Why Is Slick EQ M In My Monitor FX Chain?
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- Опубликовано: 17 авг 2019
- Some of you have asked about the Slick EQ M I have loaded (but usually disabled) in my monitoring chain, so here's why.
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maybe you showed the params for the eq on screen, but since I can't see, do you use any specific preset with the eq or any specific parameters, or just throw it on at its default preset? I don't really understand how one could replicate your method.
Apologies. First of all it's Slick EQ "M", the mastering version, not Slick EQ or Slick EQ GE. I advised them to choose a different name but they ignored me!
There's an extra 'special' band in the middle with three different options via a menu: Brightness, Hardness or EL Curve. Choose EL (equal loudness) Curve, and turn the knob below it down a bit. My setting is -2dB, but go with whatever feels right with however much attenuation you're using. Hope that clarifies things.
(I leave the other six normal EQ bands flat.)
@@DanWorrall Thank you so much for replying and clarifying! 🙏
I'll definitely give this a try, because it sounds very useful. I have a bad habit of having my output level very loud while mixing.
Sweet workflow hack. If I ever start making music again instead of just watching videos about it I'll be sure to adopt this one!
LMAO the struggle
I stopped watching the videos ages ago, I just read the comments now.
relatable
literally attacking me
Now a couple days from 2022, we have reaction videos to the comments in videos about people watching videos about people making music.
"this is a strategy for pros"
*sound of dreams shattering on the hard surface of reality*
At least you can still be a poet with that wording.
@@hiiambarney4489 and you, at least you can still be a comedian!
Never give up, friend. You will get there. And WHEN you do- Not IF, but WHEN you do, the feeling of satisfaction and euphoria will be the most incredible thing you've ever experienced.
The moment when a hard concept clicks, and it just makes sense, is a cascading effect. It will make it easier to understand even harder, related concepts.
I have no doubt that you will achieve pro level. Just don't give up or allow yourself to become discouraged. Being "pro" also doesn't mean you will know everything there is to know.
I have to say, this is one of the most interesting audio engineering channels here on youtube; truly excellent stuff!
I only use a control-room EQ to notch out some problematic standing wave in my room, but never considered using it to compensate for quiet monitoring. Very interesting idea, definitely going to try this!
This is a fantastic idea, thank you for being so generous with your expertise. I love how your channel is evidence-based, a true cut above most RUclips mixing personalities.
I didn't even realize that Reaper had a Monitor FX track, this definitely makes Sonarworks Reference 4 more intergrated into the DAW without having to make a template with reference 4 on the master bus and having to disable it when rendering tracks!
@Dawaishi Moves having the possibility of running different instances or settings of Sonarworks depending on the output that is send volume (like one correction on the open back HP, an other in the closed back HP, one for the main monitors, etc.) would be genius! Idk, maybe if we got some software where you can directly drop vst on each separate outputs, like some sort of audio interface's softwares, that could fix the problem. Still, it would be quite cpu intensive i guess.
@@gabsauvage you can do that, with sonarworks systemwide - I basically use it as a monitor controller at this point
Reaper also has actions for enabling/disabling the monitoring FX, so you can map a hotkey to turn them on off. I find this handy so I don't have to mouse up to the button, or keep the FX list window open to enable/disable stuff. I also like to enable/disable all of them at once, as i have some room correction EQ across multiple plugins.
This is actually an amazing tip, especially for home studios actually. You can't mix loudly most of the time, many people are forced to stick to headphones for 90% of their mix (never finalise/master on headphones, always double check with speakers when you get the chance) and even if the neighbours don't mind mixing loudly will lead you to hear more of your room instead of your actual music. The headphones especially are a massive problem, not necessarily because of their inacuracies, most people know not to fully trust them and decent modern headphones can reproduce bass ok. It's actually the fact that many producers are using them as tiny speakers strapped to their head, blasting them at effectively rocket launcher amplitudes and then wondering why they hear that grounding error they thought was their power supply even when they leave the studio.
Alternatively you could probably EQ counter to their frequency response, but I've noticed that going completely against the capabilities of headphones can cause issues, so try it out and see if it's muffled or not for yours. Otherwise this, plus a limiter to keep levels consistent when you lose focus will keep your ears safe. Just keep checking that the limiter isn't peaking and ruining your mix and you're golden, you might forget about it but I'd much rather lose 2 hours of work because I was a baboon rather than spend those 2 hours mixing at 18+ dB higher than I should, only to end up with a headache and a tiny bit of permanent damage, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Wow, I was having a lot of extra work because I didn't know the function "Extensions --> Loudness" in Reaper. Even the scraps you leave behind are useful. Thank you!
Really good video.
I also mix at much quieter levels then the recommended 85 dB.
