Play tracks at 12 or 2 o'clock position for EQs?

[KLH]

I've noticed that DJs on FWR like to play tracks with the EQs at 2 o'clock positions instead of 12 o'clock. Since EQs at 2 o'clock represents a boost at that EQ frequency at around 2db, I wonder why this is being done?

I use the EQs to blend as well, but I play tracks at 12 o'clock when the transition's done. Seeing others boost has me questioning technique.

What do you do?

-KLH

[DJNR]

I'm in the same boat as KLH.

[James Martin]

I leave the EQ's at 12 also, I only adjust the lows when mixing in the track if necessary.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[Catch22]

Really depends on the track but I use the two o'clock position quite a lot personally.

['Dutch' Wagenbach]

Default for me is 12.

The track must be weak if the bass needs to be up?

[drop1]

12 oclock if it sounds right but I will boost a little if the track needs it.

[KLH]

Default for me is 12. The track must be weak if the bass needs to be up?
Welcome to DJF, Dutch!

-KLH

['Dutch' Wagenbach]

Welcome to DJF, Dutch!

-KLH

Hi!

Although I was here a long time on the old board (sypickle) :teef:

[drop1]

I have noticed and see a lot of dj's push the eq to get a more aggressive sound. As long as you keep you gains in check I dont really see an issue as long as is it sounds good.

[Baller95]

EQ's usually at 12, sometimes I keep my highs at 2 but when mixing into another track I drop the lows on track "A" (outgoing) to around 9 o'clock and leave track "B" (incoming) at 12.

[myndgruv]

depends on the system and the track. I have done both. the bass i very very rarely go past 12.,. but mids and highs i will push to 2 some times if the system i am playing on is bass heavy.

[ewe]

Never more than 12 unless im playing a 10" then I might put the bass onto 1 if it's needed

[novadnb]

I'm a 12 o'clock guy, but occasionally I'll 2 o'clock the mid for a track depending on the mix.

[.nacho.]

Typically I keep highs at 2 mids at 12 and bass at 2. It's a standard eq curve. I like my highs bright and my bass thumping. It just sounds better to me.Then I adjust if necessary.

[alexreedDJ]

My bass knob is always on full anyway so makes no difference :teef:

[DJNR]

Okay Skrillex :teef:

[b.ill]

For me it depends on the track. Most I leave flat but here's some settings I use on very common tracks that don't mix well flat that we all know and love ;)

Thrift Shop - mids minus 2
I'm Different - highs minus 3
Ball - lows plus 2
Rack City - lows minus 3
Dougie - highs all the way up! (very muffled track)

[Pavin]

When you see DJs at 2oclock, are they usually controllers or other formats?

I ask because they might need volume boost for some reason or another??

[Synergy]

This is part of djing. If you add two sounds then you have too much. How I eq:

Set gains to when at 12 you are hitting 0db. Subtract bass to around 10-11 and highs around 11 or so and mids stay in the middle. bring this into a track with full eq on, with the highs up so you can hear them clearly and the bass nice and fat and the mids up a little. This changes from track to track.

Add bass at a phrase change and back off the highs and lows as needed until the incoming track is nice. This has always been a part of djing. I never just left the eq alone, even when using vinyl. I dont see the purpose, the purpose of djing is blending, you cannot blend if you do not eq. My buddy learned from Icey and I learned from him. Gain your tracks to 0db then pump the eqs to gain that extra boost to put you RIGHT before you go red. This will give you CLEAN, FULL, LOUD sound without the chance of distortion.

[Rothgery]

I only eq past the 12 o'clock if the track is lacking in that particular area to ensure a better blend. Rare occasion though

[KLH]

When you see DJs at 2oclock, are they usually controllers or other formats? I ask because they might need volume boost for some reason or another??
I see the 2o'clocks on mixers and controllers, so it's not a sound quality deficiency thing.

After reading this thread, I think that it's just a DJ's style and prerogative.

-KLH

[M!TCH]

I'm a 12 o'clocker once the track is riding solo. Boosting the highs/mids/lows on every track doesn't seem to serve a purpose to me. And at Synergy, I think KLH is talking about a solo track with the knobs at 2 o'clock rather than not using the EQ to blend your mixes.

[Blue Shoes]

Only time I'd ever do that is mixing an acapella or something to get it to sound just right but i never just play a song about 12 o'clock.

[Synergy]

I'm a 12 o'clocker once the track is riding solo. Boosting the highs/mids/lows on every track doesn't seem to serve a purpose to me. And at Synergy, I think KLH is talking about a solo track with the knobs at 2 o'clock rather than not using the EQ to blend your mixes.

Even a solo track, i use the above mentioned method. Set gain to 0db then eq until right before clipping, this gives you the best available sound.

[aaron altar]

Usually at 12 unless I feel something needs a boost to fit in a mix. Sometimes I'll turn up the bass or mids if they sound too low or muddled compared to the tracks around it. Don't think I've ever turned the highs past 12 for the duration of a track.

