Explain

 

@Patel Jay Kumar

In a nutshell:

1.Cut by EQ (substractive EQ) is attenuating a frequency if there is too much of the frequency. If possible, you should always cut rather than boost when EQ'ing.
2. Compression is reducing the dynamic range of your recording by bringing down the level of the loudest parts, meaning the loud and quiet parts are now closer together in volume and the natural volume variations are less obvious.

With that said, keep in mind that no all EQs and compressors are made equal. Accordingly, choosing the right one is of utter importance.

On the sister site you will find a vast amount of video tutorials and publications dealing with these 2 techniques.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2019

An equalizer does not only cut. It equalizes.

What does an equalizer equalize? The frequency spectrum. Why? Because we need a well balanced signal (with bass, mids and highs) where every instrument has it's task to fill the spectrum.

A very important thing those "oh, I do not use a compressor, I rather take my eq out"-people forget is that a compressor enhances the tail or the release of a signal in a more or less complex curve. I want to see how they do this with an eq without a very complex automation structure. Same goes of course for the "loudness automation instead of compression"-people

A compressor has time constants while an eq doesn't.

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780240809694/handbook-for-sound-engineers

It's free.

https://nikospapachristou.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/handbook-for-sound-engineers.pdf

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jul 6, 2019

This is the best answer.

 

Explain, please.

Err, ?

never heard this bs before. Who's saying this?

Close, because a) it's not (officially) free at all, the ebook is ~ 50€, the printed version (yes, kids, they're still doing this) ~110€ and b) they don't offer it anymore at this page.
But somewhere around here you can find it pretty 'cheap', so to speak.
Edit: obsolete, Friendly Plange added a free link

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2019

Err?

 

Oh yes there are some people. The argument is for example to boost the highs of a kick to get results like a compressor does because lowering the dynamics seems to be an unholy crime today. Or designing the transients with an eq by boosting the highs or lowering the bass. Of course you can do this in some situations but those people are telling other people that this is a "secret technique" and make so called "tutorials" of 20min length.

What do you think is the reason why the original question is asked?

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2019

Boosting a part of the frequency spectrum, is exactly the same as cutting the opposite frequencies.

In every domain I can think of ( time, amplitude, frequency). If you experienced differently, your eq might not be that good.

Generally these false info that is on the internet annoy the hell out of me.

like the vocal mixing tutorials where they eq out the so called resonances. Which is the wrong thing to do, but still became a standard since the invention of YouTube.

 

yeah, sure, that will work greatly

A compressor is maybe the tool to shape a drum sound.

This secret better should have remained secret, completely secret.

Just because he is unexperienced and doesn't know.
But when I have an opinion, like those you mentionend, I should have at least have some knowlege.

 

In theory this is absolutely correct, but in praxis it's almost never done. If you raise, for instance, 4kHz by 4dB with Q=1.5 you would have to lower all other frequencies to get the same frequency response and as to my experience hardly anybody is doing this.

If you're talking about 'raising 4k sounds like lowering 400' the defacto freq response is different.

 

I meant, why rather cut than boost? Where's the benefit? Isn't using both the best way? Like, getting rid of what's annoying and emphasise what's pleasing.

 

Explain is good. Please is better

PS. Oh no, @No Avenger beat me to it lol

 

@No Avenger You asked, why rather cut than boost?
I have 3 main reasons.
Reason 1. Boosting needs more space. Cutting makes more space. You explained as much to @Kwissbeats above.
Reason 2. Our hearing is more susceptible to boosting effects.
Reason 3. Headroom.
Just to clarify, I did not say only cut. What I said was cut rather than boost. At the end it comes down to what sounds good to your ears, regardless of whether you are cutting or boosting.

 

Last edited: Jul 6, 2019

Ending with "thanks" is best.

 

I don't believe in miracles with that opening. I'd take please as a win

 

What you and @No Avenger failed to grasp is that the OP is an official member of the GM Mafia. For those unaware of the GM mafia, it stands for Give Me this, Give Me that. No please, no thanks. Just Give Me what I want... motherfuckers. Sad part is that we always end up giving it to them. We are the WAHWHAs brothers. The We Always Help the GM mafia.

 

Last edited: Jul 7, 2019

Sorry, my fault.

No, wait, it's @Xupito's fault, ofc.

 

The answer is in your question....

 

well yes, but that's a really static way of thinking.
Which maybe even has its merits for people starting out,
but with mixing, chances are big. That there all kind of different alternations later in the chain.

Without going over all of them. Let's say we throw in Auto-gain or even better compensate it by ear, whats left is all 3 reasons (could) jump to the exact opposite side

exactly on point if you'd ask me. I'd only add to that is, with that in hindsight. In most cases, I prefer the least amount of eq nodes, boosting and cutting in my digital- nonemu- EQ is fluid in my mind.
Especially in this new digital age with unlimited eq nodes lies the risk of spending an un-proportionally amount of time on things that should be a few clicks away. Time that better could be spent on all the opportunities that are in front of you.