It’s hard to imagine how fatigued my ears would become after just one hour mixing at 85 dB.
You have a very valid point with regards to reverb and delay, while mixing at lower levels.
Thank you for sharing your experience Dan.
Truly great content, Dan, never stop creating!
Truly , the masters are here in this RUclips channels absolutely inspired by this method. The only channel where I dive deep . Keep giving wisdom. God bless.
Help me find my own way of approaching mastering in the box.
This man's mixing will be crazy super awesome all the time
Thank you Dan. I noticed exactly that problem when mixing with quieter levels, what I do most of the time. I own the Tokyo Dawn EQ and didn't know about that function. I think that's a great solution. Have joy and be sound.
Excellent tip! I've found myself inside the same development over the past weeks especially: Being able to mix more or longer periods of time in a day at lower volume while also trying not to disturb the neighbour evenings/at night. This workaround with Slick EQ beats using the bass and treble adjustment on my monitors that I had been using recently. And setting the volume dip inside Slick EQ rather than in the "dim" position of Cubase is brilliant.
Super smart trick.
Always learn something new AND useful on Mr. Worrall's vidies
Really interesting approach. I've been aware of equal loudness contours for some time, but I never really thought about implementing them to reduce ear fatigue! Thanks for sharing
Thank you again, Mr. Worrall. Every time - so clear and so helpful. I use TDR Slick EQ on most of my mixes/masters as well, but mostly to compare references after I've been sitting with the same material for so long and have lost objectivity. The EL curve is a nifty tool that I haven't been leveraging enough - especially since my studio is also my living space, and I can't always crank up the volume without getting evicted. Sometimes, the 2 AM mix needs to get to the client before 6 AM, and I need to have at least a decent sense of how it will transfer in different environments while making mixing decisions.
You are such an inspirational and wonderful communicator of music production tips!!
That was fantastic tip. I do something similar with tool to -8db but I never thought about EQ implications. Thank you a lot!
I’ve had Slick EQ for a while, and didn’t even know this feature existed. Thanks for another genius hack.
Can't wait to try this method on my mixes tomorrow. I always mix loud, because when I turn down the volume I make bad decisions. Thanks Dan, I fucking love your channel.
Hear here.... ;)
Thank you Dan, you've literally saved my ears.
Amazing idea. I'm glad I found your channel!
A good approach. I know at least one re-recording mixer that uses a level drop to mix loud action scenes. You‘ll likely believe how easy it is to overwhelm your hearing on film/TV mixes. I have the same problem from time to time in my dialog mixes. I‘ll give this trick with Slick EQ M a go.
That's a very useful feature of that plugin. I am aware of Fletcher Munson curves and for that reason, since I've been mixing quietly for as long as I can remember, I need to mix louder for corrective eq'ing due to the deviation in perceived loudness from mixing quieter. You're right about ear fatiguing, so I can only keep it loud for bursts of time, then turn it down. I guess, you're using it like the "Loud" button on consumer portable stereos for when people have the volume low. SEQ looks like a good safety net. I'll have to check this out.Thanks so much for sharing! Seriously.
your videos are so incredibly informative. subscribed!
Great tip Dan. Thx for sharing!
Thanks for this! This is so helpful! I need to add this to my Monitoring FX Chain!
Love the Slick EQ output change trick. Certainly a must-try. 👍
Great video, thank you for the tips! I also love your reaper skin!
Great video, with genuinely brilliant advice.
That was a fantastic tutorial! Thank you!!
That monitoring tab is just ace in Reaper. Cheers, good to see you back.
Thanks Dan! That is a solid tip: def will try this.
Brilliant, I often prefer to mix quieter for long periods, so this approach will help. I love using Reaper!
Great trick Dan, is a smart way to make your level mixing workflow works in all range
Hey everyone! Made a preset for Pro-Q3 based on Dan’s settings here…let me know if anyone would be interested in downloading it! Thanks for the great content Dan!
I’d like it
Please share if you don’t mind!
I’m interested.
This is an awesome tip! I use the dim function in Cubase all the time and this I got to try.
Wow. Perfect trick. It has instantly gone in to my default Cubase template.
Thanks Dan. Good idea. .
Great tip. Thank you. I'll try this for sure (Cubase Pro 10).
Nice, I missed it, hopefully I see it now...super great tip.
Ever since I heard CLA talk about doing some mix sessions very low in volume I started trying it years ago. To this day I do it for almost the same reason; to mix as long as possible without hurting my ears and the insight you get when hearing the mix super quiet you get the big picture of the levels. I started to realize for example the kick was insanely loud and it wasnt something i could hear when monitoring at high volumes. Its a super helpful trick for sure, I cant wait to try slick eq for the low end and high end at low mixing levels.
