How to use the Parametric EQ

Quick EQ [Beginner]

The quickest way to EQ your audio is by using one of the presets in the Soundation studio.

1. 1
   Open Soundation and create a project
2. 2
   Double-click the channel to which you want to apply the Parametric EQ, this will open up the bottom panel
3. 3
   Press "+ Add effect" and select Parametric EQ in the drop-down menu
4. 4
   In the upper right corner, you can now select one of the pre-made settings

In-depth explanation of Parametric EQ [Pro]

Adjusting band points

Each equalizer band has its own color-coded point. Click and drag the points to easily set the frequency position and gain value. Hold down shift while clicking and move the mouse left or right to adjust the Q-value, in other words, control the bandwidth. You can also change the Q-value by scrolling your mouse. Double-click a band point to reset it to its default value.

The equalizer bands and master gain

Here you can change and see the exact values of each band. You can also activate or bypass each band individually by clicking the band icons. A darker color indicates the band is bypassed.

Frequency value

Each band allows you to set the frequency position in the top row by clicking and dragging the number. You can also click once to type in exact frequency values.

Gain and Slope values

The middle row allows you to set the gain value of the band, which is by how much you boost or cut the center frequency of the band. Click once to type in your desired value or click and drag up/down to adjust.

The High and Low Pass bands have a "slope" value instead of a gain. The slope is adjustable between 6, 12, 18, and 24 db per Octave. This defines how much or "fast" the frequency drops in level. A low value is a slower drop while a high value is a faster one.

Q value

The bottom row is the Q value and controls the width of the band or simply put how many frequencies will be affected by the band. A low Q value will give you a wide band and affect more frequencies. A high Q value will give you a more narrow band and is great for cutting or boosting more specific frequencies.

For Low/High Pass filters and Shelving filters, a high Q value will add a more defined "bump" at the frequency position resulting in a small boost or a more resonant sound with extreme values.

The Bands

Band 1: High Pass filter Band 2: Low Shelf filter Band 3-6: Peak filters Band 7: High Shelf filter Band 8: Low Pass filter Master: This is where you can change the overall output volume of the Parametric EQ. You can boost or lower the volume by 20 dB.

The Analyzer view

Four analyzer modes

Ah, the beauty of what this EQ offers! As mentioned earlier, it’s a graphic equalizer meaning you can see exactly what is going on with the sound visually. The Analyzer drop-down menu allows you to select and view the frequency spectrum in four different ways and is shown behind the EQ band points. The four modes are Spectrum, Polygon, Bars, and Colors. “Colors” is the most different of the modes and shows the density or loudness of frequencies using color intensity. The brighter the color the more or louder the frequency in that area.

Frequency ranges

The display of the EQ let you see the frequency ranges in three ways. At the top of the display, you can quickly see the ranges in terms of Low Bass, Bass up to PRS (presence), and Treble. The middle line of the display gives you frequencies in Hz, from 20 Hz up to 20 kHz. The bottom of the display is a musical range from octave C1 to C9. Here you can quickly see the musical octave of frequencies.