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EQ with Your Ears
Stop guessing which frequencies to EQ. Start mixing with confidence.
Endlessly searching for the right frequencies is a waste of time...
You’ve recorded your music and you open up your DAW session for the mixing phase. You press the “play” button and you begin the process of transforming raw recordings into a polished song.
After using dozens of plugins and watching a thousand YouTube videos on mixing, you begin to realize that this may be a bigger challenge than you thought. Your mix doesn’t feel “tight” and "punchy" at all. Everything feels sort of loose and unbalanced.
You struggle to recognize what instruments need EQ. Then you struggle to identify the right frequencies once you start using the EQ. You can hear that the drums and bass are muddy, but that's about it. You have no idea what to cut, what to boost, and how to get the various tracks to mix and sit well with each other. Hours later, you are still working on the same project and your enthusiasm is starting to dwindle.
The changes you’re making at this point appear to be so subtle that you wonder if you should even bother. After all this work, you still sense that something is “off” with the frequency balance of your mix.
I know exactly how you feel...
If this story sounds spot-on to you, it's because I’ve been in your position. I remember feeling intimidated by the complexity of EQ. Feeling frustrated by endless mixing sessions that never seemed to result in a song that I felt proud of.
I remember listening to my band’s recordings in high school and thinking, “something sounds wrong, but I just can’t put my finger on it“. I knew it didn’t sound like the music I heard on CDs and the radio, but I didn’t know why.
I had no idea where to apply EQ or how to identify when instruments were covering each other. I wanted to give up and just focus on writing more music. But that music never went very far, because it always got stuck in the mixing phase...
The Secret to Mixing with EQ
Have you ever received the common advice to “just use your ears” from more experienced mixing engineers?
I've heard this advice, too. And to be honest, this advice just left me feeling frustrated. I wasn't even completely sure what that meant.
But in my junior year of college (studying audio production), it all started to click. I learned that mixing with EQ is about "using your ears". But I also learned a framework for everything.
What it feels like to have a plan
When you finally start to get a hang of using EQ, things start to get a lot easier. In fact, things start to get a little weird. Identifying the frequency imbalances will become automatic, or “second nature”.
Instead of being such a daunting task, mixing music becomes an enjoyable challenge. You listen to the music, identify the problems, and fix the problems. It’s that simple when you know what you’re looking for and you know how to use the tools.
After you understand WHAT an EQ is and WHY they are useful, you can dive into WHEN and HOW to use an EQ. Mixing within a framework provides structure so you can uncover the sound you’ve got in your head.
Building your skills from the ground up puts you on the path to mix like a true professional. No need to rely on plugin presets and no need to rely on what the EQ graph looks like. When you know what you’re listening for, you can approach each problem with a deliberate plan.
introducing
EQ with Your Ears
EQ with Your Ears is an online course. It includes video lessons, worksheets and exercises. You'll learn the terminology, the controls, and the thought process behind mixing music with EQ.
The course offers you no-nonsense advice that will take you from zero to using EQ with confidence. You'll go through these three modules:
Understanding EQ
Master the controls on an equalizer and understand the various types of EQ and EQ filters.
Building EQ Skills
Determine when to use EQ and find the right frequencies with a simple ear training system.
Mixing with EQ
Practice the 3-Step EQ Workflow, mix a song with me, and put your skills to the test in your own DAW.
Unlock EQ and Start Making Better Music
$
97
30 Days
Money Back Guarantee
If you don't like the course for any reason, we've got you covered. Purchase today and you can simply ask for a refund anytime within the next 30 days. The support team will process your refund, no questions asked.
It's Time to Level-Up Your Mixing Skills...
EQ Fundamentals Crash Course
We will first cover what EQ does, types of filters, and types of EQ. Then we will get into how to set up an EQ within a DAW or mixing console and how to use the controls.
Why, When, & How to Use EQ
This EQ framework will help you determine when and how to apply EQ in any situation. Mixing is much easier if you know what you're listening for.
Find the Right Frequencies
Learn a three-pronged approach to identifying problems in your mix. Stop guessing and train your ears so that you can mix with your eyes closed.
