How To Hear EQ - Mixing Tutorial

In this video, I share a simple EQ mixing tip which should help you use EQ with more purpose and clarity.
This is primarily aimed at beginners and people who are struggling to hear distinction between frequency ranges.
0:00 - Topics Covered
0:45 - The issues with "Boost and Sweep"
2:45 - Subtractive EQ on Guitar
4:35 - Using Your Ears Only!
6:35 - Issues with 'Boost and Sweep' on Beat
7:45 - Subtractive EQ on Beat
9:15 - Soling Bands with EQ
9:55 - Soling Bands with SPAN
10:25 - Final Thoughts
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[@gerrysnatabraja]

"The strongest EQ is the fader" - Kush

[@inthemix]

In some ways I would agree but I’d say the strongest “EQ” is how you chose to record it, what tone you dialled in right from the microphone or synth. But that doesn’t really sound as slick!

[@gerrysnatabraja]

@@inthemix THIS! It's kinda obvious but how you play, how you record, into what kind of equipment determines what tone coming in to the mix

[@KnzoVortex]

seems dumb (lol)

[@martinmiller9885]

@@KnzoVortex well, it is dumb

[@KnzoVortex]

@@martinmiller9885 On second thought,I kinda get the idea. Basically saying that even when we care so much about in depth things like EQ, We gotta remember that the basics (getting the right levels) is the most important thing. So I retract my calling of this dumb, and to think I said such a thing right in from of the man himself 😔😔😔

[@DS-wn4dx]

Love the way you use free plugins instead of trying to plug the expensive FX, It shows young kids that the skill comes from the user and not the plugins that cost a fortune. Also love the way you explain with clarity and are not trying to blind with science.

[@johnsno9018]

Checkout this eq tutorial, explanation is amazing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGnbknpsoLh2l7s&ab_channel=KarimPorterKarimPorter

[@italyisntreal]

*Ozone costs money*

[@navneetkumar9516]

@@italyisntreal Hey this plugin was free about a month ago.

[@inthemix]

In this video, I share a simple EQ mixing tip which should help you use EQ with more purpose and clarity. This is primarily aimed at beginners and people who are struggling to hear distinction between frequency ranges. 0:00 - Topics Covered 0:45 - The issues with "Boost and Sweep" 2:45 - Subtractive EQ on Guitar 4:35 - Using Your Ears Only! 6:35 - Issues with 'Boost and Sweep' on Beat 7:45 - Subtractive EQ on Beat 9:15 - Soling Bands with EQ 9:55 - Soling Bands with SPAN 10:25 - Final Thoughts

[@lor_kreny]

Yeah I need this

[@ramizian]

The timing for me tho! I'm actually struggling a little bit with EQ mixing ^^ Thx!

[@lor_kreny]

@@ramizian Same

[@its_ars_3]

tnx sir🙏🙏

[@overimagination2812]

I cannot believe this video was just made, I was just thinking yesterday OUT LOUD that i don't understand what the hell to do with Eq and wish there was a video about it. Unbelievably weird.

[@quinten2083]

The stuff you said at the end about taking a step back instead of forcing your way through a problem is so true! For the last month or so i had motivation issues, i tried every day to work on music but I just couldn't. So i took a week off and it has helped tremendously.

[@Windklang705]

Taking a break and return when your muse is back can really help a lot. I guess those who are hobbyist should abuse the luxury to chose not to do music whenever they feel unmotivated. I personally feel like my motivation always comes back when I remind myself that there is nothing in the world that forces me to do it

[@ousmaaan1677]

When I don’t really feel inspired I go to fortnite for 2 3 weeks will listening to music meanwhile . Producing is art , never force through it .

[@Da-Creams]

Ousmaaan haha

[@lor_kreny]

I really need this one.

[@vluri258]

We know.

[@esArtturo]

It was free like a month ago

[@nahush8090]

He has mastered the art of explaining and convincing the thing he want to teach or share!

[@dragon-id5uj]

to me, not only has it been great to learn from you but also watch you yourself learn. this creates a feedback loop where everyone wins. thank you for generating that.

[@kertantal7537]

I watched tons of mixing tutorial videos and you are way more specific, understandably celar about what you're doing and why and you give gentle advices. And an irrelevant detail: you don't shout while speaking, you're chilled, you make me chilled and not stressed about when the time will come when my mixes finally sound the way I want. You tought me patience and selfconfidence that I just need to practice more and spend time with it experiencing different methods. So you did me a huge favor! Thanks

[@ScJ1309]

Excellent video, I love how you talk about this and sound design as two different things

[@calumrife]

This is such a great proof of concept, and a confirmation to me that after years of mixing things the wrong way (or misunderstandings) - subtracting the bad leaves behind what you actually want. If you have even a decent starting point, just remove what sucks, and what's left is usually the juice you're after. I've been mixing this way for the last two-ish years and it has done wonders for clarity and overall tone. Thanks dude!

