Question about the Boost next to a cut EQ technique

Music Production Music Tech Discussion
1

I think i understand most things about EQ, cept for one.



Why do i always see people doing a boost right next to a cut? never really been clear on the science behind why that works and what situations it is ideal for.



Thanks

2

I wouldn’t say it’s a rule. It just works out like that sometimes.

Take the low end for instance. You want to separate your bass and your kick so they don’t fight with each other. In order to do that you may make a bump in the fundamental harmonic of the kick, but then cut right after the bump of the kick where the fundamental harmonic of the bass lies. This will now give you room to place your bass in that frequency without it being taken up by the kick.

This is what it’s all about. Creating space for your instruments to cut through the mix and provide clarity. Panning is also used for this as well.

I personally don’t mind using Ableton’s or Cubase’s EQ to cut, but if I am going to bump anything then I am reaching for the FabFilter Pro-Q.

3

It’s sometimes the case that the engineer is looking to ‘shift’ the sonic of that sound, so for example in the low end he may take it out round 100hz and boost at 60hz, and in doing so moves the focus down the frequency spectrum a bit.