[Tips] The EQ Sandwich

hamsteralliance

I've attached a zip file with some MP3 files since I can't upload individual MP3s to the forum.

EQ-sandwich.zip

Short version: Try sandwiching an effect between two equalizers. This works especially well with distortions and compressors.

To quickly demonstrate the sort of effect this has on a sound, here's a drum loop presented four ways:

drums-dry.mp3: The loop without any effects.

drums-distortion.mp3: An overdrive is applied.

drums-preemphasis.mp3: The low frequencies are emphasized before the distortion then de-emphasized after.

drums-postemphasis.mp3: The low frequencies are de-emphasized before the distortion then emphasized after the distortion.

Putting the emphasis before the distortion makes the drum loop sound chewed-up, like some sort of hardware malfunction is occurring, it's a cool effect.

Putting the emphasis after the distortion reduces the crunchiness on the kick and allows more of the clean bass signal through.

For these drum loop examples, I'm doing exact opposite values with the EQ cuts and boosts. Having the values match (e.g., pre-EQ is -9 at 70 Hz and post-EQ is +9 at 70 Hz) is a good trick, but you don't have to that, you can make your sandwich however you like.

For an example of a mis-matched EQ sandwich, here's a picture of one I made earlier in Guitar Rig 7 to process a bass guitar. With this I'm pulling some of the bass and harsh frequencies out before the Distortion unit, then partially boosting those same frequency areas after, then cutting a particularly resonant frequency before everything goes into a CAT distortion, followed by one more little post-CAT tweak; after that everything is off to the amp and cab. Delicious.