You Are Ruining Your Audio! - How to EQ voice properly

The V-curve is a popular way of EQing voice. But in many cases this curve simply does not work as each microphone, voice and recording situation is different. In this video I will show you some tips and tricks on how to properly EQ voice.

00:00 The V-curve problem
02:53 How to EQ voices
08:41 Verdict

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[bob]

As a sound engineer with about 30 years of experience, I can say that your advice here is dead on. Thanks for sharing.

[mithramusic]

Yes! Don't listen to videos that give you specific "tricks", listen to people who teach you how to THINK about the concepts you're not confident about. Great channel

[claudehill]

After 50 Years Engineerning and Mixing in Nashville and Muscle Shoals Studios l really appreciate your clear explanations and wisdom beyond your years.

[tchnorl]

You know what's crazy about this? I've watched quite a few videos of EQ lessons, maybe 50+ over the past 5 years in order to try and keep improving and this particular one probably was the most comprehensive and helpful one of them all. Thank you Julian that was a great break down.

[scottpokrant]

Really appreciate the sound advice here and explanation as to why. Knowledge like this can be a dense thing to try and pass on but I feel you've done a great job.

[Slitter_the_Dubstep]

The best, comprehensible EQ-ing video ive seen in a long while.
It takes a lot of time to actually become confident with equing, but two principles that have helped me are:
1. Listen unbiasedly.
Does what youre doing actually sound good? (Also in the context of musical applications)
If not- stop doing it
2. Repeat step one and start LISTENING.
What does your rcording actually need to become better?
Listen to everything with fresh ears and if you end up making changes, compare it with the original and stop focusing on your ego

[davidshank]

This is definitely not a rant. It's pure logical, real-world, audibly observable good advice. I have terrible hearing, but I know when a voice sounds appealing rather than irritating. All of your examples point out why. This is super helpful. Thank you so much for sharing what you know. You've removed a bit of my confusion.

[robyncheynne]

As a singer-songwriter that is now on youtube and no longer goes to a studio for a professional recording, I now manage my own music at home. I have no training in sound frequencies and have been struggling to learn on my own with different softwares. I have never really understood the explanations I have seen. Your video was easy to understand and with your demonstration & explanation of each frequency really has helped me learn what to look for in my home settings. Thank you for sharing your input, as a beginner, you have saved me a lot of frustration & a lot of time. Peace ✌🏽 rock on . Thanks 🙏🏽

[Kintzugi]

My voice has never sounded better on my mic until after seeing this video. Thanks for being so concise!

[malthehansen]

This has to be the BEST dialogue-EQ tutorial I have come across. Fantastic work!

[FinSings]

Love it! I've certainly ruined my audio in the past with some bad EQ lol

[dighawaii]

Good ol' "smiley face" eq still around 🤣🤣 as an "old dog" live and recording engineer, the best tip I am able to pass on to newbs is to try to stick to subtractive eq and bracketing. Aloha Julian! Love your work!

[Dracomies]

That point at :30 is what everyone needs to know! It's so true. There is no 1 EQ that works for every voice, every mic, every preamp, every room (boxy or not), there's no 1 magic formula. Great points as always! What works on them may not work on you, and works on you may not work on them. You have to go through it methodically and develop what works for you. Great points!!

[DaveHuxtableLanguages]

Just realized I've been mindlessly slapping on an EQ curve for a while now. Many thanks for this knowledge.

[KEEYBLADE]

This is probably the best voice EQ explanation video there is. The part where you go through the different frequencies, with us hearing to real-time results, is extremely helpful. Thanks!

[JasonPolakPhotography]

I EQ all my voiceovers differently, every time. Sometimes it's because I am not exactly in the same position when recording or maybe I'm recording in a different room. I make small adjustments and to solve specific problems. Over time I've been able to hear better and better what's good and what's not...but it takes practice and there is no preset that will help with every situation.

Nice video. Your advice is better than all those other posts and videos out there. One of the few channels I watch regularly for its logic and information.

[LibertyRecordProductions]

You should trust your ears, not your eyes, that's good advice for life in general also.

[SteelBlueVision]

This is the best video on vocal EQ I have ever watched. The fact that Julian managed to squeeze this into under ten minutes, including some rants regarding the various EQ myths and "one size fits all EQ curve" advice that gets copied/repeated over and over by self-proclaimed mastering experts, is a testament to his uncanny ability to provide very high quality, concise, and well thought out hands-on practical video instruction.

[YourJapans]

I never used such curve. It's true that every voice-mic combination should be treated in its unique way. Thank you for this comprehensive explanation.

[BrucePSquirrelOfficial]

Thanks for the video. This is really enlightening. I've been working with music for a long time but when it came to vocal narration I needed to learn a little more about using EQs on that. Thank you!