Are there differences between Filtering and EQing?

[audioicon]

Just Curious, I have have used filters/filtering on all of my Synthsizers but still confused regarding the difference between EQing and Filtering.

 

Is there a difference?

 

Patrick/AI

[MikeRivers]

No difference in the principle, just in the application. Equalization is traditionally used to correct frequency response irregularities. Filtering is traditionally used to get rid of a range of frequencies that you don't want.

 

You equalize to fix that drop in the amplitude of high frequencies when you run 100 miles of telephone line. You filter to get rid of the low frequencies resulting from the subway running under the studio.

 

In the case of a synthesizer, you create a new sound by removing certain frequencies with a filter. You boost certain frequencies by removing what's around what you want to boost.

[UstadKhanAli]

Mike, how easy is that to do with a DAW?

[MikeRivers]

Mike, how easy is that to do with a DAW?

If you don't have too many plug-ins and you can remember what the one you want is called, probably not too difficult. But I find the EQ knobs on my DAWs to be more difficult to operate than the ones on my console.

 

I recall seeing a few analog-emulating soft synths that might work as DAW plug-ins that had what seemed like really good user interfaces I guess they must have been designed by people who were looking at the actual hardware.

[UstadKhanAli]

Mike, I was yankin' yer chain.

 

It's really easy on either, perhaps slightly faster on a console for many functions because you just reach over and grab it, perhaps slightly faster on a DAW for many functions because you can grab a plug-in and copy it onto another track (usually to use as a starting point for tweaking EQ on similar tracks).

[techristian]

I tend to think of filtering as subtractive, IOW taking away frequencies and EQing as additive , boosting frequencies.

 

Dan