EQ and filters

EQ changes the frequency balance rather than turning a fundamental note into another note. A bell filter has Frequency, Gain, and Q. Positive Gain raises that region; negative Gain reduces it. High Q is narrower; low Q is wider. Width may work in the opposite direction to Q.

Graphic EQ has fixed band centers. Parametric EQ lets you choose frequency, gain, and Q; semi-parametric EQ exposes only some of them. A shelf changes the low or high region and then levels off. Low cut means high-pass; high cut means low-pass. A cut has a transition and slope, rather than a wall that removes every frequency beyond the cutoff. A notch makes a narrow, deep reduction; Tilt rotates the balance around a Pivot.

Prism offers Graphic 6, Studio Parametric, and Tilt. Tone Assist/Parametric EQ has ten bands and detailed controls. Its local guitar recommendations are not an AI model that reconstructs a pickup or reference sound. Suggestions do not automatically make music good. Static EQ differs from dynamic EQ, which changes a band's gain according to the signal.

Focus is a low-pass filter with resonance near its cutoff. Vowel/Wah sweeps a filter manually or follows the envelope in Auto Wah. Resonance can raise peaks even while the high end is cut. Wah changes frequency color rather than playing a new pitch.

To find a problem, use a moderate bell and move its center while playing the same phrase, then choose Q/Gain as needed. Narrow cuts are not the default for every band. Raising treble for brightness can also reveal hiss or fizz. EQ before drive affects distortion formation; EQ afterward shapes the resulting spectrum. A flat EQ curve does not require a flat guitar spectrum.

Concept references

• FabFilter — EQ band controls
• FabFilter — EQ manual