Discover the power of SplitEQ! Learn how to enhance drums, vocals, and instruments with precision. Tame pops, reduce muddiness, and add dimension to your mix. Upgrade your EQ game and EQ like a boss with these three tips.

Say hello to EQing like a boss! Watch how to upgrade your EQ game to the next level and learn what it can do that your typical EQ can’t!

So, what makes SplitEQ so special? It has two distinct personalities: Transient and Tonal. Just like a happy marriage between tonal balance and transient elements, SplitEQ lets you shape your sound without any compromises. In this article, we’ll explore three techniques that will revolutionize the way you approach EQ in your mixes.

In This Article:

1. Drums
2. Vocals

1. Drums

Drums are the heartbeat of your mix, and with SplitEQ, you can take your drum sound to a whole new level of perfection and sonic greatness. You can enhance the knock and definition of your drums with precision by boosting only the transients in any frequency for that extra punch and shape the body to your liking. Remove the boxiness, keep the character. Add thump and knock and maintain a clean and tight low-end punch.

Start by inserting SplitEQ on your drum bus or individual drum tracks. Take a moment to listen and analyze the drum sound visually using the built-in analyzer. This will give you a clear picture of the frequency content and help you identify areas that need improvement.

To enhance the impact and definition of your drums, focus on the transient elements. Use  SplitEQ’s band controls to boost the transients in the desired frequency range. Experiment with different settings to find the sweet spot that brings out the punch without overwhelming the mix.

Next, shape-up the body of your drums. Slowly increase the tonal elements adjusting the tonal split on the lower bands. If you want more warmth and body, boost the desired frequencies. If there are any boxy or muddy areas, you can reduce only the tonal elements of any band allowing you to control any boominess, but maintain that knock. Fine-tune the settings until you achieve a clean and balanced drum sound.

SplitEQ offers additional parameters to fine-tune the attack and decay of your drums. Use the dedicated controls to tighten up the attack for a more focused sound or to shape the decay for a longer or shorter tail. Experiment with these settings to find the ideal balance that complements your mix.

Don’t be afraid to repeat the previous steps for each drum element in your mix. Take the time to sculpt the kick, snare, toms, and cymbals individually. By giving each drum element the attention it deserves, you’ll achieve a well-defined and cohesive drum sound.

2. Vocals

You ever battle with your EQ on vocals in the mix? You want to remove the plosives, pops, low-end muddiness, honk and sibilance but you find that you’re killing the character of the vocals?  When it comes to achieving a polished and professional vocal sound, SplitEQ eliminates all the struggles of attempting to fix something instead of enhancing it, helping you achieve a cleaner vocal sound without compromising the overall tone.

Start by focusing on any low-frequency popping, or plosive sounds like “b” and “p”.  Use the first band, or frequency slope and solo the transients to isolate the pops and attenuate them with a high-pass filter. If the plosives persist, use another frequency band with a narrow peak curve to isolate and attenuate any additional problems.

Vocal recordings often suffer from low-frequency muddiness that can mask clarity and presence. SplitEQ allows you to address this issue by independently adjusting the tonal elements. By dipping the muddy frequencies while leaving the transients untouched, you can effectively remove the muddiness while preserving the essential character of the vocals. Additionally, you can experiment with boosting the tonal elements in the upper midrange to bring out more presence and make the vocals stand out in the mix.

Harsh frequencies and sibilance can be a challenge in vocal recordings. SplitEQ provides a powerful solution by enabling you to focus on the tonal elements that contribute to these issues. By attenuating the specific problem frequencies using a precise band, you can effectively reduce harshness without sacrificing the overall brilliance of the vocals. This targeted approach ensures that you maintain control over the sound while minimizing unwanted artifacts.

Additionally, you can pan the transient and tonal elements on any band, opening up a wide amount of possibilities for creating separation and adding ear candy to your vocals. By variating the panning positions and complementing the lead vocals with carefully positioned background vocals or adlibs, you can add depth and stimulate the listener’s ears. This technique creates a dynamic vocal presentation that captures attention and enhances the overall impact of your mix.

Let’s talk about instruments and how SplitEQ can give them their own space in the mix while ensuring the vocals shine. Here’s how you get things well-balanced and full:

Start by sculpting the tonal elements of the instruments. Use SplitEQ’s bands to shape the frequency response to your liking. Boost or cut specific frequencies to bring out the desired characteristics and clarity of each instrument.

Next, focus on the transient elements of the instruments. Enhance the attacks and define the transients by adjusting the respective bands. This helps the instruments cut through the mix without overpowering the vocals

Take things up a notch by inserting SplitEQ now on your instrument bus. This allows you to have precise control over the overall tonal and transient elements of the instruments as a whole. Add some excitement and depth to the entire bus using SplitEQ’s pan controls on each band. By panning specific tonal or transient elements of the instruments, you can create movement and spatial interest. This adds a dynamic and immersive quality to the mix.

As you fine-tune the tonal and transient balance, insert another instance of SplitEQ on the vocal bus. Carve out a space for the vocals by adjusting the tonal and transient elements specifically for them. This ensures that the vocals remain clear and upfront in the mix. Continuously listen to the instruments in relation to the vocals. Make subtle adjustments in SplitEQ to maintain a balanced and cohesive mix where each element has its own place to shine.

By following these steps and utilizing the power of SplitEQ, you can achieve a well-balanced mix that allows instruments to breathe and coexist harmoniously with the vocals. The pan controls on each band add an extra layer of excitement and depth, taking your mix to new heights of sonic excellence.

So, why settle for ordinary when you can have extraordinary? Upgrade your EQ game with Eventide SplitEQ and unlock a world of sonic possibilities.

You can find out more about SplitEQ, mentioned in this article, along with the rest of our suite of powerful plug-ins.