📌 Advanced EQ Techniques – Applications of EQ & Mid/Side EQ Explained
In this lesson, students will learn all the different applications of EQ, the concept of Mid/Side EQ, when to use it, and when to avoid it for professional mixing and mastering.
🎯 Lesson Overview
- ✅ All Applications of EQ in Music Production
- ✅ What is Mid/Side EQ?
- ✅ When to Use Mid/Side EQ (And When Not To)
- ✅ Practical Examples of Mid/Side EQ in FL Studio
📌 Step 1: All Applications of EQ in Music Production
🔹 1️⃣ Corrective EQ (Fixing Problems in a Sound)
Goal: Remove unwanted frequencies like muddiness, harshness, or noise.
🔹 Examples:
- Removing low-end rumble from vocals using a High-Pass Filter (HPF)
- Cutting harsh frequencies (e.g., 2kHz – 4kHz in distorted guitars)
- Fixing microphone resonance in recordings
💡 Use Corrective EQ first before any other processing.
🔹 2️⃣ Tonal Shaping EQ (Enhancing a Sound's Character)
Goal: Boost or cut certain frequencies to shape the tone of an instrument.
🔹 Examples:
- Boosting 80Hz – 120Hz on a kick drum for punch
- Boosting 5kHz – 12kHz on vocals for clarity
- Cutting 300Hz – 500Hz in guitars to reduce muddiness
💡 Use after corrective EQ to bring out the best in the sound.
🔹 3️⃣ Surgical EQ (Extreme Precision for Mixing & Mastering)
Goal: Make small, precise cuts to remove problem frequencies.
🔹 Examples:
- Removing whistling (resonant) frequencies by sweeping with a narrow Q-band
- Cutting one specific frequency (e.g., 4.5kHz) to remove digital harshness
- Cleaning boxiness in drums (250Hz – 500Hz)
💡 Use with a narrow Q-band and avoid boosting too much.
🔹 4️⃣ Dynamic EQ (Combining EQ & Compression – Advanced Mixing Tool)
Goal: Adjust frequencies dynamically based on the volume of the sound.
🔹 Examples:
- De-essing (Reducing harsh ‘S’ sounds in vocals dynamically)
- Controlling muddy low-mids (250Hz – 500Hz) only when needed
- Reducing harsh guitar highs (4kHz – 8kHz) when they get too loud
💡 Use when you need EQ adjustments only in certain loud moments.
🔹 5️⃣ Creative EQ (Using EQ for Effects & Sound Design)
Goal: Use EQ to shape sound creatively for transitions and special effects.
🔹 Examples:
- Filter Sweeps: Automating a low-pass filter for buildups.
- Telephone Effect: Cutting below 500Hz & above 3kHz for a vintage sound.
- Ducking Frequencies: Cutting 5kHz in synths when vocals come in.
💡 Use creative EQ to add movement & energy to the track.
📌 Step 2: What is Mid/Side EQ?
🔹 Understanding Stereo Audio
- Mid (M): The center of the stereo field (mono elements like kick, bass, lead vocals).
- Side (S): The outer stereo edges (wide instruments like pads, reverb tails, background vocals).
🔹 What is Mid/Side EQ?
Mid/Side EQ lets you EQ the center (Mid) separately from the sides (Side).
- Mid EQ: Affects mono elements (kick, bass, snare, vocals).
- Side EQ: Affects stereo elements (reverb, pads, backing vocals, stereo synths).
💡 Used mostly in mastering & mixing wide elements separately.
📌 Step 3: When to Use Mid/Side EQ (And When Not To)
✅ When to Use Mid/Side EQ
✔ Making Vocals & Bass Mono (Tighter Low End)
- Use High-Pass Filter (HPF) on the Sides to remove low-end mud from wide sounds.
✔ Widening Synths & Background Vocals
- Boost 8kHz – 12kHz on the Sides to add width & air to the stereo image.
✔ Removing Mud from a Wide Mix
- Cut 250Hz – 500Hz on the Sides to reduce muddiness while keeping the center clear.
✔ Mastering - Controlling Harshness
- Reduce 3kHz – 6kHz in the Mid to tame aggressive vocals without affecting the sides.
💡 Best used for cleaning up the mix & enhancing stereo width.
❌ When NOT to Use Mid/Side EQ
❌ If the mix is already well-balanced in stereo.
❌ If you don’t need to change the stereo width of a sound.
❌ If it makes the track sound unnatural (always A/B test before applying).
💡 Overusing Mid/Side EQ can ruin the balance – use it only when necessary.
📌 Step 4: How to Use Mid/Side EQ in FL Studio
Using Fruity Parametric EQ 2 for Mid/Side Processing
FL Studio’s default EQ does NOT have built-in Mid/Side processing, but you can do it using:
- FabFilter Pro-Q3 (Best for Mid/Side EQ in FL Studio)
- iZotope Ozone EQ (For mastering Mid/Side EQ)
Steps to Use Mid/Side EQ in FabFilter Pro-Q3
1️⃣ Open FabFilter Pro-Q3 on the Master Bus or an Individual Track.
2️⃣ Click on the Stereo Mode (M/S Mode).
3️⃣ Choose Mid or Side for each band adjustment.
4️⃣ Apply cuts to the Sides for clarity & stereo width control.
5️⃣ Boost high frequencies on the Sides to enhance airiness.
6️⃣ A/B compare with Bypass to check if it improves the mix.
💡 Always test with & without Mid/Side EQ to ensure it helps the mix.
🎯 Lesson Summary
✅ EQ Applications: Corrective, Tonal, Surgical, Dynamic, Creative
✅ Mid/Side EQ Explained: How it works & what it does
✅ When to Use Mid/Side EQ: Cleaning up, widening, or enhancing stereo sounds
✅ When NOT to Use Mid/Side EQ: If it makes the mix sound unnatural
✅ How to Apply Mid/Side EQ in FL Studio
🚀 Next Lesson: Compression – Controlling Dynamics & Making Your Mix Tighter
Now that we’ve shaped the mix using EQ, the next step is Compression to balance dynamics and make everything sit well together.
Would you like me to add practical audio examples for Mid/Side EQ settings?
