two EQ's on one channel strip

[leeguirado]

I am a logic user, and when i have watched tutorials on youtube, i see people using two EQ's on one channel strip. what are the benefits of this? I thought that the two EQ's would cancel each other out. Can anyone clarify this?

Thanks

[David Nahmani]

It makes it easy to bypass one EQ or the other. It allows you to EQ your signal differently at different points in the signal chain (for example EQ, then compress, then EQ again). It can also allow you to create more extreme EQing. Etc etc...

 

I thought that the two EQ's would cancel each other out.

They would only cancel each other out if they have exactly opposite settings.

[Ploki]

hm, if one is linear phase and one is not you would only end up with phase anomalies right?

[OrgenRockstar]

One great application of two EQs is the distortion sandwich: EQ1->Distortion plug-in ->EQ2.

With EQ1, you emphasise certain frequencies, then you copy the setting the EQ2, change the gain of the eq bands to the opposite (change +6dB to -6dB), This way, the overall sound is still flat, but at certain frequency ranges, you have distortion.

 

Best,

 

OR

[leeguirado]

Ok thanks for clarifying, sounds like it could be a good technique but too advanced for me haha

 

cheers

[Ploki]

One great application of two EQs is the distortion sandwich: EQ1->Distortion plug-in ->EQ2.

With EQ1, you emphasise certain frequencies, then you copy the setting the EQ2, change the gain of the eq bands to the opposite (change +6dB to -6dB), This way, the overall sound is still flat, but at certain frequency ranges, you have distortion.

 

Best,

 

OR

 

heh! Thats so clever. If you're lazy you can just use iZotope Trash2 multi band functions. But this is really nice. Combined with steep bell filters of FabFilter Pro Q 2 you can make funny things happen. very nice

[David Nahmani]

Ok thanks for clarifying, sounds like it could be a good technique but too advanced for me haha

It's not necessarily an advanced technique. I don't even think of it as a technique. I like to think of plug-ins as tools, that I use for specific applications, as needed, when my ears tell me that something needs to be done. During the course of a mix, your brain may work this way:

 

1) Wow that vocal recording has a lot of low rumbling => Use an EQ plug-in to roll off low frequencies.

2) Now sometimes the singer is too loud, and other times it's too weak => Use a Compressor plug-in to compress the vocals.

3) That compressor just muffled the hi-mid range a bit, and I feel like I could help my vocals have a bit more articulation => Use another EQ plug-in to boost the hi-mid range.

[leeguirado]

good point, i understand about using eq to cut out and boost frequencies but never really understood why you would use two, thanks for clearing it up

[David Nahmani]

You're welcome.