EQ Workflow For Any Mix
With all the basics in place, we will go through the 3-Step EQ Workflow that I use every time I start mixing a new project. It's a systematic approach that helps you locate and eliminate problems in the mix.
Hands-On Training
You will see me mix a song with EQ, share my thought process, and help you hear what I’m hearing. Then you’ll have the opportunity to download audio files to practice within your own DAW software!
No Wasted Time
The videos on the Audio University YouTube channel are known for being direct and concise. You can expect the same thing from the content within this course. I'll tell you what you need to know so you can get back to mixing.
Kyle Mathias
audio university
I’m Kyle Mathias, the creator of Audio University.
I got my start in audio by recording my band in high school. After being self-taught for about 3 years, I studied audio engineering at Webster University. It was a 4-year program, where I learned about system design, recording, and mixing.
I've been mixing music for almost 15 years in the studio and live. I want to share the secrets I've learned along the way from my mentors. Hopefully it helps you create music you're truly proud of.
“
I've been searching for a simple guide like this to train my ear for months.
OMG, thank you! I've been searching for a simple guide like this to train my ear for months. I started sound school last fall, and the best advice I've gotten from the staff was to "listen critically and it'll make sense."
Wesley Brehm
YouTube Viewer
“
You were able to break it down in a way that it's simple to understand.
You are very clear and concise with the information that you provided. I am laughing because to some people the mixing board can look rather intimidating..lol but you were able to break it down in a way that it’s simple to understand.
Regal Tone T
YouTube Viewer
FAQ
I know what you’re thinking - “Why can’t I just learn all of this on YouTube?”.
YouTube is a wealth of information for music producers who want to step up their mixing chops. In fact, there are lots of videos on the Audio University YouTube channel that you may find helpful!
As an avid YouTube viewer myself, I know that you can learn just about anything. But only if you can afford to spend the time that is necessary to find, consume, and organize the information you’re looking for.
You could go to YouTube, search “how to mix with eq”, and watch the top 25 videos. You’ll learn 25 different ways of understanding EQ and 25 different ways to use it. You may find a video teaching you an EQ trick for mixing vocals, a video showing you how to use a high pass filter, and so on. You'll spend months picking up a small tidbit of information here and there. But with the YouTube method, it's on you to put all that information together in a way that makes sense.
The EQ with Your Ears course is not the same thing. This course will start with the basics. You will learn things in a particular order so that you can actually understand the content, rather than consuming it in a random order. Each lesson will lead right into the next.
So, think of this course as a faster (and better) way to learn what could take months or years to learn with random free content online.
You might be using your ears while mixing. But if you don’t know what you’re listening for it won’t get you very far…
That is exactly what sets this course apart from some of the competition. Instead of assuming you already know the terminology and techniques, I’ll share a step-by-step strategy for carving out a great mix.
You may have felt frustrated by the “just use your ears” advice that you've received in the past. This course will fill in the blanks and allow you to actually put that advice into action.
The exercises and hands-on training throughout the course require a DAW (or Digital Audio Workstation). This is the software that allows you to record, edit, and mix your music.
You can use whatever DAW software you want or you can download a trial version of Reaper for free. Reaper is the main DAW I use in my videos.
If you have your own recordings, that's great! Get ready to hear a huge improvement after applying what you learn in this course.
If you do not have your own recordings, no worries! I’ll share some audio files with you for practice. I'll also share links to a couple websites that offer free multitrack files to download into your DAW.
You’ve already got the tools you need. Virtually every DAW and mixing console comes with an equalizer built-in.
There’s no need to keep throwing your money at the next plug-in that claims to be “the one thing you need”. In order for the quality of your mixes to evolve, your skills need to evolve first.
If given the choice to invest into a new plugin or to invest in your skills - which one do you think will have a bigger impact?
I would choose a skilled engineer with stock plug-ins over an amateur engineer with premium plug-ins every single time.
Ready to get started?
Sign up before March 16th 2023 for limited-time pricing.