[@markus3141]

I liked that bit of life philosophy at the end

[@Windklang705]

Michael is always down for some seriously good advice

[@marcvandewall804]

Loving the sort of 'sweeping' technique in which you substract frequencies instead of boosting. Never saw it before but to me it sounds like a valid technique with way more potential.

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Great video and life lesson. I'm so glad I watched 😁

[@srb909]

Lol! You said the same thing in other eq video

[@johnsno9018]

Checkout this eq tutorial, explanation is amazing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGnbknpsoLh2l7s&ab_channel=KarimPorterKarimPorter

[@pablocronin4229]

This guy is the real deal he’s very humble, genuine and a fuckin genius about what he talks. Lots of respect and love ❤️

[@JanithHarinda]

I have seen some professional mixing engineers are doing this thing and It's really a big question to me. Thank you so much for explaining.

[@syndice]

I feel like when they do it they are looking for other sounds to take out, but what exactly they look for is a mystery to me lol. I used to do the gain sweep thing till I realised every frequency distorted and sounded strange

[@CRUIZEwithme]

Syndice hey bro! I’m actually an audio engineer too and work at a studio ran by the city of Toronto! For vocals when you raise the eq while sweeping if you put it up all the way up and move left to right along the EQ scale there will be some points that just sound waaaay worse then others. If you have vocals to work on you’ll see why I mean if you solo the vocal layer and bring up one point doing a sweep. There are several “points of annoyance” located on the EQ scale that every single vocal has but it varies depending on the voice. This is very general but there should be about 4-7 points on the EQ scale that should be lowered for every vocals in general. You just have to sweep til you find these points individually and then bring them down maybe about -2db to -4db depending on how harsh the sound is that you want to take out. That’s what I find helps give more clarity and brightness for vocals.

[@syndice]

@@CRUIZEwithme Thanks for the comment thats really helpful to know :) I don't work on vocals very often but next time I do I'll think of this. Id probably be using dymanic eq at least a bit too

[@CRUIZEwithme]

Syndice forsure bro np! If you wanna ever talk music or collab on something bro hit me up on Instagram! @cruize.x 👊🏽

[@StevenSoto]

@@CRUIZEwithme true.

[@TwoDudeGamesChnnel]

It's so cool that you told us about that technique. I actually already do that when I can't locate the problem in high-freq range on vocals, because when the problem is not present it's quite easy to find it in the spot you muted.

[@flipperpitstudio]

You are my favorite audio tutorial channel! Your style is so wonderful: informative, calm, succinct... oh and so darn good lookin'. 😍 Thanks for all the vids you put out. Really helping a late-starter like me. 😎👍

[@friiiz4907]

It's crazy how you keep delivering very high quality content. I always learn something new, no matter what topic. There's honestly no such channel as this one. Keep it up!

[@iamdavidmofc]

its really beautiful to see someone passionate like this, it's peaceful.

[@saucegod8867]

This is EXACTLY what I needed! In the mix is God tier!

[@BOBOKELLYFILMS1]

I decided to download this for the offline detailed learning but i made sure that i watched the opening ad so that we(+your pocket) keep you motivated for offering such awesome videos free.blessings!

[@okzoomer7537]

I was literally just wondering how to EQ! Thanks a lot!!

[@user-nf6mq9gs8e]

3 years later still great advice, been doing music almost 20 years and just now learning you can always learn how to do something else from what your use to doing you got a new sub today bro

[@Shroomerz]

Really nice intro...Not only that,all your videos are so chill,informative and straight to the point.Just wanna let you know what you’re doing is really helping the producer community SO MUCH and we really appreciate you selflessly putting your time and effort for our growth.THANK YOU!

[@Windklang705]

There actually is an InTheMix discord server, where the community evolves further if you are interested - you can find the invite on Michaels video from last week

[@harsh-tu2yr]

this is something that I'm never gonna see or i have never seen in any other channel or video and i am just so grateful that i found this channel🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@citizenofearth]

I still need to train my ears so I could understand what do you mean by "bad" or "muddy". To me, the kick was a bit punchy and it covered the rest of the track at most of the time. But that's just me. Very nice video, always a gem.

[@scaho]

Muddy is like how the song sounds on a speaker but when you put your hands on it. Kinda sounds like underwater, boomy and far away.

[@deadpaul6587]

The kick and the snare did stick out a bit but this is a beat so it's most likely mixed knowing that there is gonna be a vocal on top, in which case those core drums need to be louder than the rest of the track. Or maybe you ment something else by punchy lol, these terms can be little vague.

