OTOH the only real difference between digital EQ plugins is generally the user interface/workflow features. Comparing how two different linear digital EQs sound is basically pointless because they should all sound almost identical. On that note Pro-Q 4 actually added optional frequency dependent saturation modes and spectral dynamics which actually does things to the sound that pro-Q 3 didn't.
@@cormacsugrue614 Utterly unique and novel approaches to audio processing that provide powerful, uncompromising and unparalleled features... But which involve navigating the most frustratingly minimalist interface you've ever seen in your entire life. Proud patreon supporter here of Chris' AirWindows. I've got (well used to have lol) hundreds of plugins, so many that I had to actually wipe my computer to just get rid of their intrusiveness. AirWindows is among the very select few that made it back onto the PC after the wipe.
I started my recording life in the 70's working in a studio all analog not a computer anywhere so was mixing and EQing with dials. I miss knobs and dialing around listening to find where and how much to EQ, but looking at the visual makes me pause and take another listen. Like taking a second look at the hot babe holding a croissant.
Great video! I did a couple of videos where i tried to integrate the fabfilter pro q4 in my working sessions and truly has some features that could save me some time but that listing of eq's was that I taught that will be good to have it but eventually never used it in my sessions as i didn't needed plus the "collision" indicator is trip wire makes you do all the bad decisions...i didn't bought it i just tried out, had the opportunity for those 30 trial days and today is finished; And i fill good in returning to my old habits...
'surgical' is a new one to me. 'organic' is one that sets my teeth on edge, they're almost opposites clean and bright, or dull and dirty. forget the soulful experience of the sound that enters through the ear holes.
Whenever I hear anything is "industry standard" I think - "ok so its all your fault"! I recently had a fit of burning curiousity to see what my digital EQ plug-ins sounded like in comparison to each other. I just boosted a top shelf and a low shelf, and I went through them all. I have many. It was shocking how disappointing 90% of them were, GUI's aside. The one or two exceptions that sounded better have been around a while too. Nothing to do with new tech. Thanks for the honest talk.
Thank you for saying this. I've felt for the longest that this is one of the key reasons for the current state of popular music. People are producing and mixing with their eyes. It sucks!
YOU determine the relationships, that’s the FUN part. It’s like never actually cooking because you’re instead constantly working on developing better ways to extend the shelf life of your ingredients.
A lot of truth to that for sure. One would hope it is at least a decent interface to achieve desired effect. To me it should not be rocket science lol 👊🧡👍
think all these "surgical" and also the "AI"-driven tools are leading towards a certain sound based on offloading the decision making to the computer. And so anyone that is using their ears to make decisions, to a lot of people going forward it's not gonna sound "clean" enough. An R&B song in the 90s from Whitney or someone like that, and now listening back today the lack of tuning plugins is STARK. So people will say "they sound kinda flat", because they're so used to everything being corrected to be SUPER precise.
I had to finish a mix of a track I just made within a couple of hours a couple of weeks ago. The visual pro Q 4 compare probably guided me towards doing it a rough mix without really listening quicker so I could spend more time on some of the details instead. Probably won’t use that feature a lot but now and then it is probably useful. I have used the channel comparison feature of pro q 3 a few times on tracks with complicated sonic content. At least 95% of the time I just use Ableton Lives built in EQ8 which isn't surgical but good enough for almost everything I would ever need.
One of the guys who's UA-cam channel I follow (someone suggested best avoided - TB👀 LOL) frequently says in his videos that he always turns the frequency analyser display off because we should use our ears not our eyes.
That's how I see it for the most part, or hear it I should say. Either way great points made by you, but people swear by it for it's speedy workflow and dynamic compression and will make you sick of hearing about it with surgical precision
Learning audio engineering today is a lot easier in some ways (becoming familiar with what an LA2A sounds like without having to get people coffee and work for train fare). But all of the visual feedback built into modern plug-ins can be very distracting and tempting to pay attention to instead of developing critical listening skills. It's been proven that multitasking is a myth (people who claim to be good at multitasking are really just good at switching back and forth between different tasks), and if you're intently staring at something, it's impossible to be totally focused on listening to something at the same time.
