You may notice that it takes a moment after making an adjustment to hear the result. Since decibels use a logarithmic scale, a 5 dB or 10 dB change represents a dramatic increase or decrease to a particular frequency band.įinally, the fun part! Almost any pro sound engineer will tell you the first thing you want to try with EQ is to decrease the level of a frequency, rather than increase others around it. When you move a slider up or down on an EQ, you are increasing or decreasing the loudness of that particular frequency.

The decibel dB is the unit of measurement used to express volume level or loudness. There are also sounds called overtones, and an EQ will affect them, too. In reality, though, most human hearing tops out around 15kHz or 16kHz - the older you are, the less treble you can hear. At the theoretical limit, a human can hear from 20Hz to 20kHz 20, cycles. For example, bass frequencies - such as those you hear in a hip-hop groove - move very slowly, while higher pitches treble like the chime of a triangle move very quickly.Įvery pitch a musical instrument plays has a core frequency measured in hertz Hzwhich can be likened to a speedometer reading for the waveform. The faster the wave moves, the higher the pitch. All sounds - everything you hear - are essentially vibrations that we can visualize as waves moving up and down at different speeds, or frequencies. If not, the following little snippet of Acoustics will probably come in handy. If used properly, EQ can smooth out audio for just the right touch, whether that means adding some beef to the low end, taking away some bite from the treble, or anything in between.īass frequencies start on the left, with midrange frequencies in the middle and treble on the far right like a piano.

The technology first took off as a piece of analog electronics that was initially used in recording studios before making its way into the home. At its most basic definition, an equalizer manipulates frequencies. Or perhaps you listen to a lot of EDM, but the treble is too sharp and needs to be pulled back. Maybe you have a bass-heavy pair of headphones that you need to tone down a bit. With these variables in play, an EQ serves an invaluable role for anyone serious about their jams. Not only do the natural sounds of the track respond uniquely to different EQ levels, but in the case of digital music, you may also need to cover imperfection introduced by certain file compression formats that can affect the overall audio quality. Many of us listen to music while commuting or exercising, where the shape of the room or ambient noise can each have a nasty effect on how our music sounds. Electronics manufacturers have their own ideas about what a piece of gear should sound like, but EQ lets you have your say. Equalizers put the power of sound sculpting at your fingertips, and as they say, with great power comes great responsibility.

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