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EQ/Treatment but ONLY at low dynamics

I

I like music

Senior Member
Hi everyone,

I wonder if the following is possible. If I like the tone of a library but find that at the lowest dynamics I would like it brighter, is there some way of applying EQ only when CC1 is below a certain value?

Not sure if I'm even thinking about the problem in the right way. I certainly don't know if this solution is possible, and if so, whether it would help the issue.

Any help massively appreciated!
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MDynamicEQ can do this. You define what you want to apply at low dynamics as static EQ gain, and the inverted amount as dynamic gain. then when the signal is low, you get your static EQ, and when the signal comes above the threshold, the dynamic part kicks in and neutralizes the static part resulting in the flat frequency response. MDynamicEQ is extremely flexibel in shaping the transfer curve, so you can shape the dynamics behavior anyway you want. I often use this to boost treble for low signal, but don't boost for loud signal. that way you can bring out the details of a quiet signal, but don't make a loud signal too harsh.
 
Every proper multi-band compressor should be able to do this. Waves' C4/C6 come to mind: Just raise the treble-band's gain to the desired level in quiet passages and adjust the band's threshold to a value that the compressor will reduce the gain to the unprocessed initial level. Long attack and release times and RMS detection will help, too.
 
I've used FabFilter Pro-MB for this type of thing (e.g. for a glue reverb where I want it to start backing off around mezzo forte) but FabFilter Pro-Q3's new dynamics functionality would work well for what you described. (Edit: on second thought, Pro-Q3 probably not ideal because it doesn't support sidechain filtering. It's still possible to accomplish with multiple instances, but Pro-MB would be easier, if you happen to have it.)
 
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Interesting that you'd want to make it brighter when it gets quieter! Usually it's the other way around - louder and brighter.

But I can certainly see the logic - you want something to be heard when it's quiet.

Dietz said:
Every proper multi-band compressor should be able to do this. Waves' C4/C6 come to mind: Just raise the treble-band's gain to the desired level in quiet passages and adjust the band's threshold to a value that the compressor will reduce the gain to the unprocessed initial level. Long attack and release times and RMS detection will help, too.
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Interesting to read about multiband compression, a process that I've managed to escape using.

However, does anyone remember Arboretum Hyperprism? It was an EQ with individual thresholds for each of I believe 100 bands. Very clever.

(The programmer's name was Chris, and it's very annoying that I can't think of his last name. Very nice guy, left to go to work for Microsoft.)
 
Multiband compression might do the trick, as others have suggested, although it will affect everything. If using Kontakt, it might be possible to add an EQ on the sources samples, and tie band gains to the mod wheel. Although I’m not sure if this can be done on an individual sample level, or would have to be on the group level... If it’s the whole group, the EQ would also affect any high velocity samples that may be playing simultaneously, in which case Multiband compression might be preferable.
 
I dunno what DAW you are using, but I just checked and it is extremely easy in Reaper to do parameter modulation on an EQ plugin's bypass control, while adjusting the offset parameter to taste. This way, the EQ is bypassed once CC1 (or whatever) passes a certain threshold (as determined by the offset parameter). I'd imagine any DAW can do something similar, but I wouldn't know how.

Of course, this would first require you to set Kontakt to pass incoming MIDI CC's to the "outside world" in the settings->engine window (assuming the EQ is on the same track as the Kontakt instance anyway; if not, some routing legwork would be required first) so that your CC1 info is not selfishly gobbled up by Kontakt exclusively before the EQ can get ahold of it.

edit: Thinking about it more, if automating "bypass" creates a pop/click upon engage, perhaps you could automate an EQ band's gain this way instead.
 
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halfwalk said:
edit: Thinking about it more, if automating "bypass" creates a pop/click upon engage, perhaps you could automate an EQ band's gain this way instead.
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I was just replying to say this. Not just a pop, but an abrupt frequency change. So automating the gain is better. It's a clever idea and it would work well if you want to modulate based on CC1 rather than the audio itself.
 
tack said:
They added external sidechaining, but there's no sidechain filtering, whether internal or external. This is useful if e.g. you want to adjust the higher frequencies based on the amplitude of the midrange. Pro-MB has this feature though.
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Stick a filter in the sidechain path yourself if you're using a plug-in that doesn't have it and that's what you want.
 
Isn't the easiest way to do using your CC1 to also control a wet/dry mix, with 100% dry at high values, and at low values sending some signal to the EQ effect? Won't get any abrubt clicking like with a hard bypass. Unlike a sidechain, you're actually basing things on your CC1 level and not on volume, which might actually work out better or worse, depending on the sound, but could make a huge difference if very high notes have low amplitudes even at high dynamics.

I guess you'd need an EQ that you can run at partly wet without phase issues, though.
 
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