DJ EQ: LESS BOOSTY

So, I’ve got a few more things on my mind about Analog that I want to share, but I’m interrupting that stream of consciousness to bring you the latest update to my DJ EQ. (You’ll definitely want to read those tips and get the basic EQ rack put together before digging into this one.)

My original EQ rack went from -30dB of cut to +15dB of boost, which is similar to what you’ll find on a DJ mixer, but not exactly. 15dB is an awful lot of boost – it’s more typical for a mixer to give you only +6.  My approach has been to just be careful when boosting, but I’ve always wanted to fix this. It just occurred to me how simple it is.

The DJ EQ rack utilizes two different EQ 8 devices. These modifications all apply to the first one. To get started, set up Filter 4 so its settings exactly match Filter 1. These are my settings (If you’ve changed them use yours).

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Then, map the Filter Activator switch for Filter 4 to the Macro called “Lo”.

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This means Filter 4 will now turn on when Lo is turned past it’s midway point. That’s good.

Next, map the Gain knob to Lo as well.

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Here’s the trick: in the mapping browser, change the range of this Gain knob to go from +9 to -9.

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Perfect! This filter will now apply a 9dB cut as Filter 1 does a 15dB boost causing the boost to max out at +6:

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Repeat this process for the other bands and you’re done.

Ok, something funny just happened. As a result of writing this tip, another way to do this just popped into my head. I’m going to mull it over for a minute, but I think I might like it better.