[@monisprabu1174]

Muddy is like when all the sounds clashes to gether

[@VocasoGK]

For me, muddy and punchy are in the same frequency. You cut it too much, you'll get less mud but it will sounds less punchy. You boost it too much, it will sounds muddy.

[@bubahercsooshhercules4292]

Muddy is resonating frequencies that phase together unsettling the mix. Punchy is tightening a sound so it has more kick. In one spot the kick would have sounded good boosted without disturbing the mix but the good punchy sound you are taking about is just the volume getting louder. The amount of mud or phasing that happens when you boost a random frequency band upsets the low end and travels all thru out your mix. If you want punchy then you wanna cut the bad frequencies with a eq.boost any pleasing sounding frequency thats not quite up with the others .compress with a slow attack. That will give it a punchy sound.

[@quariusmusic]

So happy to see some of the techniques which i already do recommended by you ,its a sign im on a right path🙌

[@rosemayangwa]

Got this on my recommended while watching your other tutorial!!

[@alkali836]

Generally I use the "boost and sweep" method to get a feel for where a frequency is (my ears aren't very well trained in the frequency spectrum) and just dial it down until it sounds good (which could result in a boost, a large cut, a small cut, or nothing at all). Of course you can also do this with an EQ that supports soloing frequencies.

[@SimpathiMusic]

Thanks for making this, I've learned about how to eq certain things but there's still a LOT to learn for me lol

[@dom5511]

Learned how to make music through your videos! Truly grateful for your effort in making this kind of vids! All the love.

[@ziko9519]

I appreciate your effort to help those who are new to mixing and music production

[@iamSho]

Thank you, you are a great teacher ! all of you videos and tutorials are very informative and help me learn. thank you.

[@kamazaizaya7102]

Thanks Michael, appreciate this 👍🏻❤️

[@ForTheRecordOfficial]

Great video! These tutorials help me out a lot with my music. Thanks! :D

[@88keyz]

I have never seen anyone do a eq sweep without visual I learned something new well saw something new lol 👍🏾

[@ItsMe-gv2ug]

Thank you so much for posting these tutorials!

[@abbosxon03]

In my opinion,this channel is the best source of tutorials of FL studio. And this channel is created by a person who is proffesional of his job. Good luck Michael 👍. Keep going.

[@paulcrompton6654]

Very nicely put, I've been watching a few tutorials that explain this way of thinking or working... And you explain this very clearly too... Ta very much and all the best.

[@victornoagbodji]

🙏 🙏 absolutely awesome video! thanks for doing them 😊

[@nickirsel682]

Wow never thought of taking away the frequencies to find the problem.. Big thanks

[@TokkiYamaguchi]

As always. Great advice! Thank you

[@kweinfurt]

Brilliant video-clear, engaging, and mercifully brief. I just subscribed!

[@LoveAudioProduction]

This is great, Michael. Nice job as always 😊 Paul.

[@jcrain85]

Thank you so much! I just used this on my new track. Wow... it works very well!

[@jupiter901]

That was great advice and major help, and thank you for the advice last week about buying too many plugins and using the time more wisley instead learning about what plugins you already have, I took it to heart and have learn't so much more this week with the things I already have. Many thanks.

[@Windklang705]

Yeah last weeks advice also had me on the spot

[@schoontube]

Great idea to use subtractive EQ to find problem areas and improve the sound. Makes much more sense than the boost-and-sweep, which just identifies problems from too much gain in a frequency. In "hindsight", it seems so obvious. In any case, fantastic content. I will be joining today! :)

[@LifeIsPrettyUgly]

great words of wisdom at the end , thank you

[@rosemayangwa]

Best tutorials I’ve come across so far!!

[@Windklang705]

same XD

[@dyerbeats4188]

Excited to watch this one

[@thecagedbirdsings5586]

This is so useful, thanks so much! I'm gonna try it right away! Keep it up pal!

[@ozo1489]

Love ur word, take a step back. Thank you!

[@soddraco8183]

You’re the only person I watch when it comes to mixing, keep it up !!

[@sunnysuman1255]

Thank you so much for this video. I asked about this a while ago on this channel and other mixing channels as well. Everyone tells you how to eq but no one tells you what to eq and that can be a bit confusing if you're a beginner. It would be very helpful if you did an entire series on this type of videos like how to hear compression. And how to use reverb(we tend to use a lot of reverb when starting out or even delay).

[@smegga24]

Really needed this video. Many thanks👌🏾

[@kiliankraus]

so helpful looking at taking stuff away, really helps me

[@redfarrowmusic]

You are such an excellent speaker! Thanks for the great video!

[@lavalizard1]

Smart. Thx for sharing - very helpful

[@HYPEREX]

Always Amazing tutorials!

