Best EQ Settings For Rap/Vocals

[KieranFretwell]

I want to know what you guys thing some of the best EQ settings for Rap/Vocals are, this is what i have it at atm.    31= +3 62= +6 125= +9 250= +7 500= +6 1k= +5 2k= +7 4k= +9 8k= +11 16k= +8

[BurgerBum]

looks okay to me, however im less of a vocalist and more of a lyricist and instrumentalist so i dont tune my EQ to good thigns for vocals, i wouldnt know all that well.  

[KieranFretwell]

looks okay to me, however im less of a vocalist and more of a lyricist and instrumentalist so i dont tune my EQ to good thigns for vocals, i wouldnt know all that well.  

No problem, thanks for the input

[Fluxx]

In my experience playing around with EQing i find that most of the time it just makes things worse.

[Guest Kloaked]

I'd lower the 125hz and 250hz back around 0 and raise 31hz and 62hz

[KieranFretwell]

In my experience playing around with EQing i find that most of the time it just makes things worse.

You either have a good pre-set or you are not changing it the right way

[KieranFretwell]

I'd lower the 125hz and 250hz back around 0 and raise 31hz and 62hz

That does make the vocals a little clearer, thanks. 

[Guest Kloaked]

That does make the vocals a little clearer, thanks. 

 

Actually, do this: zero everything out and raise 31hz and 62hz until you have the bass you want. Raise the 4k, 8k and 16k to get the highs where you want them - I recommend not going any higher than midway between 24db and 0db increments on any of those frequencies.

 

To do a vocal boost if needed, raise the high-mid frequencies to your liking: 1k and/or 2k.

[KieranFretwell]

Actually, do this: zero everything out and raise 31hz and 62hz until you have the bass you want. Raise the 4k, 8k and 16k to get the highs where you want them - I recommend not going any higher than midway between 24db and 0db increments on any of those frequencies.

 

To do a vocal boost if needed, raise the high-mid frequencies to your liking: 1k and/or 2k.

I will play around with this for a bit thanks for the help.

[SSL]

I didn't know there was a best EQ, all that time I just assumed that the people who mastered the music knew what they were doing.

[Fluxx]

You either have a good pre-set or you are not changing it the right way

Because every song is different finding a setting that works well for all is just impossible but most of the vocal frequencies are usually between 125hz to 8k 

[Guest Kloaked]

I didn't know there was a best EQ, all that time I just assumed that the people who mastered the music knew what they were doing.

 

They master the audio in a way that will have the file in a neutral EQ so that it'll sound fine on everything. Some people, including myself, like a little extra bass response and more crystallized highs in my particular pair of headphones when I want to enjoy my music.

[SSL]

They master the audio in a way that will have the file in a neutral EQ so that it'll sound fine on everything. Some people, including myself, like a little extra bass response and more crystallized highs in my particular pair of headphones when I want to enjoy my music.

 

What's a crystalized high.

[creatip123]

Basic rule of EQ-ing is not to add, but to subtract. Meaning keep the accentuated frequency slider at 0, and slide everything else down. For example, your 125hZ is at +9. Keep it at 0, and slide the others to -9. After all set, just play with the volume slider. You won't get clippings/distortions this way. Simplest way is to subtract 9 from all the sliders (because the most value you have is +9)

 

Few EQ got auto gain checkbox that'd do this automatically, but seems like your application doesn't. 

[Guest Kloaked]

What's a crystalized high.

 

Should have said sharp - I use crystallized since the Soundblaster soundcard/software I had on a laptop I used to own had this "Crystallize" EQ effect that just boosted lows and highs, so a V-EQ more or less.

[Guest Kloaked]

Basic rule of EQ-ing is not to add, but to diminish. Meaning keep the accentuated frequency slider at 0, and slide everything else down. For example, your 125hZ is at +9. Keep it at 0, and slide the others to -9. After all set, just play with the volume slider. You won't get clippings/distortions this way. Simplest way is to subtract 9 from all the sliders (because the most value you have is +9)

 

Few EQ got auto gain checkbox that'd do this automatically, but seems like your application doesn't. 

 

If it was to diminish, then why can you raise the levels? I've heard the same thing from a older gentleman at a music shop and I always took it as a subjective preference.

[SSL]

Should have said sharp - I use crystallized since the Soundblaster soundcard/software I had on a laptop I used to own had this "Crystallize" EQ effect that just boosted lows and highs, so a V-EQ more or less.

 

gg my pretentious vocabulary experience.

[DigitalHermit]

Basic rule of EQ-ing is not to add, but to subtract. Meaning keep the accentuated frequency slider at 0, and slide everything else down. For example, your 125hZ is at +9. Keep it at 0, and slide the others to -9. After all set, just play with the volume slider. You won't get clippings/distortions this way. Simplest way is to subtract 9 from all the sliders (because the most value you have is +9)

 

Few EQ got auto gain checkbox that'd do this automatically, but seems like your application doesn't. 

 

Have I been doing it wrong all along?

 

I've been using the EQ to change the perceived frequency response of my headphones/earphones (I own really cheap pairs (25USD below)) to a more desirable one... So it's around +2 to +3 db on the bass and treble sides ane 0 to +1 db on the mids...

[mr moose]

The best setting is the one that sounds best to you. 

 

I don't mean to sound like a twat but that's all there is to it,  the eq's sole purpose in life is to bend the FR to the account for differences in gear and room response (both live sound and playback).

[Guest Kloaked]

gg my pretentious vocabulary experience.