If musicians would go back to shopping with their ears instead of their eyes, the gear would actually get better but these days they spend more money on the interface or how it looks than anything else
Yeah I get annoyed with the nit picking surgical mumbo jumbo’s that are afraid of horrifying phase shifting issues but start using eq before even getting the balance right 🥐
The G21 clips in a multi-band fashion, but removes the harmonics that are generated by clipping and redirects those harmonics into powering meters. What a phenomenal invention! Not only do you remove the smeary harmonics that interfere with the delightful clipping, but you use those same harmonics to generate energy that powers the meters. Check it out dudes.
If you're not familiar with the Gyraf G21, I guess the best thing I can compare it to is the Urei 565T (lil' dipper lol). The classic notch and filter device from aeons ago. I got a couple of them. The difference being that the G21 offers insanely innovative clipping opportunity beyond just simple notch cuts and filters.
get good information and know what it sounds like, not what it looks like.
💯%🎯 🔥👊🧡👍🔥
@@drindy5166🫡👊🍰🥐
OTOH the only real difference between digital EQ plugins is generally the user interface/workflow features. Comparing how two different linear digital EQs sound is basically pointless because they should all sound almost identical.
On that note Pro-Q 4 actually added optional frequency dependent saturation modes and spectral dynamics which actually does things to the sound that pro-Q 3 didn't.
I hear you 🙂
For this reason I love AIRWINDOWS plugins so much.
why?
@@cormacsugrue614 Utterly unique and novel approaches to audio processing that provide powerful, uncompromising and unparalleled features... But which involve navigating the most frustratingly minimalist interface you've ever seen in your entire life.
Proud patreon supporter here of Chris' AirWindows.
I've got (well used to have lol) hundreds of plugins, so many that I had to actually wipe my computer to just get rid of their intrusiveness. AirWindows is among the very select few that made it back onto the PC after the wipe.
@@cormacsugrue614 there is NO GUI!
I started my recording life in the 70's working in a studio all analog not a computer anywhere so was mixing and EQing with dials. I miss knobs and dialing around listening to find where and how much to EQ, but looking at the visual makes me pause and take another listen. Like taking a second look at the hot babe holding a croissant.
this is something that definitely needs to be talked about more
Great video! I did a couple of videos where i tried to integrate the fabfilter pro q4 in my working sessions and truly has some features that could save me some time but that listing of eq's was that I taught that will be good to have it but eventually never used it in my sessions as i didn't needed plus the "collision" indicator is trip wire makes you do all the bad decisions...i didn't bought it i just tried out, had the opportunity for those 30 trial days and today is finished; And i fill good in returning to my old habits...
'surgical' is a new one to me. 'organic' is one that sets my teeth on edge, they're almost opposites clean and bright, or dull and dirty. forget the soulful experience of the sound that enters through the ear holes.
Thanks, Tony! 🔥 🥐 🍰
Tony, loved the Steely Dan reference!
iirc "individual microphone equalisation is frowned upon"! from the liner notes on one of their LPs.
Whenever I hear anything is "industry standard" I think - "ok so its all your fault"! I recently had a fit of burning curiousity to see what my digital EQ plug-ins sounded like in comparison to each other. I just boosted a top shelf and a low shelf, and I went through them all. I have many. It was shocking how disappointing 90% of them were, GUI's aside. The one or two exceptions that sounded better have been around a while too. Nothing to do with new tech. Thanks for the honest talk.
Thank you for saying this. I've felt for the longest that this is one of the key reasons for the current state of popular music. People are producing and mixing with their eyes. It sucks!
@@kennydust That ! and most are after the same ‘safe’ sound. Just like every metal production uses kick triggers with the same samples and a 5150 🙃
YOU determine the relationships, that’s the FUN part. It’s like never actually cooking because you’re instead constantly working on developing better ways to extend the shelf life of your ingredients.
So much mixing now seems to be about avoiding mixing. We used to call that sequencing.
💯 on point
I intentionally don’t use any graphic-view EQs in my mixes or videos. Hate them for that very reason.
Real talk Tony.
Amen! Preach!
