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Published On: Sat, Sep 20th, 2014
Tutorials | By MusicTech.net
Logic Pro X Tutorial: Become a Power User Tutorial Part 12
Mastering in Logic Pro XLogic Pro Xs new and improved Channel EQ
plug-in really comes into its own during mastering. Mark Cousins
finds theperfect tone.
When it comes to mastering theres little doubt that a good
equalizer is one of the most important tools to have at your
disposal. Ratherthan just sounding good, an effective mastering
equalizer needs to be a versatile and precise tool thats able to
direct the right amountof timbral magic to the correct part of the
mix.
As well as featuring plenty of parametric bands, filtering
options and shelving controls, its vital that you have discrete
access to both the
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left and right channels and, if youre feeling really
adventurous, M/S processing as well. Add to that the ability to
move between LinearPhase operation and good old-fashioned
phase-shifting EQ, and its clear that the demands of a mastering
equalizer are plentiful!
Having received a major facelift and operational upgrade with
the latest version of Logic Pro X, the Channel EQ plug-in coupled
with theLinear Phase EQ are powerful tools that are perfect for
mastering your tracks. In this workshop we are going to take an
in-depth look athow the features of the Channel EQ and Linear Phase
EQ plug-ins can be used for mastering tasks a process that has some
distinctdifferences to the use of EQ in more conventional mixing
applications.
One of the most exciting possibilities with the Channel EQ is
that of M/S equalisation, which deals with a stereo signal as
Mid/Sidecomponents rather than the traditional Left/Right stereo.
Despite being a popular technique in mastering circles, M/S
processing cancreate some confusion due to the different way it
handles stereo. With M/S stereo the mix is broken into a Mid
component formed fromthe sum of the left and right channels, and a
Side component formed from the difference between left and right.
In effect this enablesyou to apply the EQ in a more directed way,
especially towards instruments that are planted in the phantom
centre of a mix.
More than just being a mixing tool, the Channel EQ is a
versatile and effective tool for mastering, and well worth closer
inspection.
This tutorial is endorsed by Point Blank Music School, which
specialises in courses on production, sound engineering, the
musicbusiness, singing, radio production, DJ skills and film
production, all run by top British music producers and media
professionals, withregular visits from legends in music and
media.www.pointblanklondon.com
Getting started
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1:In most mastering signal paths the Channel EQ is usually used
as the first device in the chain, with compressors and limiters
placedafterwards. Once youve added the Channel EQ plug-in, remember
to open the expanded parameters at the bottom of the interface
andclick on the Oversampling option for the highest audio
quality.
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2:As with all equalisation tasks its well worth using the
Channel EQs Analysis option to gain a more informed understanding
of thetracks frequency characteristics. Click on the Analyzer to
make it active, setting the Medium or High resolution (found as
part of theextended parameter set) so that you get a more accurate
and detailed frequency plot.
3:One interesting control worth investigating is the Analyzer
Decay, which defaults to around 10dB/s. Setting a slower speed even
aslow as 0dB/s produces an averaged frequency plot over time,
rather than an instantaneous snapshot. This slower setting can
beuseful as a means of understanding the broad frequency
characteristics of your track.
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4:Lets start the equalization process by looking at the low end
of the track. To keep things controlled its well worth applying a
high-pass filter so that any subsonic elements are removed. Click
on the high-pass filter curve in the top left-hand corner, set the
Curve to itssteepest setting 48dB/Oct and adjust the Frequency
control to around 20-30Hz.
-
5:Another useful trick with high-pass filtering is adding
resonance, which is the lowest parameter, beneath frequency and
slope.Increase the setting to 1.00 and notice the small bump around
the cutoff. With the added resonance you might want to slightly
raise thecutoff. The result can be a tighter and weightier bass end
if used correctly.
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6:At the two opposite ends of our track low and high,
respectively a shelving equalizer is used to establish the broad
frequencycharacteristics of the track. Carefully position the
respective frequency controls to achieve the desired colour. A
treble boost at 7kHz, forexample, adds presence, while a lighter
air-like tone can be found between 12-16kHz.
