As I said in Chapter 11, equalization is extremely useful for mixing, but it can only adjust the balance of frequencies that are already in the recording. Much of the overprocessing in typical small-studio mixdowns arises from people maxing out their EQ settings in a misguided attempt to add something new to the sound. So if EQ isn’t giving you a sound you like or is unable to deliver a satisfactory mix balance, then it’s time to stop footling about with what’s already there and actually add information to the mix instead.
12.1 DISTORTION AS A MIX TOOL
The textbook situation in which EQ has nothing to offer is where you want to brighten a bass guitar/synth line with no appreciable high frequencies. This might be because ...
Get Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
