Mixing in context can be challenging.
It's hard to hear the minor nuance and tiny changes some processors make without hitting the solo button.
EXCEPT, when you're boosting a frequency by a bunch of dBs.
You can definitely hear that in the mix.
But unfortunately, boosting a bunch may be
playing tricks on your ears because you're just adding a bunch of gain to a specific frequency.
As you learn in Audio Engineering Math 101:
Big Boost of Gain = Louder Signal.
And even though you may think the louder signal sounds better, it often doesn't.
It's just louder.
That's why, when you're boosting a bunch, you need to keep an eye on the output gain of your EQ. If you level-match the In and the Out, you'll have a better idea of whether your track sounds louder or better.
But let's be honest: that's just a bunch of extra work and steps you
don't want to do.
That's where the Automatic Gain Compensation button on the Audio Issues EQ comes in.
It automatically adjust the output gain so that you always hear the true, level-matched signal of the track.
This makes it REALLY easy to EQ in the context of the mix because you'll hear exactly how your track changes without having to either:
- Adjust the gain to compensate
- Mix in solo to hear what the track actually sounds like
It's my new favorite way of EQ'ing because it makes it easy to hear EQ changes without soloing the track.
You don't want to mix in solo because you won't make good decisions when you don't consider the rest of the tracks.
But when you use the Automatic Gain Compensation button on the Audio Issues EQ you'll hear exactly how your tracks change, making it much easier to ignore the solo button.
It even makes it easy to hear changes when you use subtractive EQ, which is notoriously difficult to hear.
Why?
Because your ears have a much harder time hearing a frequency decrease than a frequency boost.
But when you check the A box at the bottom right of the plug-in, you'll easily hear your tracks change - even in a really busy mix.
Try it out on your next mix. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
You can get the Audio Issues EQ right here for 50% off this week, so take it for a test drive to hear how it all works on your own mixes.
If you don't find it useful, don't worry. Your purchase is backed by my iron-clad 100% satisfaction guarantee so there's no risk in trying it out.
Enjoy your new EQ!
Björgvin "Auto-Gain" Benediktsson