You Are Ruining Your Audio! - How to EQ voice properly

The V-curve is a popular way of EQing voice. But in many cases this curve simply does not work as each microphone, voice and recording situation is different. In this video I will show you some tips and tricks on how to properly EQ voice.
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00:00 The V-curve problem
02:53 How to EQ voices
08:41 Verdict
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[@bob76451]

As a sound engineer with about 30 years of experience, I can say that your advice here is dead on. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheSeeking2know]

Awesome validation.

[@MarcelNL]

Good to read this. Gonna actually watch the video tomorrow. I sometimes do EQ a bit, and while at first my settings do sound really good, after a few songs I always hate it.

[@HowieRaps]

What creations have you been a part of in your 30 years of experience?

[@dingdong2103]

So people apply EQ randomly instead of actually listening how it sounds? lol

[@dingdong2103]

@@MarcelNL EQ on music is a trap, different songs have been mastered differently so if you adjust your EQ listening to one song, chances are you're spoiling the sound on the other. That's why I haven't had a traditional eq for years, the only tuning I do is measurement based DSP if anything. The key is to have good quality speakers and you'll never need an eq.

[@mithramusic5909]

Yes! Don't listen to videos that give you specific "tricks", listen to people who teach you how to THINK about the concepts you're not confident about. Great channel

[@MikkoRantalainen]

As old saying goes, those that don't have enough skills to do great work proceed to teaching.

[@tchnorl00]

You know what's crazy about this? I've watched quite a few videos of EQ lessons, maybe 50+ over the past 5 years in order to try and keep improving and this particular one probably was the most comprehensive and helpful one of them all. Thank you Julian that was a great break down.

[@X320riginal]

I need more umpf bro! Give me the umpf!

[@stellaq3306]

@@X320riginal That’s a preset bro 😂

[@whoeverofhowevermany]

That's like 10 per year. Less than 1 a month. That's nothing.

[@TheSeeking2know]

Seriously.

[@kalreynolds5829]

@@whoeverofhowevermany No, it's not. It's absolutely a lot, most people don't watch that many videos on just that one subject. Hell, most people download a preset or see a shitty instagram post with a picture of an EQ on it and go with that. Even if all of those videos are only 10 minutes long, that is over 8 hours of video on the topic.

[@claudehill2]

After 50 Years Engineerning and Mixing in Nashville and Muscle Shoals Studios l really appreciate your clear explanations and wisdom beyond your years.

[@jacobgeddes621]

Wow! You must've been involved in some awesome music! Have you worked with Steve Cropper by any chance?

[@hinky7729]

What are your Tips/Experiences with Eq? I think all of us could benefit from that. Thanks!

[@Slitter_the_Dubstep]

The best, comprehensible EQ-ing video ive seen in a long while. It takes a lot of time to actually become confident with equing, but two principles that have helped me are: 1. Listen unbiasedly. Does what youre doing actually sound good? (Also in the context of musical applications) If not- stop doing it 2. Repeat step one and start LISTENING. What does your rcording actually need to become better? Listen to everything with fresh ears and if you end up making changes, compare it with the original and stop focusing on your ego

[@gregvanpaassen]

You need good headphones to listen with, though. Most of the cheaper ones are far too bass-heavy. Some are also bright (they have a built in V curve).

[@Slitter_the_Dubstep]

@@gregvanpaassen well, if i use headphones for mixing i use open-back ones but i will never trust headphone mixes. i always check with my monitors. headphones tend to be not as relieable for broad mixing situations.

[@joa1232]

By the way this is not just valid for eqing, but basically for everything in music production.

[@l4kr]

I do this. Still come up with a V-shape. My IEMs are also tuned into a V-shape. And I love every single part of it. Suck it up.

[@Slitter_the_Dubstep]

@@l4kr you definitly seem to be very happy with your smiling EQ. Im glad you love it so much. Please, continue having a wonderful day with that

[@fordgoesfishing]

I’ve just learned more about EQ in the last 10 minutes than I have done in the last decade. What a video!

[@davidshank6861]

This is definitely not a rant. It's pure logical, real-world, audibly observable good advice. I have terrible hearing, but I know when a voice sounds appealing rather than irritating. All of your examples point out why. This is super helpful. Thank you so much for sharing what you know. You've removed a bit of my confusion.

