EQ Eight is one of the most important production tools in Ableton Live. Today I’m going to show you when and how to use it.
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What is the frequency spectrum?
- Marvel GEQ is a linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer AU and VST plugin with multi-channel operation support (supporting up to 8 input/output channels, audio host application-dependent) for professional music production applications. This EQ can be used by audio engineers to apply quick EQ shape adjustments, both to audio tracks and full mixes.
- So i was watching this video about making music in ableton live 9, and the lad used EQ Eight and had many more audio effects. So i went to my ableton live 9, i got it with my launchpad mini, and i found out that i dont got EQ eight, and i dont reallt have as many effects as the lad in the video had.
To understand what EQ does you need to get a sense of what the frequency spectrum is. Make sure to wear headphones or listen on good speakers with a lot of low frequencies.
Adding effects and manipulating sounds in radical ways, all on the fly, is a snap, and the software supports third-party plug-in technologies including VST. Ableton live demo song download pc. Rewire functionality helps connect it to other sequencing software or applications such as Reason.
Here is a fragment of a track of mine with no EQ applied.
Feb 24, 2020 GLUE COMPRESSOR AND EQ EIGHT. Ableton Live Suite’s new Glue Compressor (made in collaboration with Cytomic) is based on a classic bus compressor from the 80s, both for its great sound and for its easy handling. Live’s studio effects – Compressor, Gate and EQ Eight.
Here’s what this situation looks like on the EQ8 display:
Now listen to the same clip without high frequencies. Notice that you can now hear only the kick, bass, much less of the snare and almost no hihats. The high (bright) frequencies are cut out.
The same clip without low frequencies. Now it’s the opposite - only the hihats, snare and whistle are audible. The low (bass) frequencies are cut out.
Now you know what high & low frequencies sound like. All frequencies together are called the spectrum. EQ Eight allows you to cut (or boost) areas of the frequency spectrum. It allows you to filter the sound just like you filter photos before putting them up on Instagram.
How to use EQ Eight
EQ Eight has 8 filters which you can turn on & off by pressing the squares by their numbers. Every filter can be one of 8 types which you can select in the menu above the on/off button.
When you turn on a filter and select its type you can move it around the spectrum by moving the yellow circle with the filter’s number inside.
To hear the difference the filter is making turn on the headphones button and click on the filter’s yellow circle. The affected frequencies will turn blue and you’ll be able to hear it.
You can also move the filter with the three knobs on the left.
- The Freq knob moves the filter curve left & right in the spectrum
- The Gain knob allows you to boost frequencies (disabled for our „Cut” filter types)
- The Q knob can can adjust the slope of the filter (to make it more smooth or steep)
Tip: Put a track inside Ableton, load up EQ8 onto it and play around with different filter types. You’ll be surprised how drastically filters can change its sound.
What do we use EQ8 for?
In most cases you’re going to be using EQ8 on single instruments, not on whole tracks. Here’s a few different uses of it.
1. Changing an instrument’s tone color.
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By using high or low frequency cuts we can make an instrument sound darker or brighter.
Here’s a simple Serum pluck:
If we’d like the instrument to sound less apparent we need to cut down on some frequencies.
I cut down on the low end with the 48dB filter (this curve cuts out almost everything below the frequency you put it on).
Then I added a high cut (filter 4 doesn’t have the he x4 sign - means it’s a 12dB filter, a more smooth one).
2. Removing unnecessary frequencies
By using the Bell or Notch filters you can remove certain frequencies you don’t want.
The Bell filter is less aggressive but allows you to also boost certain frequencies (by dragging the Gain knob or filter dot up)
3. Boosting frequency areas
Sometimes you want more high or low end. You can easily boost these frequencies by using the Left Shelf or Right Shelf filters.
Just like with the Bell you can make the filter slope less steep by dragging down the Q knob. You can also reverse the filter by dragging down the Gain (to make a low shelf from a high shelf)
A low shelf with low Q setting.
4. Layering
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Sometimes you want to layer samples or synths to create original sounding combinations. With the help of EQ8 you can create separate layers for low, mid and high frequencies by isolating them. It’s a common technique in making future bass synths or in creating custom drum samples. Tip X in this article explains how to layer in Ableton.
5. Cleaning up the spectrum to mix multiple instruments
Let’s say we have a synth on a track and we want to add a kick to the track. What often happens is that the kick doesn’t sound as good with the synth as it sounds solo. Cleaning up the low end of the synth can improve this situation by giving the kick more space. In most cases you’re going to be lowpassing instruments - it’s often tricky to get the kick and bass sound good with the rest of the track.
