Any advice on EQ-ing tone?

C

Carpercen

Inspired
Hi!
I've hadr many times about the importance of eq-ing to get the best of tone. I've read about eq-ing before and after drive pedal, eq-ing amp (not sure if pre or post) and eq-ing after can finally. Guess I can do that using both graphic and parametric eq's on ax8, but what am I supposed to cut or boost exactly? I've been experimenting blocking below 100 to 120hz and up to 8500. Boosting 1200, 1500 and 3200kh, sometimes cut/boost 250, 500, 800, but still I have no idea if what I'm going is right or wrong... Could someone explain or throw some light about all these unknown realm to me?
Thanks a lot!
 
Maybe search YouTube for videos on how sound engineers EQ guitar. FOH engineers mostly. The goal is to fit each instrument into the mix. Everything can’t have every frequency.
 
Don't overdo it - unless you are going for something specific, I would stick to a hi-cut and a lo-cut in the cab block. Then let the FOH engineer handle the rest, as that depends on your band and the room.

Make your guitar sound good on your home setup and then use the global EQ to accommodate different situations.
 
A good rule for me is to lo-cut before the amp (or drive) and high cut in the cab block.
The difference between pre and post eq is that the former basically determines how much that frequencies get distorted/compressed, the latter just equalizes.

Cutting the lows pre-distortion helps clean up the mud and gives tighter bass.
 
I do my sound sculpting on the preset. I dial in the amp, and then use the low-cut and high cut in the cab Block to remove sibilance and mud. I tried to get the preset to the point where I can run the EQ on the channel strip flat. Sometimes a little tweaking on the board is needed, but usually not.
 
Can't speak about live sound but in recordings first thing I do is to put in place low-cut and high-cut filters and just remove the parts that don't have an impact with the overall sound and just cause muddiness (low-end especially). Then it's a matter of taste to adjust the mid-range to it fits the mix.

Midrange is my enemy (or friend, depends if it finally sounds good.
 
Thanks to all!
Today I learned something new... I've been almost a year with my ax8 and all this time my ordersp had this boomy sound that I couldn't remove eq-ing the amp, and I read somewhere that boomy sound can be cut around 250hz, I used to do that but that didn't do anything to my sound so today I used a very high Q with -12db with parametric EQ before everything on my chain and started sweeping slowly, then at 164hz, the boomy sound disappeared... Wow, just wow... Sometimes you just need to give yourself time to experiment with your toys...

Thanks guys, I'll do more research now
 
Carpercen said:
Thanks to all!
Today I learned something new... I've been almost a year with my ax8 and all this time my ordersp had this boomy sound that I couldn't remove eq-ing the amp, and I read somewhere that boomy sound can be cut around 250hz, I used to do that but that didn't do anything to my sound so today I used a very high Q with -12db with parametric EQ before everything on my chain and started sweeping slowly, then at 164hz, the boomy sound disappeared... Wow, just wow... Sometimes you just need to give yourself time to experiment with your toys...

Thanks guys, I'll do more research now
Click to expand...


This is something I keep telling myself I'm gonna do one day. Parametric EQs intimidate me. @2112 has a video on how to do it. I've got it book marked for when that 'one day' actually comes.
 
Carpercen said:
Thanks to all!
Today I learned something new... I've been almost a year with my ax8 and all this time my ordersp had this boomy sound that I couldn't remove eq-ing the amp, and I read somewhere that boomy sound can be cut around 250hz, I used to do that but that didn't do anything to my sound so today I used a very high Q with -12db with parametric EQ before everything on my chain and started sweeping slowly, then at 164hz, the boomy sound disappeared... Wow, just wow... Sometimes you just need to give yourself time to experiment with your toys...

Thanks guys, I'll do more research now
Click to expand...
Be cautious though when doing something like this, the boomy frequency you found could just be a room mode and as soon as you change location that frequency could change too and you'll find yourself again with a boomy sound and a hole at 164Hz.

Verify if that boomy frequency is really caused by your rig, just go play in another room of different size and see if it's still at 164Hz
 
DLC86 said:
Be cautious though when doing something like this, the boomy frequency you found could just be a room mode and as soon as you change location that frequency could change too and you'll find yourself again with a boomy sound and a hole at 164Hz.

Verify if that boomy frequency is really caused by your rig, just go play in another room of different size and see if it's still at 164Hz
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I'll try that soon to :D
 
Carpercen said:
Wow, just wow... Sometimes you just need to give yourself time to experiment with your toys...
Click to expand...
This. Exactly this. There is just no substitute for spending time behind the wheel.

Want to really know what happens when you cut or boost a certain frequency? Try it and listen. ;)
 
Carpercen said:
BTW... If a put a looper first in the chain, record a riff and start eqing, is this a good way to sculp tone?
Click to expand...
Absolutely! Helps you focus strictly on what your hearing, no distraction of paying attention to how or what you are playing. Great way to try different amps and cabs as well. Just watch the volume when changing amp models, some can be louder than others.
 
JoKeR III said:
Absolutely! Helps you focus strictly on what your hearing, no distraction of paying attention to how or what you are playing. Great way to try different amps and cabs as well. Just watch the volume when changing amp models, some can be louder than others.
Click to expand...

I may be doing something wrong... I put Friedman HBE and cab, only effect on the chain is looper in the beginning, recorded a riff and then put a parametric eq before it. Started cutting the boomy freq I mentioned later (164hz) but couldn't hear any difference, changed the looper in front of it and the same...
Does someone knows what am I doing wrong or what I understood wrong?

Thanks :)
 
Carpercen said:
I may be doing something wrong... I put Friedman HBE and cab, only effect on the chain is looper in the beginning, recorded a riff and then put a parametric eq before it. Started cutting the boomy freq I mentioned later (164hz) but couldn't hear any difference, changed the looper in front of it and the same...
Does someone knows what am I doing wrong or what I understood wrong?

Thanks :)
Click to expand...
If the EQ is after a looper you should hear a slight difference, but consider that cutting a frequency before a distorted amp doesn't really change the overall frequency response, it just makes that frequency less distorted.
Try to put the EQ after the amp.
 
For this to work, your layout needs to be

Input - Looper - EQ - Amp - Cab - EQ - output

You should be experiment with EQing both before and after the amp and cab. After is probably most effective for removing unwanted frequencies.
 
So after experimenting a bit more, I haven't been able to remove this boomy sound when Palm muting. Literally every time I Palm mute I can hear a clear and loud boom. I'm trying to get a tighter sound with no exit... I'm playing with a PRS S2 with Juggernaut pickups and Adam T7V monitors. Is it possible the problem is my gear?
I thought it could be maybe echo from my room but I recorded a loop on the ax8 and even the loop has that boomynes. Can someone give me some advice? I'd like to get rid of that boomynes and sound tighter. As reference in trying to achieve Intervals guitar tone from Leave no Stone track for example. I haven't get any closer.

Please it would be great if someone could help me.

Thanks
 
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