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Published On: Sat, Sep 20th, 2014

Tutorials | By MusicTech.net

Logic Pro X Tutorial: Become a Power User Tutorial Part 12 Mastering in Logic Pro XLogic Pro Xs new and improved Channel EQ plug-in really comes into its own during mastering. Mark Cousins finds theperfect tone.

When it comes to mastering theres little doubt that a good equalizer is one of the most important tools to have at your disposal. Ratherthan just sounding good, an effective mastering equalizer needs to be a versatile and precise tool thats able to direct the right amountof timbral magic to the correct part of the mix.

As well as featuring plenty of parametric bands, filtering options and shelving controls, its vital that you have discrete access to both the

left and right channels and, if youre feeling really adventurous, M/S processing as well. Add to that the ability to move between LinearPhase operation and good old-fashioned phase-shifting EQ, and its clear that the demands of a mastering equalizer are plentiful!

Having received a major facelift and operational upgrade with the latest version of Logic Pro X, the Channel EQ plug-in coupled with theLinear Phase EQ are powerful tools that are perfect for mastering your tracks. In this workshop we are going to take an in-depth look athow the features of the Channel EQ and Linear Phase EQ plug-ins can be used for mastering tasks a process that has some distinctdifferences to the use of EQ in more conventional mixing applications.

One of the most exciting possibilities with the Channel EQ is that of M/S equalisation, which deals with a stereo signal as Mid/Sidecomponents rather than the traditional Left/Right stereo. Despite being a popular technique in mastering circles, M/S processing cancreate some confusion due to the different way it handles stereo. With M/S stereo the mix is broken into a Mid component formed fromthe sum of the left and right channels, and a Side component formed from the difference between left and right. In effect this enablesyou to apply the EQ in a more directed way, especially towards instruments that are planted in the phantom centre of a mix.

More than just being a mixing tool, the Channel EQ is a versatile and effective tool for mastering, and well worth closer inspection.

This tutorial is endorsed by Point Blank Music School, which specialises in courses on production, sound engineering, the musicbusiness, singing, radio production, DJ skills and film production, all run by top British music producers and media professionals, withregular visits from legends in music and media.www.pointblanklondon.com

Getting started

1:In most mastering signal paths the Channel EQ is usually used as the first device in the chain, with compressors and limiters placedafterwards. Once youve added the Channel EQ plug-in, remember to open the expanded parameters at the bottom of the interface andclick on the Oversampling option for the highest audio quality.

2:As with all equalisation tasks its well worth using the Channel EQs Analysis option to gain a more informed understanding of thetracks frequency characteristics. Click on the Analyzer to make it active, setting the Medium or High resolution (found as part of theextended parameter set) so that you get a more accurate and detailed frequency plot.

3:One interesting control worth investigating is the Analyzer Decay, which defaults to around 10dB/s. Setting a slower speed even aslow as 0dB/s produces an averaged frequency plot over time, rather than an instantaneous snapshot. This slower setting can beuseful as a means of understanding the broad frequency characteristics of your track.

4:Lets start the equalization process by looking at the low end of the track. To keep things controlled its well worth applying a high-pass filter so that any subsonic elements are removed. Click on the high-pass filter curve in the top left-hand corner, set the Curve to itssteepest setting 48dB/Oct and adjust the Frequency control to around 20-30Hz.

5:Another useful trick with high-pass filtering is adding resonance, which is the lowest parameter, beneath frequency and slope.Increase the setting to 1.00 and notice the small bump around the cutoff. With the added resonance you might want to slightly raise thecutoff. The result can be a tighter and weightier bass end if used correctly.

6:At the two opposite ends of our track low and high, respectively a shelving equalizer is used to establish the broad frequencycharacteristics of the track. Carefully position the respective frequency controls to achieve the desired colour. A treble boost at 7kHz, forexample, adds presence, while a lighter air-like tone can be found between 12-16kHz.

Q and Linear Phase EQ

1:As with the high-pass filter, its worth noting how the Q can be called into action. In the case of shelving, lowering the Q produces awider curve with less of a plateau-like shape. The curve is similar to the classic Baxandall EQ, which is a favourite among manymastering engineers thanks to the gradual way it lifts treble ahead of the frequency setting.

2:Timbral modifications across the rest of the mix are achieved using the four parametric bands. On the whole, the best approach is touse wide Q settings for boosts coupled with a narrower Q setting for cuts. The result is an EQ thats transparent to the ear, andmusically effective for the result youre trying to achieve.

3:One behaviour worth noting is the Gain Q coupling. By default the Q effectively becomes sharper the more you apply a boost or cut,so that the bandwidth of the EQ remains constant irrespective of the amount of boost or cut applied. In effect, this Q-Coupling enablesthe EQ to work in a musical way, so its best left as it is.

4:With any equalisation task its highly likely that the net result of the EQ curve is an increase in signal level. Therefore to preserve yourgain structure and provide a more objective view on the un-equalized source, consider balancing an overall increase in level with acorresponding gain cut using the Gain slider located on the right of the interface.

5:As well as the Channel EQ, Logic also includes a Linear Phase EQ. You can move over to a Linear Phase EQ at any point (with yoursettings immediately transferred over) making it easy to compare the sound of the two plug-ins. Notice the increased transparencyoffered by the Linear Phase EQ, as opposed to the character of the Channel EQ.

6:Rather than processing the entire mix its often useful for mastering EQ to be more directed. By changing the Processing parameterwe can assign the Channel EQ to either the left- or right-hand side of the mix. Try a left-only treble boost, for example, and notice howyou can tangibly grab hold of the hi-hat without over-enhancing the top end.

Mid and side processing

1:If youve used one Channel EQ plug-in to process the left-hand side of the mix it follows that the right-hand side will need its ownseparate instance, set to Right Only under the Processing parameter. Rather than equalizing the entirety of the mix with the one plug-inyou now have separate control over each side of the mix.

2:As well as being able to process the mix with discrete left and right channels you can also experiment with M/S processing. Create abasic M/S matrix using two Channel EQs set to Mid and Side, respectively. The freeware bx_solo (www.brainworx-music.de) at the endof the chain enables us to isolate the Mid and Side channels.

3:Press the M Solo button on the bx_solo channel to hear the Mid channel in isolation. Notice how the bass is prominent in thischannel as its fixed in the centre of the mix. Applying a low-end boost, therefore, will lift both the kick drum and bass in a directed way,leaving the sides of the mix untouched.

4:Now move over to the Side channel, noticing the distinct omission of Mid elements such as the kick and bass. A good strategy withSide-channel equalisation is a bass cut (which can be relatively extreme as you want to keep the bass end mid-focused) and a smallamount of air lift to increase the vibrancy and dimensionality of the mix.

5:One interesting feature of the Channel EQs M/S operation is the use of the Gain control. As part of the M/S matrix, the Gain controlcan be used as a means of modifying the stereo dimensionality of the mix. For example, increasing the Gain on the Mid EQ whilelowering the amount of Side channel will result in the mix becoming more mono-centric.

6:If youre having to open and close matrixd combinations of plug-ins, consider using Logic Pro Xs Screenset feature, found on themenu bar. Screensets can be assigned to a number key, so its easy to establish a unique Screenset for each song in your masteringproject, even including plug-in windows for the rest of your signal path.

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