Phase 7:
EQ Mixing
EQ mixing is the difference between a blend that sounds okay and one that feels like a single track.
Double bass is the biggest beginner mistake. When two kicks run at the same time the mix sounds muddy and overdriven. EQ mixing solves that.
What you learn in this phase
What low, mid and high control
Frequency ranges and what they mean musically — explained in depth
Practising full-travel EQ moves
Using kill and boost deliberately — the craft of EQing
Hearing frequency overlap in the mix
Why two tracks sound muddy together
The bass swap — the most important EQ technique
Low out of track A, low into track B — at the same time, on the downbeat
The high-only intro
Bringing track B in with highs only — then mids and lows step by step
EQ transitions in context: which technique when
Which EQ method suits which situation
Controlling volume during the transition
Keeping the overall level constant through the blend
Recording and analysing an EQ mix
Recording your own EQ transitions and checking them against a list
What you can do after this phase
Every sentence is phrased so that you can check it yourself — on your own tracks, with a number rather than a feeling.
Says in one sentence, for each of the 3 EQ bands, what is missing when it is pulled out, and executes 10 kills on the downbeat.
Reliably hears doubled bass across 3 attempts when two tracks are running with full bass.
Executes 5 bass swaps on the downbeat — in at least 4 the bass stays clean throughout.
Builds 3 high-only transitions, holds each for at least 8 bars, and explains for all 3 techniques when each one fits.
Keeps the overall volume constant across 3 recorded blends and finds one EQ moment to improve in each of 3 of their own recordings.
Practical assessment: EQ mix on tape
This is how you finish the phase on the gear — as a self-check with criteria you count off on your own material. The quiz tests what you know; this shows what you can do.
Record a mix in which the EQ does the work — the faders stay where they are, as far as possible.
The recording contains 5 bass swaps on the downbeat — in at least 4 the bass stays clean throughout.
At least 1 high-only intro holds for 8 bars before the mids come in.
Checked on the level meter: the overall volume stays constant across 3 transitions.
Keep the recording: it's your progress archive — and the basis for real feedback from people, once that exists here.
XP reward
225 XP
after completing this phase + passing the quiz