Differences in Equalizers? / higher output volume after HPF?

[bluegreengold]

Originally Posted by Megadrum

What I can't seem to find out, is why some equalizers do different jobs better than other ones, such as high end boosting, precision cuts/boosts, etc. What determines this? Also, I noticed that when I add my DAW's stock parametric graphic eq (in its default state, no boosts or cuts) AFTER a brick wall limiter set at 0db in my master chain, it begins clipping over 0db. Why is this? How is it adding noise when I haven't adjusted anything? Is that a sign of a crappy EQ?

I'm sure others will chime in with actual answers for your questions, but I'd like to suggest first, that you've reached the point where you want real understanding, so I suggest you look into reading some authoritative references regarding digital audio (and analog) fundamentals, rather than just ask for answers piecemeal in web forums.

[Megadrum]

Thanks for the reply! Do you have any suggested readings? So far I've read Mike Senior's "Mixing Secrets" which was great, Roey Izhaki's "Mixing Audio", as well as Marc Adamo's "Secrets of House Music Production". However I don't recall any mentioning in detail as to why this is, or maybe I just didn't quite understand. Thanks for the advice though!

[zvukofor]

OK, i'll answer, but just to summarize all info you could find on net. )
If we are talking about digital EQs, than we must understand, that there're many ways to implement them. Same is true for analog EQs. Bad designs in digital EQs leads to "cramping" of high freqs near Nyquist frequency, instability in bell shape over the range and others. Also there's some special behavior of Linear Phase EQs, which should be understood and known by user.
Anyhow, there're known good working plugins you can safely use.

Besides the fact that there's many types of EQ, there're some psychoacoustic technological know-hows, which came to digital from analog designs, like program-dependent behavior, Q-gain interactions and others. You should know these tricks to fully understand the art of equalising. ) And yes, some types of EQs do different jobs better than others due to the principle, there's no way to make bell parametric to sound like butterworth bandpass.

As for EQs after limiting...it is not a common idea to use any processing after final limiter, even cutting EQs sometimes will give you a raise in level, besides the fact that you'd ruin limiter's job - the signal is no more limited after applying EQ in this situation. If you're using EQ after limiter on track - just make shure that you have enough headroom (or at least 6dB for cutting) for equalizer after it, there's no need to limit to 0dB.

[Megadrum]

thanks for taking the time to write all of that, it helped me out. and as for why i inserted an eq after my limiter, is because my eq has a nice spectrum analyzer that i like to put very last sometimes when comparing to reference tracks.

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[Reptil]

it has to do with the way you mix (maxing out the dynamic range, and then equalising)
you see, if you filter something, it might add a resonance bump or remove audio that masked peaks before.
here's a thread about the subject: Why does adding a high-pass filter cause track to clip?
this is also an excellent read about clipping and gain staging: Mix it low

here's a FREE spectrum analyser plugin: http://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
here's a FREE level meter plugin that can detect inter sample peaks: http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/x-ism/index.asp

[Wildfunk]

Originally Posted by Megadrum

... is because my eq has a nice spectrum analyzer that i like to put very last sometimes when comparing to reference tracks

This one?

I would rather use WaveCandy or Voxengo SPAN instead. The PEQ2 just show bars, SPAN shows exactely how much db is on 300 Hz for example.

[TREMORS]

Originally Posted by Megadrum

What I can't seem to find out, is why some equalizers do different jobs better than other ones, such as high end boosting, precision cuts/boosts, etc. What determines this? Also, I noticed that when I add my DAW's stock parametric graphic eq (in its default state, no boosts or cuts) AFTER a brick wall limiter set at 0db in my master chain, it begins clipping over 0db. Why is this? How is it adding noise when I haven't adjusted anything? Is that a sign of a crappy EQ?

Part of your problem may be that the limiter obviously limited the full band signal...but does it have make up gain? If the output is right at say 0db this could be overloading the headroom the EQ has. Or the EQ may have an input gain. Even though its in the box its still important to think of signal flow and gain staging. Even though no boost is applied clearly the EQ doesn't have room to do it's math with 0db fed into it.

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[Augsy]

I never noticed this before but when I put a high pass filter over a sample or synth the output seems to be higher than before I filtered it. Maybe im missing something but shouldn't the volume be lower once part of it is filtered out?

I've tryed multiple filters and they all seem to do it...Does anyone else have this problem?

[stinkyfingers]

Cutting frequencies actually INCREASES overall volume of pre-master??

[audioconsult]

Originally Posted by Augsy

I never noticed this before but when I put a high pass filter over a sample or synth the output seems to be higher than before I filtered it. Maybe im missing something but shouldn't the volume be lower once part of it is filtered out?

I've tryed multiple filters and they all seem to do it...Does anyone else have this problem?

you are missing something.. less is more..especially when it comes to phase cancelations with the sub bass.. you remove the sub..you remove the phase cancelations caused by it with it... and without cancelation..higher peaks

[Reptil]

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