6. EQ on the Master
Some producers like to add a final touch EQ on their master track. When applying EQ on the master be very careful - too much adjustment will flip the balance between your instruments and ruin the mix.
What I like to do is to use the Mid/Side mode to make sure my sub bass frequencies are mono. By doing this I’m avoiding losing the sub frequencies when a track is played on a mono subwoofer (most clubs have such). Another reason is that you don’t hear stereo anyway in such low frequencies. It also gives you a bit more headroom which allows you to make the track louder.
Tip: You can also use the Mid/Side mode to EQ the mid & side frequencies differently. For instance if you’re applying reverb on a mono clap & you want to EQ the reverb you can just EQ the Side because Reverb creates a lot of stereo.
7. Adding Stereo Width
Stereo width is created when there’s difference between the left and right channels. This can be achieved by many effects, but one of them is EQ. If you select Left-Right mode in EQ8, you can create a different EQ shape for every channel. If you want to keep the eq balance you can still do this trick:
Every ”peak” on one channel is another channel’s ”valley”.Good luck with your mixing. See you in the next articles!
k-pizza
I’m k-pizza, a music maker who likes to share his experiences with other producers. I’m regularly going to show up with music and content at PML.
Listen: https://souncloud.com/k-pizza
Find out more about EQ Eight in our new course:EQ is one of the most basic—and important—tools you have as an audio engineer.
But there are so many different EQs out there, how do you know which ones are for you?
You might be thinking your DAW’s channel EQ is perfectly fine. But not all EQs are the same. There’s more types than you might think.
Here’s the 15 best EQ Plugins on the market today:
This article will teach you about the common styles of EQ and how to use them to shape the perfect sound.
Let’s dive in!
Analog EQ
Early EQs were all analog. Some of the earliest equalizer designs are still around today.
Engineers covet these analog beauties for the musically pleasing way they shape sounds. The musical qualities are the result of the unique circuit design of each unit.
Certain EQs became so sought after that plugin designers developed software to emulate them as closely as possible in the digital domain—leading to a mind-boggling ocean of plugin choices.
So what are the different styles of analog EQ? How do they work? What are they used for and where do they work best?
There’s no hard and fast rules when it comes to choosing an EQ. But there are some helpful guidelines that will help you get started with the classic designs.
Pultec-style EQ
The Pultec EQP-1A is the most sought after EQ ever. Well-preserved original units can sell for over $10,000.
The Pultec EQP-1A is the most sought after EQ ever.
Fortunately for us, the EQP-1A has a long history of software emulation. Today’s Pultec-style plugins can sound good—if you know how to use them.
Pultec-style EQ can work wonders to subtly boost top end or extend lows. It can even make broad EQ enhancements without sacrificing any of the original vibe of the sound.
Since the EQP-1A hails from the earliest era of equalizers, it’s control scheme is a little less intuitive than modern designs.
The bandwidth control affects both the high and low band, but low band works differently from the high band.
For the low band, the boost and attenuate knobs are both linked to one of four frequency options. This quirk allows you to both boost and cut at the selected frequency.
The overlapping filters create a steep bump that’s fantastic for boosting the fundamental frequencies of low end instruments.
The high band has separate frequency options for boosting and cutting with overlaps at 5 and 10 kHz.
These controls are interactive and can result in some unique equalization curves.
Best Pultec EQ VSTs
Free Plugin: Ignite Amps PTeq-X
Ignite Amps PTeq-X is a fantastic (and free) way to get started with Pultec-style EQ. It works just like the original so you can get a sense for creating those quirky overlapping curves.
Cheap Plugin: Waves PuigTec EQP-1A
The Waves PuigTec EQP-1A is a well-emulated, workhorse Pultec EQ. It’s very affordable if you can catch it on sale.
Pro Plugin: UAD Pultec EQP-1A
The UAD Pultec EQP-1A is the industry standard software Pultec. UAD spared no expense in creating the perfect Pultec for your DAW.
SSL Channel EQ
SSL console strips did a lot to inform our idea of what a modern EQ is.
SSL console strips did a lot to inform our idea of what a modern EQ is.
Classic features we’re familiar with today like integrated high/low-pass filters and variable Q were popularized by these consoles.
The SSL consoles are famous for their incredibly powerful filters.
The sharp high/low-pass filters, precise frequency ranges and extremely narrow Q options make this a EQ a first choice for surgical suturing and dramatic tonal changes. Their character is precise but aggressive.
Best SSL EQ VSTs
Free Plugin: Smacklabs Logic Channel
Smacklabs Logic Channel is a good entry-level SSL EQ. This free plugin models the entire SSL channel strip, so you can try out the classic SSL-style compressor and gate/expander while you’re at it.
