Amazing Audio at Home Course Outline: Module 3
In this series, I’m going over the details of Amazing Audio at Home: the course that teaches you all of the steps to getting pro quality audio at home, using affordable gear. Here’s the details of Module 3.
You can learn more, and purchase Amazing Audio at Home here.
Module 3: Equalization
Inside Module 3, I discuss equalization: a fundamental engineering tool that can help you achieve beautiful clarity, punch, and depth inside of your recorded music.
Module 3 of Amazing Audio at Home.
What is equalization?
In this video, we define equalization as a technique, and go over its purpose inside of the music production studio. I also define several different general types of equalization, and how they can be applied to different styles of music most effectively.
Equalization tools
Now that we’ve defined the purpose of equalization, we can talk about the tools used to equalize. There's many different types of equalizers: simple ones, complex ones, analog, digital, etc, and choosing the right tool for the right job is critical. In this video, I cover how to best choose which tool to reach for in a given creative situation. Hint: you’ve already got some very effective (and possibly free!) tools available inside of most modern audio software; it’s just a matter of learning how to use them effectively.
The digital parametric EQ in detail
One of the most powerful modern tools for equalization is called the digital parametric equalizer. It's a fantastic tool, and it comes included in most modern DAW software. Here's how to use one, with practical demonstrations inside of a few different types of software (Logic, Ableton, and GarageBand).
How to equalize
Now that we're familiar with the parametric equalizer, in this video we go over some fundamental equalization techniques that can be applied to audio using this tool.
Practical EQ demonstrations
Any video with “practical demonstrations” in the title shows me demonstrating techniques applied to audio in real-world situations. In this video, we start applying the EQ techniques we've just learned in musical context, working with acoustic guitars, drum kits, vocals, and more.
Equalizing inside our sample mix project
Continuing with our sample mix project, in this video I adjust some synthesizers, now working inside a new musical context. Watch me make my adjustments, considering how you might do things differently if you were in the driver’s seat.
Equalization and panning
We always want to have beautiful width and a feeling of three dimensional space within our recorded music. But, how you achieve these results can sometimes be counter-intuitive. In this video, I go over how panning and EQ moves work together.
Module 3 Action Steps
In the Module 3 action steps, I ask you to make your own creative decisions by equalizing inside of our sample mix project, while providing a step-by-step framework for you to work within.
You can learn more, and purchase Amazing Audio at Home here.