[@robyncheynne]

As a singer-songwriter that is now on youtube and no longer goes to a studio for a professional recording, I now manage my own music at home. I have no training in sound frequencies and have been struggling to learn on my own with different softwares. I have never really understood the explanations I have seen. Your video was easy to understand and with your demonstration & explanation of each frequency really has helped me learn what to look for in my home settings. Thank you for sharing your input, as a beginner, you have saved me a lot of frustration & a lot of time. Peace ✌🏽 rock on . Thanks 🙏🏽

[@ReddenDoom]

One thing to keep in mind is that most vintage modelled EQ plugins - all the fancy looking stuff - tend to push your eq to the kind of curve he is addressing here. Working with something like TDR Nova or TDR Slick EQ would be a great learning experience. The Nova works like the one in the video and allows for correcting issues, while the Slick EQ provides the 'color' and musical types of EQ he is talking about. Both are free.

[@robyncheynne]

@@ReddenDoom Thank you 🙏🏽 so much for adding help on this. I’ve spent a lot of time & energy just trying to get my vocals to sound natural, & I don’t really understand complex recording software, so anything is definitely helpful for me if its simpler

[@jacobgeddes621]

As an amateur producer myself, one of the biggest vocal recording mistakes I used to make was mic distancing. I would get the singer too close to the mic, in doing this I wouldn't capture all of the vocal making it flatter with less character. After learning (from KZbin) the error of my ways my vocal recording is so much better and Mixing vocals is so much easier. I hope this is helpful😊

[@DaveHuxtableLanguages]

Just realized I've been mindlessly slapping on an EQ curve for a while now. Many thanks for this knowledge.

[@IsaacWale2004]

Exactly. The situation/context is important.

[@dighawaii1]

Good ol' "smiley face" eq still around 🤣🤣 as an "old dog" live and recording engineer, the best tip I am able to pass on to newbs is to try to stick to subtractive eq and bracketing. Aloha Julian! Love your work!

[@hinky7729]

Hi, what is bracketing? I‘m not a native speaker. Thanks !

[@dighawaii1]

@@hinky7729 sure! Bracketing is simply the use of a hpf, a lpf, either or both. It's setting frequency boundaries, tracking those boundaries so that you can play one tracks frequency range against another's. Too many full range components in a busy track cloud the mix. So, a mix artist, or even recordist in some cases, will find instruments or whatever that will not suffer from bracketing and just go ahead and "nip it in the bud". You probably know the concept, just hadn't heard it called bracketing.

[@hinky7729]

@@dighawaii1 thanks! I dont do that very often, due to phase changes - maybe I need to dig a little deeper on that topic.

[@dighawaii1]

@@hinky7729 yep, you definitely need to understand the potential pitfalls! Like, you don't put a sharp cornered and steep highpass filter right next to the fundamental frequencies, that's just not going to sound good. Like on bass sounds, you don't want to "squeeze" against the fundamentals. But if you use a slow slope and a round corner, and place the filter safely away from the fundamentals, yeah you can definitely bracket every single track without negative impact. Know your tools 👍

[@KEEYBLADE]

This is probably the best voice EQ explanation video there is. The part where you go through the different frequencies, with us hearing to real-time results, is extremely helpful. Thanks!

[@malthehansen7915]

This has to be the BEST dialogue-EQ tutorial I have come across. Fantastic work!

[@TheHalfmanofOz]

There are a few videos out there covering this topic but this is probably my favourite. Clear, concise and with plenty of examples to illustrate your points. Cheers.

[@rj7257]

Thanks so much for this! This is the first time I’ve seen someone breakdown what the *middle* frequency ranges especially do with the voice!

[@brian.francisco]

This is always what I've been looking for, a common starting point with a bit of a crash course in the most accessible ways to adjust the sound. Thanks!

[@michaeluraih]

I just stumbled on your video Julian and in a few minutes you provided solutions to a problem I've been trying to solve by watching dozens of KZbin videos. Needless to say, you have a fan and yes...I subscribed.

[@DavidMorley]

Mic placement. Lo cut. That's about it. If anything I might add some midrange and a touch of treble, if a voice has to poke through a dense mix. I'm glad you made this video. You Tube is full of people who know nothing but repeat false ideas, so hopefully some of those viewers will watch this and have a better view.

[@WildEarthPhoto]

I EQ all my voiceovers differently, every time. Sometimes it's because I am not exactly in the same position when recording or maybe I'm recording in a different room. I make small adjustments and to solve specific problems. Over time I've been able to hear better and better what's good and what's not...but it takes practice and there is no preset that will help with every situation. Nice video. Your advice is better than all those other posts and videos out there. One of the few channels I watch regularly for its logic and information.

[@Dracomies]

That point at :30 is what everyone needs to know! It's so true. There is no 1 EQ that works for every voice, every mic, every preamp, every room (boxy or not), there's no 1 magic formula. Great points as always! What works on them may not work on you, and works on you may not work on them. You have to go through it methodically and develop what works for you. Great points!!