[TCMuc]

I've noticed that DJs on FWR like to play tracks with the EQs at 2 o'clock positions instead of 12 o'clock. Since EQs at 2 o'clock represents a boost at that EQ frequency at around 2db, I wonder why this is being done?



Usually when I see DJs who turn their EQs (all of them) to the 2 o'clock position it's the ones who have the gain already max'd out but still feel like they need more volume because the top red light of the mixer's meters still isn't constantly lit but flashing from time to time during very quiet breakdowns...


It kinda reminds me of this tweet by @ResidentUnvisor (https://twitter.com/ResidentUnvisor):

"Tech tips: EQ tutorial #1: turn up the bass by 3dB to make it bassier. Then the highs and mids up by 3dB. Your track is now 3dB better"

[ben mills]

Hi!

Although I was here a long time on the old board (sypickle) :teef:

monger!

[Atomisk]

I always leave it at 12. Sometimes I'll boost certain frequencies to enforce isolation of certain instruments of an outgoing track, but thats it.

[Buszaj]

Other than a transition, I never understood why DJs have the strip EQ at anything other than 12 o'clock. The track is mastered to sound good. If you're playing at a half decent venue, the PA is also tuned to sound good. There will usually be an LMS (or at least an EQ and crossover) that will process everything properly. You don't need to be boosting any frequencies when the track is playing out.

Now.....if you're playing on a crappy PA or at home, or if you have some bootleg track that hasn't been mastered...then I can see why some may want to veer from 12 o'clock.

[Sween]

Usually when I see DJs who turn their EQs (all of them) to the 2 o'clock position it's the ones who have the gain already max'd out but still feel like they need more volume because the top red light of the mixer's meters still isn't constantly lit but flashing from time to time during very quiet breakdowns...

^This is one theory i thought of...

Another would be trying to increase volume levels at a club where they don't like DJs touching the master gain knob... "sneaky volume tactics"

[Jamie D Music]

Using the EQ's can depend on the genre of music you are mixing. Recordings before the digital age can often benefit from a touch of EQ and you are basically digitally remastering it. Most modern tracks are well studio produced and are very responsive to EQ adjustments but there are older tracks that sound muffled until EQ is added and which gives new life to it. I'm talking about music that was produced decades ago when production budgets may have been tight. A lot of 90's rave and jungle I mix need the EQ's maxed out just to be listenable otherwise it would be like listening to them in the 90's. Some of these tracks have become iconic but most will have been bedroom produced or at most done at a shoestring studio. They sound terrible now without maxing out the EQ. Even then some are still unuseable.

Ideally I like All EQs to be set at 12 (neutral) so I have a small buffer to make adjustments. Too much EQ is a one way ticket to distortionville unless the track is old and needs all the help it can get.

[Sigma]

Some people also get used to listening to music with certain EQ settings applied to it. A friend of mine always has the high end turned up and to me it sounds shitty, but when he listens to music at my house where I don't apply any EQs at all, he thinks I need to turn the high end up. I think he's in the wrong though, because he's used to hearing "coloured" sound, kinda like how someone who's used to watching a TV with the brightness set way too high would think a properly calibrated TV doesn't look right.

[Blueprint]

real djs just mix with the trim knob

[aaron altar]

Using the EQ's can depend on the genre of music you are mixing. Recordings before the digital age can often benefit from a touch of EQ and you are basically digitally remastering it. Most modern tracks are well studio produced and are very responsive to EQ adjustments but there are older tracks that sound muffled until EQ is added and which gives new life to it. I'm talking about music that was produced decades ago when production budgets may have been tight. A lot of 90's rave and jungle I mix need the EQ's maxed out just to be listenable otherwise it would be like listening to them in the 90's. Some of these tracks have become iconic but most will have been bedroom produced or at most done at a shoestring studio. They sound terrible now without maxing out the EQ. Even then some are still unuseable.

Ideally I like All EQs to be set at 12 (neutral) so I have a small buffer to make adjustments. Too much EQ is a one way ticket to distortionville unless the track is old and needs all the help it can get.

If you turn all the eqs up; all you did was increase the volume.

[Jamie D Music]

If you turn all the eqs up; all you did was increase the volume.

I know how equalisers work but I disagree with this. Even though they technically just add a small amount of volume to a particular frequency range the EQs do a lot more than just alter the volume in the same way the volume fader and gain does. You can enhance the dynamics with the EQ especially the mid range and it gives a richer sound but as I said it depends on the type of track you are using and how well you can pick out changes in tone and texture.

I'm in agreement that the EQs should never be used as a means of adding extra volume because that should only be done with the volume faders and channel gains but a DJ should never be reluctant to experiement with with the EQs as they can enhance music you might have thought already sounds fine.

They are good for beatmatching too because you can turn up the high range to make the percussive sounds clearer and then return the EQ to normal when it's beatmatched.

I think Sigma is spot on above because I am guilty of having too much high end EQ which can make the music sound tinny. I should realise that all sound systems have at least a treble dial the listener can raise if they need to so I should err on the side of caution and keep the high end EQ lower that what I'm used to. I don't mind raising settings to get the desired sound when I listen to a track but if I have to lower something like the treble dial it can make me question the recording quality.