Q and Linear Phase EQ
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1:As with the high-pass filter, its worth noting how the Q can
be called into action. In the case of shelving, lowering the Q
produces awider curve with less of a plateau-like shape. The curve
is similar to the classic Baxandall EQ, which is a favourite among
manymastering engineers thanks to the gradual way it lifts treble
ahead of the frequency setting.
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2:Timbral modifications across the rest of the mix are achieved
using the four parametric bands. On the whole, the best approach is
touse wide Q settings for boosts coupled with a narrower Q setting
for cuts. The result is an EQ thats transparent to the ear,
andmusically effective for the result youre trying to achieve.
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3:One behaviour worth noting is the Gain Q coupling. By default
the Q effectively becomes sharper the more you apply a boost or
cut,so that the bandwidth of the EQ remains constant irrespective
of the amount of boost or cut applied. In effect, this Q-Coupling
enablesthe EQ to work in a musical way, so its best left as it
is.
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4:With any equalisation task its highly likely that the net
result of the EQ curve is an increase in signal level. Therefore to
preserve yourgain structure and provide a more objective view on
the un-equalized source, consider balancing an overall increase in
level with acorresponding gain cut using the Gain slider located on
the right of the interface.
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5:As well as the Channel EQ, Logic also includes a Linear Phase
EQ. You can move over to a Linear Phase EQ at any point (with
yoursettings immediately transferred over) making it easy to
compare the sound of the two plug-ins. Notice the increased
transparencyoffered by the Linear Phase EQ, as opposed to the
character of the Channel EQ.
6:Rather than processing the entire mix its often useful for
mastering EQ to be more directed. By changing the Processing
parameterwe can assign the Channel EQ to either the left- or
right-hand side of the mix. Try a left-only treble boost, for
example, and notice howyou can tangibly grab hold of the hi-hat
without over-enhancing the top end.
Mid and side processing
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1:If youve used one Channel EQ plug-in to process the left-hand
side of the mix it follows that the right-hand side will need its
ownseparate instance, set to Right Only under the Processing
parameter. Rather than equalizing the entirety of the mix with the
one plug-inyou now have separate control over each side of the
mix.
2:As well as being able to process the mix with discrete left
and right channels you can also experiment with M/S processing.
Create abasic M/S matrix using two Channel EQs set to Mid and Side,
respectively. The freeware bx_solo (www.brainworx-music.de) at the
endof the chain enables us to isolate the Mid and Side
channels.
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3:Press the M Solo button on the bx_solo channel to hear the Mid
channel in isolation. Notice how the bass is prominent in
thischannel as its fixed in the centre of the mix. Applying a
low-end boost, therefore, will lift both the kick drum and bass in
a directed way,leaving the sides of the mix untouched.
4:Now move over to the Side channel, noticing the distinct
omission of Mid elements such as the kick and bass. A good strategy
withSide-channel equalisation is a bass cut (which can be
relatively extreme as you want to keep the bass end mid-focused)
and a smallamount of air lift to increase the vibrancy and
dimensionality of the mix.
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5:One interesting feature of the Channel EQs M/S operation is
the use of the Gain control. As part of the M/S matrix, the Gain
controlcan be used as a means of modifying the stereo
dimensionality of the mix. For example, increasing the Gain on the
Mid EQ whilelowering the amount of Side channel will result in the
mix becoming more mono-centric.
6:If youre having to open and close matrixd combinations of
plug-ins, consider using Logic Pro Xs Screenset feature, found on
themenu bar. Screensets can be assigned to a number key, so its
easy to establish a unique Screenset for each song in your
masteringproject, even including plug-in windows for the rest of
your signal path.
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102 2 TweetTweet 15 TweetTweet 15Tags: Home, logic pro
tutorials, Logic Pro X, Logic Tutorials, Tutorials
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