What's your issue man? It's just a term used in Creative's v-curve effect and it makes sense. Don't know how that's pretentious.

[creatip123]

If it was to diminish, then why can you raise the levels? I've heard the same thing from a older gentleman at a music shop and I always took it as a subjective preference.

 

 

Have I been doing it wrong all along?

 

I've been using the EQ to change the perceived frequency response of my headphones/earphones (I own really cheap pairs (25USD below)) to a more desirable one... So it's around +2 to +3 db on the bass and treble sides ane 0 to +1 db on the mids...

 

Not absolutely sure, but I think the reason they can be raised is if there is no more headroom left on the gain/volume. In other words, when the volume is at max, but still wanna add more loudness on particular frequencies.

 

Adding is prone to clippings, as opposed to subtracting. 

 

That said, it's the correct way, but not the only way. All comes down to subjectivity. For example, the correct way to wear a headphone is put it on your ears. But if I get a better (subjective) result by putting them on my elbow, for example, then yeah, why not?

[mr moose]

Not absolutely sure, but I think the reason they can be raised is if there is no more headroom left on the gain/volume. In other words, when the volume is at max, but still wanna add more loudness on particular frequencies.

 

Adding is prone to clippings, as opposed to subtracting. 

 

That said, it's the correct way, but not the only way. All comes down to subjectivity. For example, the correct way to wear a headphone is put it on your ears. But if I get a better (subjective) result by putting them on my elbow, for example, then yeah, why not?

It's not so much about gain, we have a master gain control for that.  Engineers tend to boost an eq to control the tone/sound and cut when they want to correct a problem (E.G bass distortion will result in a cut so will feedback in treble).

 

Having a neutral centre allows the engineer to leave certain frequencies unaltered,  This gives him a datum/reference to control the overall sound. Another reason eq's have a boost as well as a cut is because (especially in the old analog days) the further you boost or cut a frequency the wider the bandwidth effect, ergo more boost will effect a wider frequency range centered around the chosen frequency.  But by having a boost/neutral/cut you can maximise the distance between boost cut and keep the bandwidth narrow.  This isn't so much a problem with today's gear though.

 

Some people think you shouldn't boost because it causes phase shifting which results in a comb filtering effect (flanging), this is not true. 

[aftafoya]

There is no perfect setting for hip-hop or any other genre, but there are settings that are generally okay for each genre. Your choice in speakers (since different speakers have different properties that play certain frequencies better or more clear than others) and where you're speakers are set up (in a large room, outside, earbuds, headphones, etc.) will affect how you set your EQ settings. To illustrate this point, have you ever noticed the difference in the sound of a room that has no furniture or anything on the walls compared to when it's fully furnished? Also, settings are different for everyone. We all hear certain frequencies better or worse than other people do. Based on that, EQ settings are very personal. Here are some general tips though:

Set everything to the middle to start out. Every setting you change will affect every setting around it. Imagine the settings as a point on a curve where adjusting the point also affects the shape and position of the curve.

The lowest bass sounds you don't generally want to mess with too much but based on the curve idea I mentioned, you will likely want to move it depending on the settings next to it.

From about 50-200hz is the area you probably want to focus on for hip-hop/rap/pop if you're trying to get some heavier, punchy bass. The higher end of this is where you get the lowest notes from pianos, guitars, vocals, etc. I have found that sometimes if the curve isn't steep enough between 50 and 200, that you tend to get a more echoing like sound but if it's too steep then you lose some of that overall presence in those lower instrumentals and vocals.

The upper bass to lower midrange I would say maybe between 200 and 400hz is the higher end of your bassy instruments and is usually where I start to level out the sound a bit. I still usually add a bit to the lower end of this as it gives a little more of a rich sound to the music, but remember that bringing it up too close to your more bassy sounds can cause a bit of a reverb affect.

Your lower mid-range between 400 and 800hz is where you start to get into the main body of your instruments and vocals. Raising the lower end of this can make higher frequency instruments sound more muffled which is why I usually either keep this in the center of the EQ or a touch lower.

800hz to 2khz is your midrange and a fairly sensitive area to adjust. If you raise this area, you can give the instruments a more brassy sound. Raising it up at the top end of this frequency especially can really make it sound metallic like. I usually drop it here a bit and make around 2-2.5khz the bottom of the curve before I start to bring it up again.

The uppers midrange from about 2-4khz is where your percussive and rhythm instruments play. Raising this can provide some clarity especially to vocals. Just be careful how much you raise it since our ears can be very sensitive to this frequency and too much can cause listening fatigue.

4-6khz is the presence range and where the highest notes of regular instruments can be heard. Raising or lowering the bottom end of this can make the music sound closer or further away. If the sound is harsh and sharp, consonants popping out like the hissing sound of s's, then back off the higher end of this and the lower end of the brilliance frequency.

Above 6khz is the brilliance frequency. Remember the lower end can cause the music to sound harsh if raised too much, but boosting around 12khz you can give you more of that hi-fi sound. It's where you'll get that resonance from the crashing of the symbol. Boosting above the 12khz range can cause a more synthetic sound and isn't really great for any music in my opinion. You're less likely to even notice much of a difference in sound above 14khz as you get older anyways.

 

As a side note, I'm not a sound engineer, but all this talk about adding to the EQ causing clipping doesn't make sense to me. I'm pretty sure that your gear (receiver, amplifier, filters, speakers, etc.) influences whether or not clipping happens. Like if you have stock speakers in your car and no subwoofer, raising the lower bass frequencies might cause the clipping to sound more prominent, but doesn't actually cause it to happen, right?