fanzzz
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EQ help
Can anyone give me some pointers on using the EQ in MC2? I figured out how to use it a bit, with trial and error--you know if it bringsthe vocals out front more, but I don't understand the diagram on the parametric EQ, in effects.
Can anyone explain that a little better, so I can get a feel--ah, okay--I move it under that line and it will boost or cut the bass some--over here and it will increase mid, there it will raise the high-frequency, etc..
Thanks. Also any explanation on the lousy presets it uses, tweaking them etc..
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joeh20_444
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Presets are absolutely useless in EQ. You will find that even Waves's Q10 and PLParEQ (which I absolutely love) have crappy presets. I'd recommend doing the sweep test, it'll teach you more than presets ever will. Set up a notch filter with an extremely narrow Q and a high gain. Now, sweep the frequency and see what it does to the sound. When it picks up a nasty frequency, lower the EQ. If it sounds pleasing (it won't sound completely pleasing if its boosted by 12 db of course), than give it a bit of a boost. It's trial and error. Good luck
Joe
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fanzzz
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OK, gotcha on the useless presets part, but what about the "notch filter?"
Is this the EQ in MC2 or some other EQ you are talking about? Narrow Q? I think I understand sweep--just moving the cursor along and listening(left to right say)...
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Robomusic
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Yeah all that kinda went over my head as well.
For EQ i use one in an aux buss, and ad one to selected tracks that i feel are not as clear as i would like
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joeh20_444
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A notch filter is just a name for a band of EQ that does not shelf (meaning it just effects the bands around it and not everything above and below it like a high and low-pass). The Q is the size of the band. The higher the Q, the narrower the band. So, pick a notch-type filter (I don't remember what the Cakewalk EQ named theirs), set the Q to a high number, and then sweep it left to right and back. This is, of course, assuming you're using a parametric EQ and not the graphic one, right? If not, we'll have to start at the beginning.
Joe
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Robomusic
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Great, and while that is very informative material, here in lies the issue, you are working from a Sonar perspective. Remember that folks here are MC users for the most part, and these tools are not available. Other than yourself and P-bunny (blatant attempt to use a P-diddy Joke) and myself everyone uses MC. It does not even have a compressor, and only a para EQ.
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fanzzz
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Can anyone explain the 4 presets or bands in MC2? They are in the parametric EQ effects, but I am not sure how I should apply them. What I did one one was just make some spikes and pull stuff around in the EQ diagram, untill it gave it a bit more clarity.
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bricks
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hey i just bought the music creator and im asking you please what mic i should use to do my recordings, where i can get it, about how much it cost, and where do i plug it in.
please help
thanks
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Robomusic
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You forgot "will you sing into it for me"
Before we can answer that what kind of recordings. vocals, instruments, what is your budget?, what kind of sound card? Do you have an interface? like a mixer or USB device?
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joeh20_444
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OK, peak filter, not a notch filter. I'm looking at the MC parametric EQ now and it has a peak filter (I was using the wrong word, I apologize). Trust me, you can do this with Music Creator. All you're doing is emphasizing frequencies and seeing which ones sound like crap. btw, Cakewalk has a graphic EQ also, but I'd never recommend using a graphic EQ for recording, just because it isn't precise. Robo, I was thinking from an MC perspective, just used the wrong wording, that's all. You can do that process just using MC's built-in stuff. And on the same topic, SONAR doesn't add too many different effects (neither does Waves Diamond Bundle, for that matter), it just provides better quality for it, meaning most of the techniques you read about can be done at least to some extent in MC. Alright, that's my 2 cents. Joe
post edited by joeh20_444 - 2006/01/13 19:33:12
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Robomusic
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no need to applogize my friend, you are a great contributor here, and we all appreciate the input. EQ is a deep subject, and there is a lot to learn for us all, thanks for bringing this information to the forum. Keep on doing it, so far we have be able to save a ton of information, to use and compile to help others with.
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fanzzz
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I still don't understand much about the "bands." There are 4 presets at the bottom or bands. Do you know much about that Joe?
I wish I could visualize some of this better, cuz it's hard to understand music in dimensions. I understand music or sound behaves in waves and that frequency is the amount of times it goes up and down and hertz is a measurement of frequency(number of times per second), but bandwidth? Is that like looking at music kinda coming straight at you? I wish someone would make a DVD that explains this for people better to really visualize it...
Some of it gets really technical, but the main thing is that we learn how to record and mix well, maybe not always understanding the specs fully...
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joeh20_444
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Howz about this: You find a way for me to post some pictures and I'll post (for everyone here if wanted) detailed pictures of what I'm talking about with some basic ideas of application using only plugins supplied with Music Creator. Again, I'll let you do the work of getting me the webspace for the pics, but I'll get you a very good demonstration. (or at least I think it'll be good  ) Joe btw, bands are seperate filters for the EQ, I think the pictures will explain a lot.
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joeh20_444
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better yet, I'll actually get the pics and work with it and make a PDF file for easy download (I just got a pdfmaker and I like to play with it ). That way I can start working at anytime and whenever webspace magically appears I'll post it. Joe
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joeh20_444
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Some of it gets really technical, but the main thing is that we learn how to record and mix well, maybe not always understanding the specs fully... That's true, to an extent. I think that to truly know what you're doing and to get the best mix available, you need to know your processing equipment, be it hardware or software, in and out. You have to know the difference between a 3 db boost at 16khz in PLParEQ or a 3 db boost at 16khz in the MC bundled EQ. I think the specs are extremely important, and without it, you're basically working blind. Well thats my $.02. Joe
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fanzzz
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Yeah, like you said--to an extent. What I mean is if someone shows you how to do certain things, it doesn't always matter whether I fully understand the physics of EQ to a T or that a dynamic mic works using mechanical energy, instead of a condensor, which uses electricity.. Will I ever build a mic--either one? Nah... Hearing the sounds, understanding the differences in what a condensor or dynamic will sound like--EQ differences mostly I guess, is more important.... :)
I guess I should read up more on bands, but I guess I should have asked for a practical application. Not sure what to do on the webspace, maybe you can email PDF files.. I would also like to know more about the plug-ins...
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fanzzz
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I can't believe how poorly written some of that junk is in MC! It has very little on the EQ, especially in regards to explaining it.
Joe suggested doing a sweep. I've found the "Q," knob. So I should ignore the presets for high or lowpass or hum removal and just go to the Q, raise it up all the way or really high and pick a filter--is that like clicking on one of the bands? Or is it the band type? There are lots of things I can change in that silly diagram! :)
I notice the nodes in there coorespond to the band color. And I still feel pretty lost in there!
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joeh20_444
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Yeah, but still you need to know what your stuff does to affect the sound. You have to remember that's the focus, trying to get a solid knowledge of equipment and its effect on your sound. Anyways, the reason I want to get webspace is so I can post the pdf for everyone, so anyone who wants it can reference it. I've got about 15 MB in geocities now, I figure that'd be enough. We'll see.
Joe
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Robomusic
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Post a link I would love to read it. I use a very different approach but i am always open to listening to others and there ideas, I learn so much from this and other forums.
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