Should you High-Pass EVERYTHING? | Mastering Masterclass Ep. 2

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

What else do you want to learn in our future series? Let us know below!

[@Sool101]

Yes I have a question that needs to be a bit elaborated , what is 'ringing' and how to reduce or avoid that. I can't seem to find a good source that explains that.

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Hi Sool! That is a good question and we will certainly make a video about it in the future. Without getting too technical, 'ringing' or 'pre-ringing' are artifacts that can appear when you use linear phase EQs. While these EQs do not cause phase shifting they might lead to other artifacts and timing issues. Thank you for your input, all the best! 👍

[@Sool101]

@@ADAMAudioBerlin that would be awesome thanks!

[@theelephantofsurprise8564]

If you can do a part 2 where you address the mix tweaks often serve a better master. Then it's not a "mix course" but will be practical and advanced concepts

[@ralphverdult]

I always manually fix P's, B's and other consonants that give excessive low end with a destructive/AudioSuite high pass filter on just that consonant. This way you can keep the general high pas filter on the vocal a bit lower, if needed at all. I usually like a bit of warmth in the vocal, and sometimes these frequencies overlap with the P-pops. It's better to fix it in the mix than to wait for your mastering engineer to do it on your stereo track. Since high pass filters cause a lot more phase shifting than bell and shelf filters, I am always careful with applying high pass filters on sources that have a lot of spill. Drumtracks are one main example, but also when tracking with everybody in the room. High passing the piano can (positively or negatively) affect the phase response of the kick drum, and vice versa.

[@Redemptive]

Nothing like absorbing some thoughts from a knowledgeable person.

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

We agree! Thanks for watching.

[@petegiant]

I'd recommend doing this at tracking, through mic selection and filters.

[@nexusobserve]

lot of mic hi passes are at 80hz, so depends

[@leonardojul]

Hello and thanks for the great content! For us producers and engineers it would be great to have advice on how we can make the mastering engineers lives easier. I'd love to see more tips like the one on this video!

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Sounds good Leonardo, we'll be sure to make this a priority!

[@Rocknrolldaddy81-xy8ur]

Rather than going 1 octave below with a 24db filter, I tend to go right to the lowest note and filter with 12db. Sometimes using some resonance at the cutoff. I always, check the effects of filters by checking the whole mix in mono. Because frequencies can shift a bit when filtering anything with stereo information. I think I’ve got the filtering down to a science…it’s the mixing of the frequencies in between my highpass and lowpass filters that’s the hard part!

[@davelordy]

Exactly the same here ! I use a much gentler slope (12dB) and pretty close to the lowest note, along with a small touch of resonance.

[@alexanderalfonsokrook2471]

I love this man

[@tyjuarez]

i had a burning question about whether high-passing the master stems was cleaning things up or discarding information. The first sentence of this video answered them all. "In the digital world, you can literally record a 1Hz signal, and... that's not helpful."

[@juanimartinezprod]

In this episode John talks about the modifications in the eQ, and he forgets to mention the most important tool that the digital age has given us in audio, which is having a good spectrum analyzer, with a good meter like Peguin has been. At the time and to this day it still is, it is easier and simpler to be able to work and see each frequency clearly in order to identify them when listening, the spectrum analyzer for the sound engineer is like a meter for a carpenter, it must be the tool of the most important measurement that we are going to use, I love learning from those who know the most and John is one of the most important references of the time

[@beru_official]

Fabfilter Pro Q has an incredible built in spectrum analyzer and you can see it in real time as you EQ its very helpful

[@bob4analog]

Spot on. We dont want to amplify DC. Same principles apply in sound reinforcement. Hi passing is our friend.

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Thank you for watching, Bob 👍

[@cal_blac]

This is great information. Thank you.

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Hi Cal! Glad you enjoy watching the video. 🔥

[@beaumaloe]

How do you remove clothes rustle from audio recorded with a lav mic?