I thought it was only me that when mixing 'quietly' I would end up with a too heavy bottom end... great vid, thanks Dan
Super helpful thanks for that!
Brilliant dude with brilliant tips 👏
I love assigning all the sends to a single VCA. That’s a great idea!
Re: using SlickEQ, I use Logic and can use its text area below the Master to remind myself to adjust its output. Guess I’ll just have to replace my usual note “MAS-TER! MAS-TER!” That joke was getting old anyway. Thx, Dan!
Amazing trick. Thanks a lot!
Brilliant!!!! Good Vids... quality is A+++!!!!
awesome tip!
also it's great a demo version can be used, because dialing in a preset manually takes just a second :)
Hi Dan, I enjoyed you past videos comparing EQ tools from Reaper and Cubase to solutions like FabFilter. It's interesting to test how the results might vary or where their strengths lie. I believe that EQs can be programmed to sound very different, but I'd be curious to hear your tests over things like delays or echo tools that we often use to thicken guitars or vocals. I use Logic Pro X and I'm guessing that the biggest difference with their delay and something like SoundToys Echoboy is simply the GUI and how it's directing you to utilize it's parameters. Might be an interesting video for the future.
This is a great idea!
wish i could give it a Like again. so useful. thanks again! 👍
I don’t use monitor EQ but have learned how to listen at different levels & multiple monitor types at Flat settings. I usually listen at very low levels for the last part of my mix process, to hear loudness differences better.
Great tip, thank you
It is an interesting trick.Thank you
Dan, you always deliver something unique and useful. I love learning about Reaper. I use another trick in Reaper (inspired by you!) to monitor preFX and post FX on the same track to gain match processing, using JS Channel Router 1/2 to 3/4 as the 1st plug, works great when using folders as busses as long as you're not having to sidechain directly from those tracks.
could you elaborate what you mean exactly if you don't mind? i use reaper too and very curious exactly what the trick is; i half follow haha
Very clever indeed. I'll be trying that myself... I do like to mix at a reasonably high level and find I'm only good for 6 hours... This might just extend that.
Great stuff! Thank you ♥
This is the best trick I learned in years
also easy way is to use sound level meter set on C weight and slow response and never exceed around 80dB-ish in your mixing position and always have a few reference tracks to check your mix... and do not forget to create triangle position with your speakers which should be levelled with your ears to hear everything properly not mentioning some bass traps and absorption panels also speaker stands to separate them form and source like desk etc. as they create some unwanted frequencies, also use some full range speakers such as auratone or avantone or behritone... and mix in mono then check the stereo image; pure basics.... anyway love your videos the best youtube channel the most informative
Just in case you missed it...that Slick EQ is a FREE download (and they’ve got other really great stuff).
Thanks again Dan, always making me better !!!
Slick EQ is free. I used Slick EQ M though.
Ahaaaaa !! Either way, they sure make some great plugins. : ) Cheers
Yeah the free version does NOT feature this great loudness dial
Super useful.
Awesome. Instant adopt.
Good tip.
smart. never thought to use a plugin to counter the fletcher munson curve. will have to try this
Great technique, thanks for sharing! One clarification, though: if you set Slick EQ’s output to -8dB, to what level would you correspondingly set the EL filter? I’m trying to understand what the relationship should be to achieve the right curve at lower monitoring levels.
It's a good question! You would think that you'd turn the EL gain down by the same amount you're dropping the output gain, but that's obviously not right. I just judged it by ear: I listened to a mix loud, then again quiet, and adjusted the EQ gain till kick / cymbals / vocals felt about the same to me.
I would do it by ear as well, afaik its still not 100% clear how our perception of frequencys changes with loudness, at least the famous fletcher-munson curve isnt up to date anymore.
But great tip with slick eqs special curve. Wonder what they modeled it after…
i‘m still waiting for a plugin or even hardware that solves this automatically, so the perceived frequency response is flat for every loudness i set. would be a dream! :D
@@Zerbasst hey, at the time i was researching this issue hard, it kind of seemed there's a concensus on the subject that goes as follows> the non-linearity of the curves and their inherently subjective nature, prohibit any sort of automating of the sort we would love(ie an automatic way to objectively fix the curve for specific attenuations). Reason for this is apparently that [in terms of hard numbers] you and i and dan and every single other person although we share the same tendency for the curve, we don't seem to have the exact same curve. so apparrently the safest way to do it is to work with the curve and your ears and find your personal sweet spots..... audio man.... gotz ta love it :D
@@MrIliasboufidis i see. Yeah maybe i should read further into this :)
thanks for the insight!
and yeah, lovin it to tha fullest! :p
I would set it with a very well known piece of music as a reference though, rather than something I was working on.
