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Author Topic: whats the best way to test a EQ  (Read 5570 times)

aivoryuk

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whats the best way to test a EQ
« on: July 04, 2005, 01:44:51 PM »

this may seem like a stupid question

but i'm the quest to find the eq plugins that i want to use for my mastering. At the moment i can't afford hardware so they are not a option at the mo Smile

the problem is there are soo many to choose from. so what i want to do is to narrow them down. You may think that having every EQ under the sun would be great but i think it may hinder having too much choice.
im going for 2 surgical eq's and then 2 more sweeter ones.

so are there are tests that you might do (apart from listening to them) to show the real quality of a plugin. maybe pushing them hard i'm not sure

any advice would be great fully received
thanks

Alex
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bblackwood

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #1 on: July 04, 2005, 04:43:07 PM »

Regardless of whether it's hardware or software, if you can't boost more than a dB or two at say, 10kHz without it getting harsh, keep looking. That's an easy test that most seem to fail on, ime...
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Brad Blackwood
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Ronny

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #2 on: July 04, 2005, 04:47:50 PM »


Give them the EQ-IQ test.  Very Happy

For surgical try the linear phase eq's, for sweetness try to find a way to go analog. Can't have too many eq's though, if you are working on a wide variety of music. If you simply can't afford at least one annie eq the PSP Vintage Warmer may help you get a little sweetness in the digital domain, if you spend some time tweaking it and don't hit the drive too hard. Auditioning the Waves LPEQ broadband, the LPEQ lowband and the PSP, would be a good starting point for your plug-in search, IMO.

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aivoryuk

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2005, 06:11:46 AM »

thanks for the replies

I will certainley try what you have suggested brad

Also Ronny thanks for your suggestions Iwould love to go analogue but sadly its not viable at the mo Sad, I do have the waves lineq and these will be part of my surgical eq's as i do think it is good at what it can do. Would love to try the algorithmix ones as i know a lot of good things are being said about these.

I also like the JMS hi resoultion EQ for surgical, this sounds quite clean to me and is quite flexible.

for my more sweeter one im going between below

PSP masterQ, I like the sound of it but its very fiddly to use.

the sonalksis is also very good and not as fiddly as the PSP.

I've tried the vintage warmer in the last few days and have found to get the best out of it is to use it subtley unless im after a pumping effect.

well i shall continue experimenting and if anybody else has anymore suggestions for testing or EQ's to try out then please feel free to suggest

thanks
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OTR-jkl

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2005, 10:22:02 AM »

aivoryuk -
What do you find "fiddly" about the PSP MasterQ? and how are you using/setting the VW that makes it pump?

Ronny -
What do you consider "hitting the drive too hard" on the PSP VW?
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aivoryuk

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2005, 10:39:44 AM »

Hi OTR

the main thing i find fiddly with the psp masterq is that the when boosting or cutting its not done in 1/2 db increments so when moving the mouse it takes more time to get the exact amount of boost/cut that i want.

regarding the VW, i've not had it long so have not had time to really experiment but i would prob use it as the last thing as it is consider a limiter as well as a compressor. even on the default settings as soon as i move the knee dial i can hear it pumping even when i back the drive dial off,
if im using it wrong then please enlighten me Smile
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jlapointe

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2005, 12:50:32 PM »

aivoryuk wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 07:11

 if anybody else has anymore suggestions for testing or EQ's to try out then please feel free to suggest



For a colourful plugin eq, try the Hydratone.  

http://www.tritonedigital.com/hydratone.htm#lowdown

Noiseflaw

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #7 on: July 05, 2005, 01:11:55 PM »

JLaPointe wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 17:50

aivoryuk wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 07:11

 if anybody else has anymore suggestions for testing or EQ's to try out then please feel free to suggest



For a colourful plugin eq, try the Hydratone.  

http://www.tritonedigital.com/hydratone.htm#lowdown




Yes do try it Hydratone  ...for character it is the absolute best - imo, (4 Convolved Eq models to choose from Amek 9098, Avalon 737Sp, API 550b, FocusriteISA 110 - also try Eqium/Firium for precision.
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Ronny

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #8 on: July 05, 2005, 01:13:44 PM »

OTR-jkl wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 10:22

aivoryuk -
What do you find "fiddly" about the PSP MasterQ? and how are you using/setting the VW that makes it pump?

Ronny -
What do you consider "hitting the drive too hard" on the PSP VW?


