[Rwp] EQ Chart for Different Instruments

[Matej Golian]

Hi, Chris,
I don't mind the rant at all. On the contrary. Thanks for pointing me
and anyone else who reads this in the right direction. :D
You're absolutely right. The info found at the link you posted is
absolutely sufficient. In fact, when I now think about it having a
chart of instrument ranges is not even close to a solution. As you
say, I have to build a map (chart) in my head. Besides, instruments
can be often tuned alternatively and this can render a chart wich only
counts with standard tuning almost useless.
Thanks again.

2015-10-31 17:00 GMT+01:00, Chris Smart via RWP <rwp at bluegrasspals.com>:
> Matej,
> You don't need a chart beyond something like this:
> http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~suits/notefreqs.html
> to get started, and whatever you can find on wikipedia and elsewhere. try
> searching for "instrument ranges". Look up the note values on the chart
> linked to above.
>
> Start with a pitch whose sound you know well, middle C, 4th octave A, etc.
> and start mapping things out for yourself by doubling the frequency for an
> octave up, and halving the frequency (dividing by 2) for an octave down.
>
> Do this with other sounds you hear all the time, such as electrical hum,
> 1KHZ test tones, etc. basically, any common sound you have available. If you
> have a good musical ear for pitch, you just need to attach frequency labels
> to many of the sounds with which you are already familiar.
> If you have a keyboard or piano handy, use it! Wikipedia should give you the
> common ranges for just about any instrument. it's up to you to take those
> pitches and look up their frequency values, then work at learning to
> recognize the sounds of those note ranges. You're building a map in your
> head.
>
> The rest of this post is not directed at you specifically, but for anybody
> else who is asking "how do I learn to use an equalizer?" That comes up a lot
> on these mailing lists and folks, all the information you could ever want to
> know about equalizers is out there on the web, in Youtube videos, in any
> book on mixing, in the documentation for many EQ plug-ins etc.
>
> To get started: If your stereo, mp3 player, whatever, has bass and treble
> knobs, you already know what those broad frequency ranges sound like.  So
> start breaking those larger areas into smaller bands - deep or sub bass,
> mid-bass, low-midrange, high-midrange, etc. Gradually, you'll learn to focus
> in on narrower and narrower frequency bands.
> Experiment. A lot. Practice practice practice.
>
> Find the fundamental but also learn to find the stronger harmonics in
> various instruments. What makes a trumpet sound brassy? Where's the warmth
> in a saxophone, or the buzz of the reed? Where's the sibilance in a vocal,
> where's the chesty or nasal quality?  Where's the fundamental of a kick drum
> or bass guitar, now where's the click of that kick drum and the attack of
> that bass guitar?
>
> As for the common filter types in most equalizers, google is your friend.
> High-pass can also be thought of as low-cut. They're the same thing, just
> with different names. Low-pass can also be thought of as high-cut. Look up
> the term "q factor" and how it is calculated. Look up terms like
> "parametric", "corner frequency" etc. Boost a frequency a lot. Change the
> parameters you have available to you - filter type, Q, shelf steepness etc.)
> and listen to the results change.
>
> Sorry for going on a mini-rant there.
>
> Chris
>
> At 10:48 AM 10/31/2015, you wrote:
>>
>> Hi again,
>> sorry for the somewhat off-topic topic, but does anyone have a blind
>> friendly EQ chart for different instruments - for example as a PDF? It
>> doesn't have to be very detailed - I'm mainly interested in instrument
>> ranges. I have found a couple of them, but unfortunately they are
>> quite hard to read. Primary instrument ranges would be enough, but I
>> wouldn't mind if extra information was included.
>> Sorry again for the spam.
>> Thanks a lot.
>> Matej
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