When do you typically / always use LP & HP EQ / filters when mixing?

[mattg082]

I always use them on guitars...for sims I roll off between 65hz-120 or so. Lpf around 8khz.

Bass I like to do around 40hz for a good starting point, but bring it up to 100hz at some point and roll back to where it fits best for the material.

Kick 50hz or 60hz hpf. Given the genre though whatever is dominant you may not use any on kick or bass and just roll off some on the entire mix.

Those are some basics I always do on most genres. Dance and rap I tend to leave the kick and bass mostly alone unless I do multi layers of each. I find in metal mixes or where it's super fast,cutting the really low end and focusing on the upper lows works better. Taming the sub lows and lower mids can make or break a mix depending on arrangement, bpm and material. There are times where you always do it like on instruments, but kick and bass vary based on the genre.

[stagefright13]

Just listen to the tracks solo 1 at A time. And try them. You will know right away what sounds better. Try distorted guitar solo and in the mix A bunch of times as A trial. You will see what I mean. Have fun.

John

[Duesenbert]

Drums and bass as mentioned, acoustic guitars HP wherever the mud starts to disappear and clarity starts to appear but don't be afraid to LP as well. Same with vocals, electrics, strings, etc. Doing this in tracking saves me a lot of time mixing. In addition to mic preamps, a lot of mics have rolloff characteristics (switchable and natural) that can be used to your advantage. Just try some and have fun!

[stagefright13]

And the statement "Always" doesn't happen in recording. As it doesn't apply in any artist thing. Ya just never know what is better 'till it hits your ears. Gods gift.

John

[audiogeek]

Yeah, pretty much HPF/LPF on everything, to some extent. Flavor to taste.

The only time you don't need to use at least one or the other is with VI's or synths. But even then you have to be careful. If you HPF everything, then have one synth pad with sub freqs, it's gonna be hella boomy, relatively speaking.

[peeej1978]

I've had similar thoughts recently about HPF on mics and pres. One of my mics has selectable 75hz or 150hz HPF switch. Is there really much difference? I've certainly never been able to discern a huge difference? For what sources would you select these HPFs?

Also, if u select a HPF on a Mic, do peeps then mirror this on the pre too, further reducing those frequencies? Or is this not necessary/advisable? Lastly, is the mics HPF or the Mic pre HPF preferable?

Sorry, feel like I've hijacked the thread. I think my questions are relevant... :D

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[AnthonyRochester]

baskervils, I use HPF on anything that has low end content that doesn't need to be there, and an occasional LPF on anything that sticks out as harsh because of too much fizzy high end.

Also, did the Hepburns and I play a gig with you guys in late 2007?

[sidereal]

I'm with audiogeek, but I look at it this way (as a general rule): HPF on everything recorded with a microphone. Anything electronic, maybe. Any virtual instrument within the system (plug-ins), maybe, but not usually. I sometimes like to have a HPF on effects returns, usually reverb. LPF... electric guitars, but not much else.

[uncle muscles]

Snares, guitars, bass, vocals.

Personally I cut all my bass out on basses all the way up to 311 sometimes and get what I want by dup'ing the track and synthesizing subs and filtering all the high end out and compressing the snot out of it. Sometimes a dense short reverb will do it too. Non sub bass tracks for me are all about tone and vibe.
Be careful when you filter kicks because each itb eq affects the signal differently, generally boosting it when you engage the hpf

[Ciozzi]

The only things I don't use a LPF on are vocals and cymbals. I don't hi pass kick drum and sometimes bass, everything else gets hi/low passed...BIG time.

[Dr. Mordo]

I always use one or the other, and often use both.

I'm a firm believer in eliminating unneeded freqs. My mixes made a quantum leap when I started filtering everything a year or two ago.

[Pgraf88]

I usually high pass most thing to some degree but when I started using low pass filters that was the icing on the cake helps a ton with fizzy guitars and really makes things seem more real to me by taking away some of that hyped high end you get from shoving a mic as close as possible to the source.

[Atak]

It was the Satson Sonimus that did it for me understanding what a good hp-lp filter can do for your mix. Satson is at the top of every channel and once I use the filters alone the tracks start sounding amazing.

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[baskervils]

Thanks guys for all of the advice! I just remixed a song using much of your advice, and it's really cleaned up the town a lot.

Yesterday, mudsville. Today... clean living.

[Dr. Mordo]

Originally Posted by Atak

It was the Satson Sonimus that did it for me understanding what a good hp-lp filter can do for your mix. Satson is at the top of every channel and once I use the filters alone the tracks start sounding amazing.

I hadn't picked up Satson, and hadn't even looked at it, but that is a perfect use for it. Throw it on every channel, dial in your levels and lpf/hpf, then start tuning the mix. It has very wide ranges, which makes it very versatile. And I guess it adds a bit of analog-ish-ness as well.

I'm in the process of moving OTB, or I would likely adopt this as my new workflow.

[Atak]

Originally Posted by Dr. Mordo

I hadn't picked up Satson, and hadn't even looked at it, but that is a perfect use for it. Throw it on every channel, dial in your levels and lpf/hpf, then start tuning the mix. It has very wide ranges, which makes it very versatile. And I guess it adds a bit of analog-ish-ness as well.

I'm in the process of moving OTB, or I would likely adopt this as my new workflow.

The Satson really helps your mixing approach to the song. I start with Satson then Waves SSL

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[Atak]

Or Sknote Stripbus

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