Question about EQ

[LouisD]

I have a question about EQ to anyone who can help. The problem I'm having is that when I'm mixing GPO with Ambience I get a very nice overall sound, but the bass sounds muddled and muddy ie not clear. Can one use EQ to get rid of the muddyness and not compromise the actual bass sound? And what settings would one use? Or at least where should one start to turn the knobs and buttons. I have never changed the default settings of the EQ simply because I don't understand them.

I would be grateful for any advice or help in this area. Thank you so much.

[Reegs]

Hi Louis,

The "muddy" area is most often the region between 200 and 500Hz. Try cutting this area by 2-3dB using a wide Q and see if it clears things up. If you have a graphic EQ available, it should be easier for you to see what you're doing.

[Skysaw]

I'd like to add that if you use a sequencer that allows you to bus your EQ separately, I recommend reducing the offending frequencies before they are fed into the reverb. The end result is that the low end will simply have less reverb applied to it than the rest of the spectrum. This can go a long way in making the sound more clear.

Beyond what reegs said, I actually do a very sharp cut below about 150hz going into the reverb. No good can come of bouncing these frequencies around the hall. :)

[LouisD]

Thank you both for the information and advice. I couldn't figure out how to cut these frequencies in the Garritan Ambience, so I had to google for a free graphic equalizer. I found several and downloaded one. Unfortunately I don't have very sophisticated sound equipment or software. I use only Finale2009 and Overture4 But I tried your advice and cut the frequencies in question and it makes a huge difference, even on my equipment. Thank you again.:)