It's like the old "loudness" button on record players (though we used to leave it on all the time 😀)
Youre our David Attenborough, Dan. Thank you.
It's rare that I find anything that's this useful after doing this for some years now, but this is massively helpful... and, as I mix at notoriously low levels, and own SlickEQ M, so I'm more than familiar with it, I feel a slightly stupid for not having thought of this before. 8/
And as a bonus? The title of the video doesn't even contain the words "Trick" or "hack" in it!! XD
Thanks!🙏🏼
I love your videos and the way you explain things. Lots of great tips and tricks. Thank you very much ♥
There is an interesting topic (at least for me) which I can't find much info on. I love 80s synthpop and compose music, heavily inspired by acts from the early 80s. I really wonder how did they create fantasy "landscapes" or scenery with reverbs? It seems to be a lost art. How do you go about creating the space like in A Victory Of Love by Alphaville, or All The Things You Said by Depeche Mode? It would be incredibly interesting if you have some knowledge to share about this.
Another interesting topic is panning by frequency, like some of the older Fleetwood Mac Records.
Cheers :)
Great video
I can tell u mix from your ears more then just #z
Good stuff and just subscribed.
VERY useful
This is where you should find any audio engineer, even the ones with proficious youtube channels
kool..thank you
DAN you're awesome.
Wow. This fixes so many issues it's ridiculous.
Dan, you just sold Slick EQ-M to me. lol
Thanks!
mvh
interesting idea!
God tier.
Them Changes-Buddy Miles!
I have a "neighbour pleaser" setting in form of a nicely tuned Bax EQ in my monitor chain :) Kicks in after 8 o clock to keep em out of the place in the evening.
Very cool
Slick trick!
dan, you are gold
Years ago I did a gig at a club where, in order to not sound ridiculous, the band I was in decided to play at a volume that was approaching the level of the music the DJ was playing in between sets i.e. stupidly loud. I couldn't tell the difference between neighbouring keys anymore. If the tune was in E, and I played in F, it made absolutely no audible difference to my ears. The hardest frequencies to hear, of course, were the bass frequencies.
Ouch. It should be legal to shoot DJs when they do that.
Genius 🍻
you are a goddamn genius!
I'll try to remember that.
this channel is so underrated its hilarious - Dan do you have a suggestion for an alternative plugin? Or is the Slick the only one you've run across?
It's the only one I know of, but you could probably dial in something close enough with any decent EQ plugin.
@@DanWorrall Thanks for the quick response dude - i just had an idea though. If you were up for bouncing me a sec of white noise through your curve and upload the before and after file, i could actually match the eq curve i think xD - only if u got the time though, i would like to try this ;D
Nice
RME TotalMix FX has eq with presets, dim, snapshots, layout presets built in for all tracks and monitoring ch.(speakers and/or headphones) and a mastering grade metering tool called DigiCheck. Slick as f@ck. Just like their hardware products.
So could you effectively do this inside of total mix ?
Nice.
Im gone try that tecnic
another step toward climbing out of the noob rut.
Hi Dan, all your tutorials seems to give an upgrade in my Producer/Mixing Engineer career. For that I thank you man, you're the best. Do you have any paid and more depth Mixing Course so we can buy online and download it? It would be really helpful.
Thanks,
Phil
Hi Philip. Not at the moment I'm afraid. Maybe I'll get something organised one day...
@@DanWorrallOk, hoping to see it soon.
Dan Worrall PLEASE DO! I would love to buy your course.
Bruv, thank you.
This just popped up on youtube for me and I'm grateful it did. Being older I'm aware that I'm not hearing clearly in all the frequencies. I tend to push the higher frequencies because I'm deficit there and until I crank the monitors up I don't get the balance that younger ears get.
So this is a neat trick to compensate at lower volume. I'm going to try putting Pro-Eq3 on the master channel then just bypass when cranked up. Should work, right?
PS You're a class act for helping the blind person.
Yes, shouldn't be too hard to match the curve in Q3 and then you'll have a zero latency option. Would recommend using monitor section / control room / whatever instead of master channel, if you have such an option, in case you forget to bypass before rendering.
PS. No I would have been an asshole if I didn't.
@@DanWorrall Thanks for confirmation. Have 'Preview' channel which I usually delete, now I know why they put it there!
PS Let's just agree that you're not an a-hole and I'll quietly think you're a class act.
@Tony-Stockport I don't know your DAW, but it sounds like you found the equivalent feature.
@@DanWorrall It's Cakewalk. Not highly rated but unbelievable compared to the Yamaha MT-100 that I first recorded on in the 80's. Trying telling the kids today ...