Sweep/cut and octave EQ-ing

So you had that bass guitar to eq, right?


NOOOO I SAID I DINT HAVE NO BASE GEETORR MAN.


Yeah, no. But it's a GOOD EXAMPLE for this so we're sticking with it. RIGHT?!
Right.



Now you realise that the bass is 1) not 'bassy' enough really and 2) too 'muddy'.


You turn up the bass right?


WRONG!




First you kill the 'mud'.


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Sweep and cut.
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Sweep EQ to find it. Perzaps use an EQ FILTER.
This is hard to explain. You want to listen out for (monitor) the unwanted frequencies.
It is an annoyance on the ear, but whatever. I'll explain as best I can but please jfgi. If your software doesn't have the option or you can't find a suitable VST or WHATEVER YOUR GODDAMN TROUBLE IS, tough titties.


You are trying to find the mud (it's probably somewhere around 200-300 hz.)
You want to BOOST around there and SWEEP through until you hear it most apparently - you may need to tighten your 'Q' parameter (this defines the 'width' of frequencies you are boosting). Then you CUT at that frequency.
I realise this is possibly all Dutch to you, but again jfgi and get out my face.


In layman's terms you are turning up the yucky pitch, finding it more precisely and then turning it down.


'solo' the instrument. Watch your level - the little bar hopping up and down in the channel, to show you how loud the 'volllyoome' (decibel, db level) is. Is it hitting zero db? (Is the bar going red?) Pull the fader down until it doesn't. EQ. Push the fader back up until it *almost* hits zero/the red. Like, just watch your level is all I'm saying.






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Octave EQing
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Okay but it's still not 'bassy' enough. I better turn up the bass with the EQ thingammy.


FUCKING STOP! NO NO NO!
What you mean is it's not 'punchy' enough. You need to give it PRESENCE not more bass jeez!


The human ear doesn't really 'hear' bass so much. It picks up on it through other hints or signals, such as the sound of a plectrum (or 'pick') defining the attack (der biginnin) of the note.


That is what you want to 'turn up'. And those frequencies generally occur one octave up from the notes themselves.
Or tee put in a nudder way: at twice the Hz.! Oooh matehmatix is clevrr.


Lookie here, 'Glen' made us a lovely chart.
http://www.reverse-engineering.info/Audio/bwl_eq_info.pdf
But use your damn ears.


SWEEP again, but this time boost. Not much. Generally the rule goes: try NOT to boost when eqing. And keep it subtle. 
So, our new buddy Glen suggests we have a listen around 700hz-1khz (that's not twice 80hz. Indeed. It is TWICE it TWICE BY TWO! It's to the power of mazin betterer). Eh. No it's not. Yes. I see that. Glen is a moron. Just use your 
ears, now let's move on.


Sweepy sweep. There it is. Ickle boost. Try it on the other octaves and all, fuck it, sure what do you have to lose?


'solo' the instrument. Watch your level - the little bar hopping up and down in the channel to show you how loud the 'volllyoome' (decibel, db level) is. Is it hitting zero db? (Is the bar going red?) Pull the fader down until it doesn't. EQ. Push the fader back up until it *almost* hits zero/the red. 
It really is nice idea to keep an eye on your level, you know, watch it.