Cheap Plugin: Slate FG-S
The Slate FG-S comes bundled with their very affordable VMR channel strip collection. The FG-S packs all the features and sound of the aggressive, surgical SSL channel EQ.
Pro Plugin: SSL Native Channel Strip
SSL recently jumped into the software game with its own line of plugins—including an in-house version of their classic console channel strip. Why not go straight to the source?
API-style EQ
Experienced engineers often refer to API as the “American” sound in contrast to the “British” Neve tone.
They’re two sides of the same classic console coin.
If you’re a fan of music from the 60’s and 70’s, there’s a good chance some of your favourite records were recorded one of these desks.
The classic API EQ comes in a three band (550a) or four-band (550b) flavour.
The bands don’t have individual Q controls, but the EQ is designed so that the Q becomes progressively sharper as you apply more extreme cuts or boosts.
It’s intuitive and keeps you from worrying too much about the Q setting.
API-style EQ splits the difference between surgical and sculpting. Mild settings can be very transparent, while extreme cuts or boosts can be dramatic and vibey.
Best API EQ VSTs
Free Plugin: Bee-Happy 550
Bee-Happy 500 is a free API-style plugin for those looking to start with classic 70’s console EQ.
Cheap Plugin: Sly-Fi Axis
Sly-Fi Axis is part of the UBK family of products that includes the innovative Kush Audio hardware and software. This EQ is an API on steroids that’s meant to exaggerate the analog colouration of the original.
Pro Plugin: Waves 550a & 550b
Waves 550a and 550b are fantastic native emulations of the API EQ. These are great-sounding and versatile plugins to get the API sound on your tracks.
Neve-style EQ
Neve consoles are the world’s most prized vintage recording equipment.
From the early sixties until the mid-eighties, Neve Electronics produced consoles legendary for their warm, musical sound.
The preamp section of the Neve console strip often gets the most attention, but the EQ is a big part of the Neve sound.
Neve EQs are another great option for broad, smooth cuts and boosts with lots of character.
Neve EQs are another great option for broad, smooth cuts and boosts with lots of character.
There are several different flavours of Neve EQ from the various revisions of the console, but they mostly share the same architecture with a high-pass filter, two or three parametric mid bands and one fixed high band.
The fixed 12 kHz high band found on the Neve 1073 EQ is famous for its ability to add air to vocals, drum rooms and overheads.
Best Neve EQ VSTs
Free Plugin: Smacklabs SL84 Console EQ
Smacklabs SL84 Console EQ will give you a taste of the Neve EQ sound for free. It’s accurately modelled using IR technology.
Cheap Plugin: Sonimus Burnley 73
Sonimus Burnley 73 is super economical way to get the sound of a 1073 on to your tracks.
Pro Plugin: UAD Neve 1073
The UAD Neve 1073 is a tremendously accurate emulation of the classic 1073 preamp and EQ. It’s incredibly smooth and musical with tone that screams Neve.
Digital EQ
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We all drool over the analog EQ beauties. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t extremely useful and creative tools that don’t have anything in common with the classics.
Digital EQ is essential for any DAW. It’s the most precise tool in your EQ tool box.
Reach for digital EQ when you want to make changes without colouring your sound at all. In the right hands, digital EQ can be powerful, flexible and utterly undetectable.
Reach for digital EQ when you want to make changes without colouring your sound at all.
It’s a first choice for “problem solving” duties like notching out room resonances.
Best Digital EQ VSTs
Free Plugin: Your built-in DAW EQ
Most DAWs come bundled with a capable digital EQ. We’re talking about stock DAW plugins like Ableton EQ Eight, Logic Channel EQ, and Avid EQIII. These are all effective entry points into digital EQ.
Cheap Plugin: Voxengo PrimeEQ
Voxengo PrimeEQ is a robust, well-designed digital EQ from a respected company. Look no further if you’re after a nice workhorse digital EQ.
Pro Plugin: Fabfilter ProQ 2
Fabfilter ProQ 2 is the most technologically advanced EQ on this list. The raw power of this EQ is staggering—it’s a singular feat of DSP engineering. Listing all its incredibly powerful features would take far too long, let’s just say this a top-tier professional EQ!
Great Equalizer
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There’s a whole world of EQ out there.
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It’s such a fundamental tool that engineers will always have strong opinions about it. And that means that designers will always be creating new and better versions.
Wading through that water is daunting and exciting at the same time.
But now that you know a little bit about the types of EQ, go head try some of the plugins on this list. You’ll find out which EQ works best for you!