The drive knob is really the input gain, rather than just a processor input attenuator it allows boosting the input by a tremendous amount, IIRC up to +24dB. The ceiling control is where I can get the most artifact free annie type sound from, as it controls output and saturation algo's. If you hit the drive too hard you are boosting the signal before any processing is performed and if your material is already close to zero, you will be processing the over -0dBFs signal with not much turn of the drive knob past 12 o'clock. While processing over -0dBFS in a 32 float system doesn't really clip the signal until it outputs to a DAC, I find that almost all processors operate better when input level doesn't exceed -0dBFs. Try backing off the drive and making up gain with the ceiling on the post processed signal, for a smoother analog sound. You won't clip the output with the ceiling knob, it will bring the RMS up and not peak up past -0dBFs. They are getting better with the tube and tape emulation programs, but still no cigar compared to real analog, I seldom use the VM, but it's one of the best plugs for adding warmth if you are remaining in the digital realm, IMHO.
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aivoryuk

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2005, 02:21:32 PM »

thanks for that Ronny, I tried what you've suggested and did hear a improvement, although i had to balance the mix output because i still hear the effect. seemed a little unnatural to me and as you say Ronny, no cigar to analog. quite similar to a vitalizer you can get used to the sound

Ronny have you ever heard the Tc-electronics Digital radiance generator (DRG) found on the triple C and possibly the finalizer.
this is about the only thing i use my triple c for nowadays no more than setting 3 so still quite subtle.

regarding the hydratone i am considering this as well as i've heard good things about this one as well

thanks for the recommendations guys
Alex
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OTR-jkl

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2005, 03:45:18 PM »

I must be way off - I don't get that kind of response at all...

When I turn the Ceiling past 0.0 at all, I start getting overs on the Samp peak meters. If anything, what I hear by changing the Ceiling is more of a squashed sound. I almost never turn the Knee past 1.0 and use the Drive to get the necessary gain - usually somewhere in the +3.0 neighborhood...

???
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Ronny

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2005, 07:11:37 PM »

OTR-jkl wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 15:45

I must be way off - I don't get that kind of response at all...

When I turn the Ceiling past 0.0 at all, I start getting overs on the Samp peak meters. If anything, what I hear by changing the Ceiling is more of a squashed sound. I almost never turn the Knee past 1.0 and use the Drive to get the necessary gain - usually somewhere in the +3.0 neighborhood...

???


You must be inputting at a lower level than I typically do, talking the level of the source material. I also don't try to use it so much to limit, more of getting a warmer tone without trying to squash, I typically use the L2 for final perceived gain after the VW, on the occasions that I do use it. The ceiling control is also supposed to limit the signal so that no matter where you set it you won't go over and the more you turn it up, the less RMS you'll have, but I can hear bad clipping when I set the drive too hot, no matter where ceiling is set. I typically attenuate the input (drive) rather than boost it and it's usually less than -0dB. Try setting the drive at -12dB, the ceiling at +8dB, you should hear no artifacts, than turn up the drive until you hear clipping or see the red light and than back off. Set your output gain on the eq. I often come out with lower gain than I go in and make up gain with the L2, so maybe I'm not hitting it as hard as most people. In light touches it will pull the digititus out of some tunes, but I've never been able to hit it hard for perceived gain and gotten a satisfactory sound.    
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Ronny

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2005, 07:13:51 PM »

aivoryuk wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 14:21

thanks for that Ronny, I tried what you've suggested and did hear a improvement, although i had to balance the mix output because i still hear the effect. seemed a little unnatural to me and as you say Ronny, no cigar to analog. quite similar to a vitalizer you can get used to the sound

Ronny have you ever heard the Tc-electronics Digital radiance generator (DRG) found on the triple C and possibly the finalizer.
this is about the only thing i use my triple c for nowadays no more than setting 3 so still quite subtle.

regarding the hydratone i am considering this as well as i've heard good things about this one as well

thanks for the recommendations guys
Alex


Can't remember hearing the DRG Alex.
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OTR-jkl

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2005, 09:28:34 PM »

Ronny wrote on Tue, 05 July 2005 18:11

I've never been able to hit it hard for perceived gain and gotten a satisfactory sound.

What kind of GR do you see on the VW meters when you "hit it hard" by your definition? I'm also curious where you set the Sat. knobs...

Regarding turning the Drive way down and the Ceiling up, I think I would rather attenuate the signal somewhere else rather than at the VW. FWIW, I usually use my tube convertor to make up as much gain as I can in the analog realm so when the signal hits the VW, its already pretty hot and I don't have to make it work very hard at all - almost always < 1 dB of GR...
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Jerry Tubb

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Re: whats the best way to test a EQ
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2005, 11:43:38 AM »

aivoryuk wrote on Mon, 04 July 2005 12:44

so are there are tests that you might do (apart from listening to them) to show the real quality of a plugin. maybe pushing them hard i'm not sure


Hey Alex, how about Mastering 3 songs with each of the contender EQs,
listening to the results and making a choice ?

Select 3 songs to Master that need a fair amount of work to sound good.

Seems like a good test to me.
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