[@bsatyam]

No free lunch theorem

[@neilsmith5464]

Julian - continue to really enjoy and benefit from your knowledge. Had a teacher once say if you know WHAT you are trying to achieve you'll always be able to look up HOW. Meaning, the Semantics are more important than the syntax, and in the art of sound, guiding principles like WHY we use an EQ, proximity effect, different mic characteristics, fundamental frequencies are key. Loved the illustration of high EQ shelf driving unnecessary need for a de-esser. Your gear reviews continue to be informative, but these more practical sound engineer type articles really benefit me, and I imagine many other folk too. Thanks.

[@SteelBlueVision]

This is the best video on vocal EQ I have ever watched. The fact that Julian managed to squeeze this into under ten minutes, including some rants regarding the various EQ myths and "one size fits all EQ curve" advice that gets copied/repeated over and over by self-proclaimed mastering experts, is a testament to his uncanny ability to provide very high quality, concise, and well thought out hands-on practical video instruction.

[@jonschaub7574]

I was only 30 seconds into your video and you hooked me with the intro, and the great sounding audio capture of your voice. I'm very interested in audio so I subscribed! Also - I really like your sweater. You video quality is also exceptional!

[@saintneversday]

Very good, Dr. Krause. I love your empirical approach, passion, and skill as a communicator. Thank you :)

[@argusfleibeit1165]

That was very helpful. My problem is so many things sound OK to me. And then you have all these audio snobs and self-appointed experts who have OPINIONS. If it sounds bad, I know, and can fix it to a degree. But deciding what sounds "right" is so much spaghetti on the wall. Could be so many different kinds of OK, but in the end you have to make a decision and live with it. I have the same problem judging visual things, like photography. I know if I like it, but what is good and bad to others is a mystery.

[@PaulieDC]

Sound engineer here for over 40 years, and this video is one of the better tutorials to get straight to the WHY and WHEN, great job. Julian basically, without stating it, emphasized the GMPW method over the EQ method... that's---good mics placed well. Then season to tase and don't overdo it.

[@stellaq3306]

A bit like make-up…less is more.

[@TheSeeking2know]

Awesome.

[@wm1573]

Sound engineer here for 65 years. Great video!

[@ahora1026]

The best things come to you randomly, so did this video. Thank you you're the best

[@TheParagonAxis]

So good and so true, thank you! As a producer of commercial podcasts, I rarely find myself using an EQ to "shape" the tone, usually minor individual notches or low cuts to compensate less ideal recording environments. If you have an okay-ish mic and a decent acoustics, curves like those will ruin your material.

[@Emerald_City_]

This is only the second video of yours I've watched, and I already know it. You are a born educator! Every word is on its place.

[@reggiedillard7731]

One of the best videos on KZbin regarding this topic. Well done sir👍🏾

[@HishamofJapan]

I never used such curve. It's true that every voice-mic combination should be treated in its unique way. Thank you for this comprehensive explanation.

[@furiobisotti8150]

Simple but detailed. No surprise. Julian is always top class

[@VigilSerus]

Thank you Julian. Delivering incredible and informative content! I think this also steeply applies to any audio mixing ideology: always work WITH your source material, not against it because of a preconceived notion.

[@xaariee]

Thank you so much for this video! For the life of me, I couldn't wrap my mind around EQ's but with your tutorial, it made it easier to understand.

[@JoePenaProductions]

I do narrations, and have a different sound to my voice from recording to recording. The only EQ change I can reliably make is an 80Hz Low Cut. Aside from that, many recordings are similar, but not all... and thus, my long journey with EQ. -- Thanks for your helpful insights.

[@rabadash_smabadash]

The clearest help I’ve found on this. Thanks, Julian!

[@expeditionbuster]

I found this VERY informative. I will never claim to know much about audio, despite having messed with it on and off for many years. What complicates things is having a mixer that has all sorts of built-in compressors, de-essers, gating, etc. So figuring out which of these filters to use, when, and how much is always a challenge.

[@KamilsView]

Julian is always super solid in what he says. Keep it up, mate!

[@Kintzugi]

My voice has never sounded better on my mic until after seeing this video. Thanks for being so concise!

[@bradylasserre9320]

The best video ive ever seen on vocal eq. Great visual and audio demonstrations.

[@FXPhysics]

This is the only tutorial where I actually learnt something about EQing voice recordings. Thank you!

