EQ Isn’t Adding. It’s Revealing.

Most people think EQ is about boosting.

More highs.
More lows.
More punch.

That’s backwards.

EQ is what happens when you chip away what doesn’t belong — until the sound reveals itself.

You don’t create the statue.
You remove the excess.

Quick Summary

👉 EQ shapes tone by reducing or emphasizing specific frequencies. Like sculpting stone, great EQ removes what’s unnecessary so the core character can emerge.

🎚️ The Stone Block (Your Raw Sound)

Every recorded sound starts as a block of stone.

• rough

• uneven

• full of extra material

• hiding its final shape

The tone you want is already in there.

Your job isn’t to add features —
it’s to uncover form.

Balance in Mixing: Subtractive vs. Additive EQ ⚖️

🎚️ Frequency Bands — Where You Carve

Think of frequencies as different areas of the stone.

• Low end → weight and foundation

• Low-mids → body and mud

• Mids → identity and presence

• High-mids → edge and clarity

• Highs → air and detail

Every sound has a shape.
Every shape has excess.

🎚️ Cutting — The Chisel

Cutting EQ is your chisel.

• small cuts refine

• deep cuts reshape

• careless cuts destroy

When you cut:

• mud disappears

• clarity emerges

• space opens up

Most great EQ moves are subtractive.

You’re not weakening the sound.
You’re freeing it.

Equalizer Types: What Kind of EQ Are You Using in Your DAW? 🎛️

🎚️ Boosting — The Polishing Pass

Boosting is not carving.
It’s polishing.

A gentle boost can:

• highlight character

• enhance clarity

• bring attention forward

But heavy boosts are like adding clay to stone.

Possible — but risky.

Rule of thumb:
Cut first. Boost second. Lightly.

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🎚️ Q — How Sharp Your Tool Is

The Q controls how wide or narrow your chisel is.

• wide Q → smooth shaping

• narrow Q → surgical removal

Wide moves change character.
Narrow moves fix problems.

If you’re hunting a problem, go narrow.
If you’re shaping tone, go wide.

🎚️ Sweeping — Finding the Flaw

Sweeping is running your chisel across the surface to find the crack.

• boost a narrow band

• sweep slowly

• listen for ugliness

• cut there

Once the flaw is gone, the whole sculpture feels cleaner.

How To Create Space and Clarity in Mixes With EQ and Panning 🎚️

🎚️ High-Pass & Low-Pass — Removing the Base

Not every part needs the full block.

High-pass filters remove unnecessary weight.
Low-pass filters remove unnecessary brightness.

You’re not removing music —
you’re removing distractions.

Space appears when excess disappears.

🎚️ Over-EQ = Over-Sculpting

Too much EQ feels like:

• thin sound

• hollow tone

• unnatural edges

• lifeless results

That’s what happens when you keep carving after the shape is already there.

Know when to stop.

🎚️ Under-EQ = Leaving the Rubble

Too little EQ leaves:

• mud

• clutter

• masking

• confusion

The sculpture exists — but no one can see it clearly.

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🧠 FAQ

Q: Should I EQ in solo or context?
A: Find problems in solo. Make decisions in the mix.

Q: Do I need to EQ everything?
A: No. Some sounds arrive already shaped.

Q: Why does my EQ make things worse?
A: You’re probably adding instead of removing.

Download my Magic EQ Settings for Free

🔑 Why This Matters

Once you stop thinking of EQ as a “fix,” everything changes.

EQ doesn’t create beauty.
It reveals it.

When you learn to carve patiently — with intention — your mixes become clearer, deeper, and more powerful without sounding processed.

⭐️ Download my Free Magic EQ settings Guide ⭐️

⭐️ Download my Free Magic Reverb settings Guide ⭐️

#protools #daw #homestudio #recordingschool #recording #musicproduction 

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