Using EQ to shape the tone of a sound

Next to Volume Automation, EQ will most likely be one of your most often-used tools. The concept of EQ is simple enough; you raise and lower specific frequencies’ dB levels within a sound to emphasize or reduce the bass, mids, treble tones, and everything in between, but where a lot of people struggle is homing in on which tones need to be adjusted. There’s no easy way through it; good use of EQ takes practice, ear training, and time. However, it’s extremely helpful to know the ins and outs of an EQ plugin as it will offer you some of the fundamental ways EQ should be used. It’s also beneficial that the stock EQ plugins for Pro Tools are quite functional as well.

Getting ready

For this session, you will need a Pro Tools session with a single mono audio track. The track should contain an audio clip.

Make sure in your Pro Tools session that the Inserts column is shown in the Edit Window. You can do this by going...