[@dssamusaran]

Best explanation I've seen so far! I'm quite a noob in Eq'ing my videos and thanks to your tips I went from too bassy and muffled to a great clear voice without lashing a ton of money on new hardware. Great! 👍

[@ashokp4536]

Good advice. Thank you. Bass & Treble correction used to be my ultimate choice after frustrating failures at EQ voice corrections.

[@BrianNordinVO]

Came for the straightforward, no-nonsense technical evaluation and advice. Stayed because I laughed 3 times in the first 20 seconds! 😂 Subscription earned!

[@ScottJWaldron]

Great info! Adding it to "watch later" for future reference. Quality vocal audio has always been challenging and I feel lacking in knowledge for sure. It's especially difficult when a project requires multiple microphones and recording devices. I need to try to make the different sources sound more similar. 😅

[@FinSings]

Love it! I've certainly ruined my audio in the past with some bad EQ lol

[@mathnik5]

Finally! Someone who actually brought me all the clarity i was seeking. There are 100s of videos out there, who just recommend factory presets as blanket solution to make your voice better, which only ruins the audio.

[@korento3000]

An incredibly helpful video, I admire people who can explain complex topics like this with such clarity and without even pausing for a breath in between. So impressive. I can't wait to put your advice to good use. Subscribed!

[@tporter23]

Wise words from The Master. Much appreciated as always!

[@8MinuteAxe]

Great information. Well written. Well articulated. Thanks Julian. -Mark

[@XeridoxVisualArts]

After watching many other videos on EQ-ing voice (yet before I watched this one) I found myself doing my EQ seemingly all wrong compared to other people and wondered if I was "getting it right" or not. For a while I thought that perhaps my EQ settings were just going to be vastly different because of how different my voice is, and your video helped confirm that. Thank you so much for making this. Best EQ advice EVER. :)

[@robandnell4305]

I'm a newbie--but, I was having the same thing happening. Sure glad I found this video...

[@garyvanclemons]

Thank you 🙏 for all of the time and energy you put into making this invaluable content. Love it! Keep up the great work, and have a kickass day!

[@Timiscooking]

Best audio advice I found in years, Subscribed and looking on your channel for more! Thank you!

[@jetdeleon]

Thanks for this video… I use the same mic in the same room everytime I record… and I’ve found that I have to use different EQ settings for different songs, styles, and keys… You’re advice is spot on. There’s no one size fits all setting… For this reason, I no longer spend money on presets and pre-made vocal chains

[@curtisjudd]

Nice coverage of EQ, Julian. Thanks for the measured advice!

[@6foot4girl]

This video is exactly what I needed, thank you. I only just started producing music (after playing in several bands around 30 years ago), and I'm going to record a friend who's a very talented MC. I've only got an SM58 and I've still got some soundproofing to sort out first, but it's good to know how boosting or attenuating certain frequencies will affect the recording once Imy vocal booth is ready. As you mentioned, the ability to develop a good ear and EQ properly won't happen overnight. But we've all got to start somewhere, and you just made that first step a lot easier.

[@dare2liv_nlove]

YES! Nice to see you back Julian! 😄 (Already knew all this, but watching again anyway, coz it's Julian! 😅)

[@Mekinhumbel]

Great stuff. As a more-amateur-than-not type of "bedroom producer", I can definitely identify with the desire to have these kind of easy solutions. I've been so frustrated at times with my inability to figure out how to fix what my ears know to be a bad mix. It's so tempting to go to the interwebs for easy answers (like this v-curve). The problem for me becomes how to use the technology to get to a place where your ears are happy. I guess it really just comes to you eventually with patience and experimentation.

[@lnxguit]

Excellent advice! It was great to see the frequency display too

[@doghousesongs]

A sigh of relief from me...sensible and credible logic. Thank you. 😊

[@martinwall8006]

Well done! Thank you for your clarity.

[@RhettBrownatRetroWreck]

That was such a great demonstation. Thanks for helping to simplify EQ logic.

[@FedericoMaggiore]

This video is pure gold. Danke Julian!!!

[@TABonTV]

Great tutorial - no fluff - to the point. Thanks!

[@markkulepisto1159]

That pained 'Why!?' got me :D brilliant content as usual, Julian!

[@OfficialStevenCravis]

You explain these things well, Julian!

[@Kelly-wx9ry]

Thanks. I learned a good deal. Also, your work in The Mummy was top notch.

[@IAmGarimon]

I am entirely new to voice acting, and the equalizer scared the crap out of me. This was exactly as detailed as it needed to be. I understand the "why" now, whereas before it was just a set of sliders. This video really helped a lot, thanks!

[@mateojamesmusic]

In addition to being a great video on the subject, I really find your voice easy to listen to!

