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Post by copperx on Jul 22, 2024 15:39:30 GMT -6
I'm wondering if anyone uses auto-gain on an EQ regularly, and if so, what caveats are there?
In the past, I've tried auto-gain compensation on EQs like Equilibrium, Pro-Q, and SlickEQ, but quickly turned it off because it wasn't what I was used to. I thought, "I can't hear what the EQ is doing if the auto-gain is on," and brushed it off as a novelty. Lately, however, I've been experimenting with auto-gain in the context of mixing, and it has proved really useful for fitting tracks into a mix. That said, a good auto-gain compensation algorithm is important, and the best one I've tried so far is SlickEQ's. One potential disadvantage I've noticed is that I need to make bigger boosts or cuts to significantly change a track's tone. This makes me wonder: am I fooling myself more or less with auto-gain? I'm always trying to avoid self-deception.
Has anyone else had similar experiences or insights? How do you feel auto-gain impacts your EQ decisions and overall mixing approach? |
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Post by kulturekop on Jul 22, 2024 15:50:23 GMT -6
Fooling yourself less. Surely if it's level matching correctly, then it will allow you to hear what the EQ is really doing, especially in the context of the mix.
In fact, I'm sure one reason people choose device A over B in a quick comparison is because the signals aren't level matched and they are choosing the one that is louder.
I would be interested to know how many decisions in the studio are based on placebo, confirmation bias and level differences.
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Post by Tbone81 on Jul 22, 2024 16:10:03 GMT -6
I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things.
I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow.
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Post by copperx on Jul 22, 2024 16:52:13 GMT -6
I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things. I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow. I initially shared your perspective, but recent experiments have changed my view. For example, while EQing a synth, I struggled to balance it without auto-gain. The low-end boost I needed felt overpowering and muddy in the mix. Switching on auto-gain, I found it much easier to set the right low-end boost and HP frequency. I *think* that auto-gain helps me see the bigger picture quickly.
But I'm not sure if I'm opening a can full of worms with this. This is not how AEs have done equalization since the birth of the parametric.
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Post by Dan on Jul 22, 2024 17:47:54 GMT -6
I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things. I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow. Cuts with autogain feel more natural. I don’t like auto gain with high shelves in slick eq when I’m boosting into something non linear that takes highs off. If I’m not boosting into something that eats highs, I prefer it on to not over do it. After molot ge’s half wave saturation, I prefer high pass filter to kill dc offset, low shelf, and high shelf, no auto gain. |
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Post by Dan on Jul 22, 2024 17:48:28 GMT -6
I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things. I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow. I initially shared your perspective, but recent experiments have changed my view. For example, while EQing a synth, I struggled to balance it without auto-gain. The low-end boost I needed felt overpowering and muddy in the mix. Switching on auto-gain, I found it much easier to set the right low-end boost and HP frequency. I *think* that auto-gain helps me see the bigger picture quickly.
But I'm not sure if I'm opening a can full of worms with this. This is not how AEs have done equalization since the birth of the parametric.
Autogain is sick for automating eq! Saves fader moves! |
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Post by jaba on Jul 23, 2024 8:32:44 GMT -6
I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things. I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow. I initially shared your perspective, but recent experiments have changed my view. For example, while EQing a synth, I struggled to balance it without auto-gain. The low-end boost I needed felt overpowering and muddy in the mix. Switching on auto-gain, I found it much easier to set the right low-end boost and HP frequency. I *think* that auto-gain helps me see the bigger picture quickly.
But I'm not sure if I'm opening a can full of worms with this. This is not how AEs have done equalization since the birth of the parametric.
I always avoided auto gain. Never did it for me. But after a recent project, I thought in hindsight it could have really helped. Dense arrangements with a bunch of synth, acoustic drums, effected vocals. Could have been fun to play with while trying to fit everything together. One thing I miss about mixing on a console is one hand on an EQ, the other on the fader. Auto gain is basically this in a way. Almost surprised I never got into it now that I think about it. |
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Post by bossanova on Jul 23, 2024 10:06:16 GMT -6
I love it, especially for low end cuts and high end boosts.
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Post by drumsound on Jul 23, 2024 10:15:17 GMT -6
Fooling yourself less. Surely if it's level matching correctly, then it will allow you to hear what the EQ is really doing, especially in the context of the mix. In fact, I'm sure one reason people choose device A over B in a quick comparison is because the signals aren't level matched and they are choosing the one that is louder. I would be interested to know how many decisions in the studio are based on placebo, confirmation bias and level differences. I had a huge plecebo thing with a client last night. H was saying I should automate the bass because in the chorus it was eating up the drums (it wasn't). I told him this was a pretty drum forward mix. I started by adding a dot to the beginngin of the chorus on the bass, and hit play to find the end. H thought things changed and said he liked it better. I said "really?" Then he asked if I actually changed anything. I said "you tell me." I didn't end up automating the bass level. I had a similar experience with slick eq. I was boosting a high shelf and thought “this isn’t doing anything”, took me a second to realize I was fooling myself. Once I realized that auto gain was on I was able to “correctly” hear the boost. But I just ended up turning it off because that’s not how I’m used to hearing things. I feel like it can be a useful tool if you’re A/B comparing things, but I often want the perceived volume difference…half the time that’s why I’m reaching for an EQ. Often when something doesn’t cut through it’s not a volume issue it’s a tonal/eq issue and nice boost or cut does the trick, without any auto gain. With AG it just messes up my workflow. Everything is a fader, including the boost/cut knob on an EQ. Autogain can still be a cool tool. I find it helps me to know if I'm making space for other sounds correctly. Though, sometimes you want ti to make something louder or softer in the mix I initially shared your perspective, but recent experiments have changed my view. For example, while EQing a synth, I struggled to balance it without auto-gain. The low-end boost I needed felt overpowering and muddy in the mix. Switching on auto-gain, I found it much easier to set the right low-end boost and HP frequency. I *think* that auto-gain helps me see the bigger picture quickly.
But I'm not sure if I'm opening a can full of worms with this. This is not how AEs have done equalization since the birth of the parametric.
Autogain is sick for automating eq! Saves fader moves! Yeah, that's a GREAT use |
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