Frequency Conflict and Carving

Conflict is not solved by boosting both sides, but by giving each band a single owner at any moment.

Related

EqualizerSidechainPianoClassical

The problem

Kick and bass fight over sixty to one hundred hertz, guitar and keys crowd two hundred to five hundred, and vocal and snare meet again between two and four thousand. When something is hard to hear, the easy move is to boost both sides. Masking gets worse and the level keeps climbing.

Goal and judgement

At any moment, each band should have one owner. Judge conflict across a full section, not in solo. Mute the suspected competitor and see whether the main information returns at once. If it does, the problem lives in arrangement and register. If it does not, EQ may help. Gaps in a spectrum display do not need filling; the audible hierarchy does.

Method

Change the arrangement first: move an octave, alter the rhythm, shift the pan, so two parts no longer occupy the same band at the same time. Then apply static EQ, cutting one to three dB on the supporting part rather than boosting the lead. For constant overlap, use sidechain or dynamic EQ with a slow trigger and a small amount. Return to the full section after every move.

What to listen for

Hear whether the low end stays tight and the bass remains clear after each kick. Then check that the vocal's consonants are not covered by the snare. The four low notes below follow in turn; notice how their tails overlap.

Common misconceptions

That every part must sound thick; that boosting a masked band restores clarity; that a flat spectrum is the goal.

Sources

• Bobby Owsinski, The Mixing Engineer's Handbook, frequency masking and EQ chapters — background checked, not quoted
• David Gibson, The Art of Mixing, frequency range ownership — background checked, not quoted

Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.