Substractive eq, anyone?

[Frenchy-Lefty]

When I eq a bass (it actually applies to any other instrument), I mostly use substractive eq, meaning I take out some frequencies but do not add any. I feel the sound is a lot less muddy that way as it creates less phase distortion.
Who else uses this approach?
If yes do you use a passive eq?

 

[And I]

Totally on the same page. Subtractive eq first all the time. Once you remove the bad sounding frequencies everything else is clearer. Easier to do this in the studio but if you have time for a proper sound check, totally the way to go!

 

[RustyAxe]

It's always the best way to go. Amateurs boost desired freqs, while those with experience cut undesirable ones.

 

[Pat Harris]

I generally subtract whenever possible, but sometimes, I just need a little more of one specific area, and then I boost sparingly.

If all you need is +1.5dB at 800Hz, it doesn't make much sense to cut everything around that and then boost the whole signal, IMO.

 

[s0c9]

Absolutey yes..
If I had a dime for every time I was asked to look at a bands mixing console as they are having feedback/mix issues.. ?
Only to find every freakin' EQ setting on EVERY boosted... you can't add what's NOT there! Sigh!

 

[two fingers]

I generally subtract whenever possible, but sometimes, I just need a little more of one specific area, and then I boost sparingly.

If all you need is +1.5dB at 800Hz, it doesn't make much sense to cut everything around that and then boost the whole signal, IMO.

This. I let my ears dictate what is needed. I don't follow any "conventional wisdom" when EQing as I feel it can cloud what I am trying to do.

If I were to become a "subtractive EQ guy", and then decide that all a particular instrument needs is a tiny bit of low mids boost, I would second guess myself.

 

[JohnMCA72]

I operate under the theory that whatever "boost" I give comes out of my available headroom. So, if I have 20 dB of headroom, I'm boosting 8 dB, & a > 12 dB transient comes along, it's going to get flattened, with all that it implies.

 

[seanm]

If you have a Fender tone stack and don't "boost" the mids.... your sound is going to suck

I have no problem with boosting the EQ, but I can't think of the last time I did so at a gig. In practice all of my gig EQ is subtractive. Mainly cutting the lows to remove boom, or cutting the mids a bit to give a bigger E string sound.

 

[walterw]

subtractive is what you do for the PA;

i'll EQ a musical instrument like bass or guitar any which way i think sounds good.

 

[gearhead1972]

Sure do, about 30 years ago or so when I was around 12, I was at my Aunt and Uncles house, I was in the basement playing their stereo. My uncle was a recording engineer. He came over and said no, no your doing it all wrong, don't turn the treble up, take some bass away. It was like an epiphany to me at the age, but I have stuck with it and get compliments all the time on my sound.