Use of instrument bus and master bus EQ

Dowsed · 18th August 2011

I was reading through the Q&A with Eric Valentine and I found a 3EB track that was pre going to the mastering house. I noticed how spectrally flat the audio ALREADY was.

I was wondering if any of you know how the top mixing engineers stand on not only pre-mastering house EQ but also each individual bus EQ? Or just general pointers to how that flatness is achieved.

It is not like I think or expect that there is a magic pill answer to this and I am pretty sure that their eyes are just so honed to their monitors and to spectral deficiency. I also know that referencing plays a big part in this.

Also does anyone else have a bounce of any popular commercial releases they can share pre-mastering house? To give me better reference material than already mastered tracks.

Cheers

RCM - Ronan · 18th August 2011

When you say "flat" are you talking about how even it is across the spectrum? If that is the case, I think its really just a matter of great mixing skills to evenly distribute the spectral energy across the mix as part of the mixing process. Myself and most mixer I know are using the 2bus EQ more to add character to a mix rather than fix problems.

Dowsed · 18th August 2011

Yeah I had suspected that is the case. How much EQ do you reckon is generally used on your buses (drums, guitar buses etc) to make everything mesh together?

and yes I mean evenly distributing the spectral energy.

RCM - Ronan · 19th August 2011

The answer really is "as much as you need" it depends on how the things were recorded, home much EQ you have done on the individual tracks and the relative level of all the instruments. Worth noting that some mixers do not use any buss EQ

18th August 2011	#1
Dowsed Gear Head Joined: Sep 2010 Location: Coventry, UK Posts: 34 Thread Starter 2 Reviews written	Use of instrument bus and master bus EQ I was reading through the Q&A with Eric Valentine and I found a 3EB track that was pre going to the mastering house. I noticed how spectrally flat the audio ALREADY was. I was wondering if any of you know how the top mixing engineers stand on not only pre-mastering house EQ but also each individual bus EQ? Or just general pointers to how that flatness is achieved. It is not like I think or expect that there is a magic pill answer to this and I am pretty sure that their eyes are just so honed to their monitors and to spectral deficiency. I also know that referencing plays a big part in this. Also does anyone else have a bounce of any popular commercial releases they can share pre-mastering house? To give me better reference material than already mastered tracks. Cheers

18th August 2011	#2
RCM - Ronan Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 4,414	When you say "flat" are you talking about how even it is across the spectrum? If that is the case, I think its really just a matter of great mixing skills to evenly distribute the spectral energy across the mix as part of the mixing process. Myself and most mixer I know are using the 2bus EQ more to add character to a mix rather than fix problems. __________________ Ronan Chris Murphy+ http://ronansrecordingshow.com Six Day Recording Boot Camps in Los Angeles July 16-21, 2012

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19th August 2011	#4
RCM - Ronan Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 4,414	The answer really is "as much as you need" it depends on how the things were recorded, home much EQ you have done on the individual tracks and the relative level of all the instruments. Worth noting that some mixers do not use any buss EQ