Audio equalizer

A recording of music or spoken word can pick up a variety of tones, not all of them pleasant. A graphic equalizer (EQ) offers a simple solution: boost or cut (make louder or softer) a specific range of frequencies to improve sound quality.

The Best Equalizer Settings: The 5 Step Magic EQ Settings that work on everything!

1. Step 1: HPF at 30HZ. Most instruments don't make any usable sound below about 60-80Hz. ...
2. Step 2: Reduce Some Mud at 250Hz. ...
3. Step 3: Boost Some Bass at 80Hz. ...
4. Step 4: Boost Some Presence at 5kHz. ...
5. Step 5: Boost Some Air at 16kHz.

Getting started with EQ. Generally speaking, it's better to cut than to boost when EQing, especially if the goal is to move one part out of the way of another, as cutting sounds more natural and helps to maintain headroom in the mix.

Musicians or audio engineers use EQs to balance different elements of a song and create more clarity within the audio. The graphic equalizer got its name for the way its slide controls resemble a graph -- with the EQ's response and frequency on the Y and X axis accordingly.

You should always aim to use EQ to improve an already wonderful sound. If the sound isn't good without EQ, then you will never end up with anything but second best. The only time you should ever use EQ to 'save' a sound is when you have been given a tape to work on that was recorded by a lazy engineer.