parametric eq questions

no rights or wrongs, if it sounds godd it works, but...yeah, i remember reading somewhere that every time you boost you should cut somewhere as well, or look at cutting first...trust your ears dude!

I think its a good general rule to try to avoid excessive EQ unless your going for a certain effect. When the basic tracks are recorded well there often isnt a need for massive amounts of EQing. Values much above 3 db or so can start to get pretty obvious. Also tight band width EQ can be more noticeable than wide bandwidth EQ. I try to have a specific purpose for each EQ I use. I start with HPF for removing low rumble and noise, and clearing other instruments out of the bass and kik range, then LPF for removing annnoying high frequencies, such as synth or guitar overtones, then if a track doesn't have enough presence, i might try cutting excessive peaks and boosting absent frequencies, while watching a spectrum meter, then if certain tracks don't have separation, i will try complimentary EQ, where you cut one track and boost another at the same frequency, then often I will do some cutting to remove annoying frequencies and boosting to add more pleasant frequencies. Watching a spectrum while you apply EQ can be very helpful, when you are seeing what frequency ranges instruments actually inhabit, it can make the EQ decisions easier. Also arranging the instrumental parts so they fall into certain frequency ranges can be more effective than trying to EQ the tracks later.

Alright, thank you for the replies. There are still two things that I do not get, however. First of all, if I pan two guitars hard left and right and put the same eq settings on them is that okay? Somewhere I read that you shouldn't cut/boost in the same place more than once, but since they are both panned hard right and left is it alright to use the same exact eq settings? Second, I am wondering if there is any limit to avoid when cutting. So far I have tried not to cut more the -3db at a time, but it doesn't seem to be doing the trick, and also is it okay to use a wide q when cutting? If the range you are cutting out needs to be wider, then shouldn't you use a wider q so it can get out of the way (as in the middle range where there is so much going on at once)?

I am starting to see that cutting is the way to go over boosting. But, what I gather is to find the essential range for one instrument and THEN to cut away that range on another so the other one shines through. Is that the correct way to go about using things? The only thing I don't get is how much to use... as in my cuts... can I cut away as much of the instrument as I want, or will it end up sounding awkward? And also, cutting in the same area twice when the same instruments are panned hard left/right.

Thanks again for the helpful replies.