[@GeoffCooper]

Excellent video - I've been playing about with different mics recently and, of course, watching KZbin reviews, and the amount of BS advice out there is astonishing. This refreshingly all made perfect sense :)

[@trowaclown]

Look, I've subscribed and liked, and I don't know how to help your channel any further. But your delivery is concise, your content is insightful, and your channel is wonderful overall.

[@delicrux]

wow i have been looking for this for to long, i wanted to put vocals in my trance tracks but i could not find any explanation that made sense until now. this will also help when shaping background music for youtube so the voice still stands out. thanks you just got my sub

[@unclespooky]

thank you for sharing your knowledge. easy to comprehend and detailed. well done and appreciated.

[@jackedkerouac4414]

I'm new to your channel and already a big fan of your insights, presentation and dry European humor. Looks like I might have to create a new playlist and call it 'JK'. Good stuff!

[@GlenReed]

Well said! It works the same way with video, people tend to slap a LUT on thinking it’s going somehow make their video look professional regardless of the footage or how it was filmed.

[@LightisMyStrength]

Wow. What a great video. Thanks for the very useful information here.

[@pauldritsas6047]

Awesome stuff Julian keep rocking bro!!

[@666dreamboat]

In a busy context (like music or voice overs for movie trailers) we boost the highs and then de ess them to allow the higher freqs of the voice to sit on top of other sounds with high energy without being too sibilant, I also like this effect (to a much less extreme extent) in podcasts or commentary as it can help when the listener is perhaps listening on a phone in the kitchen whilst cooking, this can help the voice overcome some of the background noise. I find the issue is that people take this idea way too far until they sound like Drake when they have nothing to compete with and it can just sound harsh and unnatural. Not to mention you can only boost as high as you can go without beginning to intrtoduce unnatural mouth and body noises. Anyway Julian as per usual your video is great but there is my awkard little idiosyncrasy, not that it detracts from your general message, just that like you said, every voice, mic, and use case is different!

[@halloweenlisteningparty]

Not a rant -it's very useful information that is difficult to find online and learn.

[@mejasiu]

This was very helpful! Thank you!

[@go_better]

Thanks a lot. Equalizer makes much more sense to me now. Thanks!

[@acreguy3156]

Great info, Julian!! Thanks...

[@CHRISTOPH-B]

Der beste Audiokanal, den ich bis jetzt auf KZbin gefunden habe. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@gopaladas]

Best tutorial on EQ on youtube, and I think I have seen them all!

[@kenzorwings]

Not all heroes wear capes! 100% correct and simplistic at the same time. All the best Julian!

[@craftycub]

Finally!!! Someone that is explaining how to dissect my own voice! Thank you

[@sonicart1808]

Good solid advice Julian thanks!

[@bbrrwwnn]

Simple and brilliant. Thank you.

[@AirArtStudiosOfficial]

Great advice! And remember, cutting is preferable to boosting❤️

[@kevinr7752]

That was an enlightening video, thank you!

[@GloveBunniesVideos]

Great video! So helpful. One should only EQ vocals, or any track for that matter, to bring out certain frequencies in a mix so they stand out better. Reductive EQ works better to make room in a mix so that the elements aren't fighting for space. Thanks!

[@jacobgeddes621]

Thanks for the very clear and concise video. Very helpful and informative.

[@AquaGardenAquariums]

Thanks for sharing. The tips are spot on!

[@KenTeel]

As usual, excellent presentation, Julian. You're one of the best out there for audio information. If your viewers are interested, here are a couple of examples of using different EQ. The first one, the vocal was done with an GLS Audio ES57. I hiked up the bass a bit, and hiked the high end even higher. The classis 57 sound is known for being a bit dark, a bit nasally, and somewhat brittle. When I hiked the high end up, I went in to each silibant section, isolated it, and lowered the volume. This was the price that I had to pay for raising the high end. The second video is a demo of the Behringer BA85a. You can see on the graphic, the EQ curve. Because this mic has plenty of bass and can even make for a muddy mix (when combined with instruments that compete in the upper bass/low mid range), I lowered the bass. Note that this is in contrast to what I did with the ES57. Thanks again for your excellent presentation, Julian. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mqjEdKB7mdF_e80 And kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXPMq2uogMhpg7s

[@hazyshadeproductions]

Great demo, thanks!

[@arthurw8054]

Brilliant video, thanks.

[@AllenCavedo]

Great use of your expertise.

[@TheMusicforthemind]

Gold content, as always. Thank you!

[@Gipeamusic]

Really precise and so true...

[@mysidia]

This video was incredibly informative and useful. Thank you so much