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The Unwritten Rules of Mix Bus EQ

SonicScoop

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How should you EQ your mix bus? ...And should you even EQ it at all?? Platinum mastering engineer Justin Colletti explores.

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#eq #mixbus #mixingengineer #audioengineer #musicproducer #eqplugin #audioeffects #audiomastering #musicmastering

20 Comments

@SonicScoop Creator 6 months ago Pinned

Apologies: I accidentally lowered my input level for this livestream, so there's an occasional issue with my audio gate missing a few syllables, and my de-esser's threshold wasn't triggering. My mistake! 🤦‍♂
In any event: Do you EQ your mix bus? If so, how?

All Our Courses:
► https://members.sonicscoop.com

►🎚Mixing Breakthroughs: https://mixingbreakthroughs.com
►🎛Compression Breakthroughs: https://compressionbreakthroughs.com
►🎧 EQ Breakthroughs: https://EQBreakthroughs.com
►🔊Mastering Demystified: https://MasteringDemystified.com

@VinylBearStudio 6 months ago

As a guy who tried "top-down", rejected it, and settled into the general rule of applying only mid-side and/or gentle dynamic EQing on the mix bus (bass, air control), but who still has more questions than answers, this tutorial is a rare gift from the algo today. You have a very personable teaching style, and I am glad to have found and subbed this channel.

@Crossfire2003 5 months ago

Many times, the biggest issue isn't the EQ-ing during mixing, but the production itself!
Sometimes, the elements clash with each other in wrong ways, and the EQ-ing is done just to get rid of the problems.
At symphony, music is being written in a good way, so that every element will be hearable when it needs to be.
That reduces unwanted clashes.

@khashayarheidarimusic 4 months ago

Hi everyone, finally I’m come back after 90 days without Internet, from iran. Hope you’re doing well

@PrantoKoX 6 months ago

Very well presented!
👍🏻👍🏻
In the days of old, in answering my rookie question "How should I eq the stereo mix bus?" a very experienced old engineer smiled and replied "Not too much, just not too much." 😉☯️

@TheBigBird92 6 months ago

Level balance/panning + automation will result in less EQ needed at the track level, which should need even fewer EQ tweaks (if any) at the mix bus level.

I’m saying this as someone who grew up 100% faderless & overcooking every single mix I’ve ever had, often times treating things that didn’t need treatment.

There’s no hard and fast rules. But be aware of the changes you’re making and why you might be making them. Is the guitar too harsh? Maybe it’s just too loud, etc. You get the idea.

Great video as usual, Justin!

@coldacre 6 months ago

thankyou for @24:30. nice to hear the EQ > Compressor order articulated so well.

@marcomoscoso7402 3 weeks ago

I started studying a reference mix and did a pretty good job to master-EQ-match my own mix to it but then I realized that I could get much more dynamics and loudness if I did the changes on the individual tracks. The result was impressive and I ended up getting rid of the master bus eq processes

@mannequinskywalker 6 months ago

Glad you kept the Q&A at the end because it explained the new 'fit! I thought you were going to a holiday meal at the in-laws' or something! 😂School meeting tracks though. 👍 Appreciate the tips, as always! The depth and pace of your explanations helps things really sink in, imo. Need to go back and find your vid on wide mixes now...

@emissary_music 5 months ago

Kush Clariphonic is so underrated!

@BoboNazz 6 months ago

I use 2 eqs on my mix bus. The first one is fabfilter with the linear phase algorithm but only for rolling off 18hz and below, and above 20k.

The next one bx_digital constantly switch between mono and stereo and looks for which frequencies does what in the mid and sides that way I can easily identify the instruments and it's behaviors in context. But remove it afterwards.

@stephenkain6603 6 months ago

Going back to 2010… just a stark reminder 2010 was longer ago than we think…

@GloveBunniesVideos 4 months ago

The only EQ I usually do is with a linear EQ, reducing 1-2 db in broad strokes to areas when it gets muddy or too bright. Great video!

@easternsouvenirs 6 months ago

A helpful outline of the different approaches! I typically have a mix thru EQ—pultec adding top and bottom. And then as I’m approaching the end I’ll reference other mixes and usually end up cutting somewhere in the midrange between 500-1200 with another parametric eq to clean up some cloudiness

@CaptainIrvitron 6 months ago (edited)

I never put anything on my mix bus except a lone compressor which I always mix through. I’m always trying to get the tonal balance of my mixes to work to my liking through the combined individual bus groups.
I have done top down EQing on my mix bus before but only because I didn’t have access to the individual tracks. It worked fine but I don’t care for top down processing in general…

@spacedogrecordingstudio 6 months ago

Super duper episode as always. Today i remade a mix i did two months ago, same song. The difference with the old mx was unbelievable… and this is just because i’m doing exactly what you are teaching us… best engineering content ever 🙏

@Carlwatkins1984 4 months ago

Great video man, great advice. Nice.

@whosrichpurnell3328 6 months ago

Great advice as always, Justin. Snuck into the live at work to give this video a like. Wish I could’ve stayed for the q&a.
Another great technique that I’ve experienced in mix bus EQ is splitting your boosts and cuts. Your perspective on deeper cuts with wider, smaller, boosts fits right into this technique. I will also typically use a graphic EQ for tonal shaping as it’s the best way for me to focus more on what I’m hearing rather than what I’m seeing.

@HEAVYVIBRATIONSTUDIO-PL 6 months ago

I use EQ on mix bass.After mixing I put EQ to use high and low pass filter.And last thing is I use it for is remowing a 1-2 db harshness in area of when guitars create this hiss with cymbals.This is all.