[@ditt.o]

Thanks a lot! I was just having difficulties today!

[@windaworld_pk]

You are right,, we are equing with our eyes more.☺️

[@Dexton0742]

Brilliant. Wow, seems obvious this when you watch the video. Soon as you mentioned increasing leading to taking away too many areas I knew I'd fell prey to doing it. Reducing to find possible problems seems way more usable. Great video Michael

[@ELMCinc]

Thanks for sharing this definitely makes more sense than boosting the frequencies.

[@Keroser1983]

Thank you very much man! The traditional boost and swipe technique is very useful for me but I do it as corrective and very very gentle. I will try this one as well..

[@user-fx4yt9qu7z]

This is so helpful to me, thanks a lot！

[@serenadesounds_]

Thanks for this great tutorial! 👍

[@jl9205]

A great practical tip. Thanks!

[@heavymetalmixer91]

This cut-n-sweep method has always been my favorite for the reasons you mentioned, and because my ears don't accumulate as much fatigue, so I don't need to take breaks as often. Great video, keep it up buddy. Btw, TDR NOVA allows to Solo specific bands too, both this one and SPAN are necessary to me LOL

[@martinmiller9885]

Just what I needed, Absolutely agreed.

[@milan.mishra10]

I was just watching a video you made two years ago..about mixing acoustic guitars. You kind of explained it more elaborately here. I'm just beginning to learn these things, and i love that you understand that these topics are difficult for beginners to understand and how you simplify it. Subscriber for life buddy. Thanks.

[@inthemix]

Thank you so much! I always remember how complex these topics were for me when I started out

[@SagarGodavaria]

This is really helpful. Thank you so much :)

[@akash.srivatsa]

Thank you so much for this!!

[@emiel333]

Really a great technique you come up with, Michael! I never thought of this way of EQing. I’m definitely gonna try this out how it works out for me. Best regards, Emiel.

[@ChemistTea]

Thank you so much, I'll try this!

[@qelo9529]

Thank you and have a great day 🥂😊

[@aadityadautkhane7328]

Wow !!! This is the best tutorial on EQ

[@THATSFYAHK]

You just fixed all my next projects by teaching this technique. MASTER!

[@hollaholla423]

You literally changed the way I Eq'd. My equing is much more quicker and focused, plus my mix sounds way better. Thank you! The boosting and sweeping technique made me think everything sounded bad like you described.

[@bismafxtrader]

really nice. i've been doing that boosting everywhere a lot.

[@skullkid5182]

You did it. I've been thinking about the sound of just soloing a band of frequency for a while but was clueless on how to accomplish the effect! Thank you!!! F*cking awesome video

[@djkutmasterl7972]

This video is so helpful, thanks

[@MilesHoppus]

Thank God, this has been holding me back

[@antonellomascarello4698]

I really appreciate this type of videos. In my opinion, I find the boosting technique pretty "dangerous" for a beginner (such as myself), because it sounds like a systematic approach but you risk to cut too much especially if you do not have that much of experience to realise that it sounds odd just because you are boosting too much. Keep you with the great work!! Thanks !!!

[@CubbMichaelsBand]

Your videos are so helpful!

[@trevor8764]

I thought there would be more. thank you for the lesson

[@theimperfectthoughtbook3606]

Can’t believe this video got put up literally when I needed it lol

[@mageprometheus]

Thanks for the tips.

[@jaydekaytv]

Good thoughts - thanks for sharing and take care.

[@laapata6921]

This is so helpful bro. More videos on EQ please.

[@martibanez6320]

Been looking for a channel like this 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

[@gridroom]

very helpful. thank you !!!

[@JesseLeeHumphry]

Oh I love you so much for this video

[@Yzera_]

Hi and thanks for all theses tutorial ! Very helpful for a beginner like me :D

[@blacklightgod6264]

Thanks for sharing, I find this to be good ear training

[@Disero]

Thank you for busting the boost and sweep technique, you're fighting the good fight. I have a comment regarding ears only, I have found that using my eyes along with my ears has helped my ears become more refined and at a more rapid pace than when I was using ears only. This is due to the fact that I connect the reality of the tonal balance to what I'm hearing, and the more my eyes confirm what my ears are hearing, the more accurately I am able to hone in on specific issues intuitively rather than analytically.

[@nirjhar3110]

You are getting blessings of those whom you're solving problems of

[@tej5461]

This guy here is a god for new producers . You are the best brother 😍♥

[@bhargavdobhal5327]

Thank You Bro 🙌🙌 Very Helpful Video🔥🔥.

[@SqueakyFishy]

A whole life lesson. Nice.

[@VoidloniXaarii]

Thank you very much. Great thinking!