These three audio examples accompany my Cubase workshop in SOS January 2024. Each features a short (eight-bar) section from a rock-based mix, and illustrates the ‘mud management’ approaches using Frequency 2’s dynamic EQ features, as described in the main article.
www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-managing-low-mids-frequency-2
Cubase 0124 Frequency 2 Mud Management Example 01
In this first example, you can hear Frequency 2 being used as a static EQ (the Dynamics section is bypassed). The same short section of the song is played six times, first with no low-mid EQ correction, and then with different Gain settings applied. As shown in the first screenshot within the article, placed on the Master Bus, a Frequency 2 EQ band has been centred at 350Hz with a Q setting of 2.5 but with the Dynamics section bypassed. For simplicity, Freq and Q values have been kept constant and, for the five subsequent repeats of the song section, only the Gain control has been adjusted using values of -12, -9, -6, -3 and (just for fun!) +6dB respectively. The -12dB cut results in a very obviously ‘thin’ sound, while the +6dB setting results in an equally obvious ‘muddy’ result. There is no magic formula or ‘right’ setting; your ears – and some sensible referencing to similar mixes – are required to make a final judgement as to EQ adjustment required (if any) for a specific mix.
Cubase 0124 Frequency 2 Mud Management Example 02
In this second example, you can hear Frequency 2’s dynamic EQ used on the Master Bus and applied to the same short song section. The section is repeated four times; (a) for reference, the full mix with no dynamic EQ applied, (b) the full mix but with a single band of dynamic EQ applied using Frequency 2 and using the settings shown within the first screenshot of the main article, (c) the mix without the vocals and the EQ bypassed, (d) the mix without the vocals and the same dynamic EQ applied as in (b). This last example lets you audition what the low-mid EQ is doing to the guitars, keyboards, etc, a little more easily.
In both cases, the changes without/with the dynamic EQ are fairly subtle, despite the -9dB Gain setting as the dynamic EQ only triggers when the energy within the targeted frequency range is at its greatest (and exceeds the Threshold). In this context, however, subtle should probably be seen as a good thing.
Cubase 0124 Frequency 2 Mud Management Example 03
In this third example, separate instances of Frequency 2 are applied on the Guitar Bus and Keyboard Bus (as the main suppliers of low-mids within the mix) rather than on the Master Bus. This is based upon the settings shown in the final screenshot within the main article. The section is repeated four times; (a) for reference, the full mix with no dynamic EQ applied, (b) the full mix but with a single band of dynamic EQ applied using Frequency 2 on both the Guitar Bus and Keyboard Bus and using the settings shown within the final screenshot of the main article, (c) the Guitar Bus and Keyboard Bus on their own (all other elements in the mix are muted) the EQ bypassed, (d) the Guitar Bus and Keyboard Bus on their own (all other elements in the mix are muted) and the same dynamic EQ applied as in (b).
The differences in this approach compared to that heard in the second audio example are relatively small but the advantage of this method is that it gives you more control over which instrument group (or individual instrument) is targeted for lower-mid management, allowing you to let your most important mix components be heard without change while controlling the overall low-mid content by EQing less important elements.
