeaten to do « surgical » operations on your audio material. If you need to remove a specific frequency, for example a room resonance in a live recording, you can set a very high Q-factor and create a notch filter at this frequency that will not affect anything else. All other EQs listed here operate much broader, even when set to a high Q (note: high Q-factor = narrow EQ = notch filter; low Q-factor = broader EQ-curves).
This can also be useful so discretely boost specific frequencies. Very useful when targeting the exact fundamental root note or 1st harmonic on a kick drum. Again, set a very high Q, and a linear phase EQ will boost just that narrow band.
Analogue EQs are known to create harmonics above the boosted frequency, and will also start to self-resonate at high gain. Which is what we sometimes want – but not always.
LINEAR PHASE EQs – FINAL TONE CONTROL ON THE MIX BUS
I also use a linear phase EQ as my final control for the overall frequency curve of the mix. I usually add a very broad and subtle boost on the bass, add or remove mids broadly by a maximum of +- 1dB, and check if there’s room for a bit more « sparkle » around 12k.
Again, I’ve made all musical EQing before that so I want an EQ here that does not create any harmonics. After all, it’s the final stage of my stereo bus.
FILTERS
To list filters here is somehow redundant. Filters always come in the package of most EQs, except the Pultec-type. You use them to remove frequencies below a certain frequency (HPF = High Pass Filter = high frequencies are „allowed“ to pass) or above (LPF = Low Pass Filter = low frequencies are passing).
The most popular application is a HPF on vocals, to remove low rumbling frequency, commonly below 60 – 120 Hz.
FILTERS – APPLICATION EXAMPLES
FILTERS – REMOVING LOW-END RUMBLE ON A VOCAL RECORDING
This is of course a widely known technique – many people use a high pass filter (HPF) set at around 70Hz in their vocal tracking-chain, to remove low-end rumble that is caused by the environment, but doesn’t contain any frequencies from the recorded source.
FILTERS – FOCUSSING A SOUND
You can use a combination of HPF and LPF to focus any sound to a specific frequency range. Sounds tend to « sit » better in the mix when you limit their range. Just as an example, try reducing anything above 10k on a synth-bass. When solo’d it might sound like you take something away from the sound, but in the context of an entire mix there are other instruments that need that space above 10k. Same goes for guitars, pianos, synth-stabs, etc. – by limiting the frequency range an instrument is easier to identify in the mix which in turn contributes to the overall three-dimensionality of your mix.
So much about the most famous classic types of EQs. I have written a similar post on compressors, one that explains how they can add color to your mix via added harmonics, and another one explaining parallel processing aka parallel compression.
If you found this article helpful, you will like my new book which can guide you through the entire mixing process from DAW preparation to mix delivery. The best-selling eBook YOUR MIX SUCKS is available in English, German, Spanish and french.
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