[@greglong888]

Try waves Clarify

[@GlenroyJames]

These are some very useful tips

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Hi Glenroy! Thanks for watching 🙌

[@synthoelectro]

I use high-pass during times, but it's all electronic, not recorded, but I do it anyway.

[@RonnieVaiArovo]

Interesting mastering man & also makes perfect sense 👍

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Thank you for watching, Ron 👍

[@RonnieVaiArovo]

His voice also has sub bass frequencies that are destructive to the overall tone of his voice. This is ironic 😄👍

[@morbidmanmusic]

it's just your crappy sound system

[@imslicc]

@@morbidmanmusic would you kindly say that again constructively, and actually add to the knowledge pool, instead of adding more slime? thanks

[@krimsonchin73]

The true irony is the constant mic rubbing noise!😂

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

We should have had him in post for our video 😉

[@fivebyfivesound]

@@ADAMAudioBerlin 😂

[@michaelmertens813]

I feel, with non acoustic, electronic music, the same applies to low pass filtering.

[@andigisler]

Too bad they didn‘t know that back in the day, imagine how much better all those Sinatra, Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Steely Dan records would have turned out 😮 HPFs have their place of course but why are LPFs never discussed? The top range causes way more problems in today‘s digital world and too many folks work from a ‚skyscraper‘ principle - to quote Mike Stavrou from his great book ‚Mixing with your mind‘

[@billyvalentine4365]

If the human hearing range is 20hz to 20khz, why wouldn't you use a 20hz high-pass filter on everything? That's not a statement (I honestly don't know), just really trying to figure it out.

[@dancemusicorganisation]

Frequency Modulation, you might not be able to hear the actual sounds at certain frequencies but they still modulate the sounds you can hear!

[@Apeskinny]

Thanks for some good tips but..... "at least 24dB per octave"? Now everyone will chuck on 96dB high pass filters and get a bunch of ringing at the cut-off point.... "out of the frying pan......" 😂

[@snubdawg1386]

man i have a question because the "at least 24db per octave" info is not clear to me .... if i set a 24db high pass filter at 50hz and 1.00 bandwith, it will only lower the volume of the lowend but it's still there, right? is this method prefered to keep some of the lowend energy on the instrument or is it better to choose a 96db high pass filter if i want to eliminate the frequencies below completely?

[@Apeskinny]

@@snubdawg1386 Well it depends... If your intention is to complete eliminate any frequency below a particular point then yes. But, if the sound has any energy at the cut off point a steeper slope will create ringing and increase the amplitude.. Try this.. take a trusty old 808 kick and add an EQ with a high pass filter at around 60Hz (or whever the fundamental is).. try with different slopes and you'll notice a considerable increase in bass at a higher values e.g., 96dB per octave. Pay less attention to what the analyser is telling you (cos it's visual and not aural) and pay heed to that fact that analogue consoles have usually 12dB filters and if Bruce Swedien was OK with that then so should the rest of us......

[@liantrosretrospectiva4134]

not all 96 db/oct filters have this effect

[@Apeskinny]

@@liantrosretrospectiva4134 no worries but link maybe.........?

[@beatsprodbycm9455]

These are great

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

Hi beatsprodbycm! Thank you so much for watching! 🔥

[@jacko_justchill]

GEMS 💎

[@ADAMAudioBerlin]

👊 Thanks for watching, Jacko

[@yeayea4756]

Why does it look like a documentary hahahaha

[@cekirdekci32]

we have to check the phase correlation to make surev we dont intrroduce phase tho. am I right? i also realized i face phase when i use mid side eq on ableton. i m always struggling with phase.

[@joshuahoe1230]

Vocal “pee-pops” ? I couldn’t catch what he was saying there

[@talktokale]

"P" pops AKA "plosives"... low rumble pops when a vocalist annunciates a P-syllable

[@jrewlacet9971]

Me looking for a bjj tutorial🥴