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Nicolas Anderson
EQ! When I first saw an analog equalizer console in the studio I thought to my self, "This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought." There were so many dials to turn, so many characters I couldn't even recognize. But, after reading & taking extensive notes on the chapter, I actually got it. EQs (equalizers) serve to alter the frequency response of an audio signal in an effort to increase (boost) or attenuate (cut) a range of frequencies. We use this to shape the sound of a recording; boost what we struggle to hear, & cut unwanted or unheard frequncies, among other things. I though it was very neat that the first EQs were used in submarine telegraph cables in the 1860s & the film industry in the 1930s.
So, EQs usually use a combination of capacitors, inductors, & resistors, to manipulate the voltage that comes through them, effectively manipuating the digital signal. An EQ's parameters include: center frequancy, bandwidth, & boost/cut. They can also incorporate high & low pass filters to allow certain predetermined frequncies to pass unaffected when clearing the filter. There are several other possible filters, including, peaking filters, shelving filters, & notch filters, all with their own strengths & purposes. There are also several different kinds of EQs, like graphic EQs (fixed frequancy), program EQs, Parametric EQs, etc. These are the ones the book mentioned, I'm not sure if there are any other major ones, it's worth looking up though ;).
Pro Tools has several EQ plugins as well. I especially like the Digitrack EQIII 7-band, it's a parametric EQ that does EVERYTHING! There is also the Air Kill EQ (great for a DJ), & the Digitrack EQIII 1-band (good for a single adjustment). For my Mix assignment I've been working on Vivaldi's Domine Fili Ugenite & I had to add EQ to the song. Granted I think it was an amature job, the song sounded so much better when I used a boost/cut technique my mentor showed me. Thinks are working out great.