Oh my god thank you for saying this Tony 😂
The GUI is 95% what sells people on a plugin..its sad
A lot of truth to that for sure. One would hope it is at least a decent interface to achieve desired effect. To me it should not be rocket science lol
👊🧡👍
Agree! I've fallen down that Rabbit hole many times 😢
think all these "surgical" and also the "AI"-driven tools are leading towards a certain sound based on offloading the decision making to the computer. And so anyone that is using their ears to make decisions, to a lot of people going forward it's not gonna sound "clean" enough. An R&B song in the 90s from Whitney or someone like that, and now listening back today the lack of tuning plugins is STARK. So people will say "they sound kinda flat", because they're so used to everything being corrected to be SUPER precise.
*hehe, perfect analysis! This is what I always say and then get flames on the usual forums, groups, whatnot. Love your videos, so refreshing.*
... just recognized the word on your cap 😀 Nifty.
Awesome insight
VST plugin idea, masking as saturation......now with analog emulation!
The Simulacra is already activated.... People would end mixing in Atmos to simulate The Stereo Image Simulacra from Abbey Road Rooms....
Ooo! Talk to them, Tony. Where’s your MasterClass or Black Book special?
I had to finish a mix of a track I just made within a couple of hours a couple of weeks ago. The visual pro Q 4 compare probably guided me towards doing it a rough mix without really listening quicker so I could spend more time on some of the details instead.
Probably won’t use that feature a lot but now and then it is probably useful.
I have used the channel comparison feature of pro q 3 a few times on tracks with complicated sonic content.
At least 95% of the time I just use Ableton Lives built in EQ8 which isn't surgical but good enough for almost everything I would ever need.
One of the guys who's UA-cam channel I follow (someone suggested best avoided - TB👀 LOL) frequently says in his videos that he always turns the frequency analyser display off because we should use our ears not our eyes.
Its the same with photography youtubers.. Too much focus on the gear. Got to have the latest body, lens etc.
That's how I see it for the most part, or hear it I should say.
Either way great points made by you, but people swear by it for it's speedy workflow and dynamic compression and will make you sick of hearing about it with surgical precision
Great points made
Layers 🍰🍰🍰
@@82DC 🔥👊🔥
Great Advice Mr. Tony!!!!!
great advice
L.C.G.... 🍰🍰🍰🍰
🫡👊🍰🥐
Tony thanks for cutting through the bullshit !!!!!!!!!!!
We think the same way, I beg to differ too 🤔
Haha!!! Love it.
In 30 years people will get 2025er pro qs, for nostalgic reasons
Probably next year 😂
Lots of BS out their!! Great topic Legend!
I listen when creating music, not look.
Learning audio engineering today is a lot easier in some ways (becoming familiar with what an LA2A sounds like without having to get people coffee and work for train fare). But all of the visual feedback built into modern plug-ins can be very distracting and tempting to pay attention to instead of developing critical listening skills. It's been proven that multitasking is a myth (people who claim to be good at multitasking are really just good at switching back and forth between different tasks), and if you're intently staring at something, it's impossible to be totally focused on listening to something at the same time.
white hot call-out mr. black
It's a new day and age Tony. Mentorship is dead. Nobodies listening, just watching. Don't waste your time. Don't get spammed.
If musicians would go back to shopping with their ears instead of their eyes, the gear would actually get better but these days they spend more money on the interface or how it looks than anything else
Take the mask off! Turn off the 4k monitor… use you ears 😂
Savage
Yeah I get annoyed with the nit picking surgical mumbo jumbo’s that are afraid of horrifying phase shifting issues but start using eq before even getting the balance right 🥐
If you're going to go surgical EQ, go Gyraf G21 aka Magneto-Dynamic Infundibulum.
The G21 clips in a multi-band fashion, but removes the harmonics that are generated by clipping and redirects those harmonics into powering meters. What a phenomenal invention! Not only do you remove the smeary harmonics that interfere with the delightful clipping, but you use those same harmonics to generate energy that powers the meters.
Check it out dudes.
If you're not familiar with the Gyraf G21, I guess the best thing I can compare it to is the Urei 565T (lil' dipper lol). The classic notch and filter device from aeons ago. I got a couple of them.
The difference being that the G21 offers insanely innovative clipping opportunity beyond just simple notch cuts and filters.