Hi all.
I have a question, or I’m also interested on how you all do the mixing of a single track.
I have several instruments in a track, say drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, and I use an EQ for each instrument. I mix the song in this way, adjusting all the EQs in the track.
If I add a bus with an EQ to which I send all the tracks, and route the bus to the master would it be ok? This to have the track sounding as a whole in a certain way.
It would be having basically two EQs, one for each instrument, the other for all the instruments (already mixed).
There’s no reason why you should not have EQ in the master bus as well as individual EQs in the channels feeding it, if you think you need it.
Hi mate and thanks for the hint. I guess you mean the master track in the Ardour track, the song. Actually I only use EQs on the tracks (intruments) I need. However I though about it and I don’t think it’s a good choice to add a global EQ. If I put different EQs on different tracks, once I add a global EQ I change the whole mix. So I think I’ll only put an EQ in the mastering track to render all the tracks in a certain way.
Hi,
Well there are no hard and fast rules really, of course in my opinion you should try and mitigate the use of EQ’s as much as possible by using proper mics and mic placements but it all depends on how well you have recorded your sources and what your ears tell you… There are often good reasons to use EQ’s on tracks individually and also use EQ on your master bus to apply corrections to a whole mix… As an example you have a multitrack project with a drum kit, a bass guitar and a piano… on the kick drum track you will probably want to boost the bass frequency to make it ‘boom’ nicely and you may also want to boost some bass on the bass guitar to make it round. When you solo the individual tracks they will sound really good with their respective EQ’s applied but when you listen to the mix in it’s entirety you are going to notice that the bass frequencies and low mid frequencies from the kick drum, bass guitar and piano are piling up and need to be addressed by making a cut at 250Hz or so on your master bus… To generalize using EQ’s on individual channels is to enhance the sounds and characteristics of the individual instruments and using EQ on the Master bus is to correct and enhance everything together in the mix as an ensemble.
1 Like
Hi Glen, thank you. Yes, in fact I agree with you. I usually go directly in the console with the electric instruments, guitars and bass, I use a vst for the drums and record with the mic only the acoustic instruments and the vocals. So I use the EQs and other effect, usually reverb and delay, to try to make all the instruments sounding more natural.
I also tried to record some guitars using pedal effects through a DI but I always go direct.
Anyways I’ll do that way, EQ for any instrument I need, and a mastering track with all the tracks of the cd with a global EQ to amalgamate all.
This topic was automatically closed 91 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.