The matching EQ allows you to automatically equalize a mix based on the spectrum or frequency response of another recording. The matching EQ is a digital linear phase EQ, with the ability to use over 8,000 bands of frequencies for very precise matching. The following steps explain how to use the Matching EQ.
Capturing your Source and Target spectrums and applying matching EQ
Oct 05, 2017 Ozone's EQ Matching feature is back and better than ever! Capture a target EQ Curve and make your track's EQ Curve similar in a couple mouse clicks! Matching the EQ curve. Eq matching has become a popular way to either match or separate instruments quickly. With that in mind it helps to know which EQ Matching plugin offers the most for your money. We decided to compare two of the most popular equalizers with EQ matching software, the Izotope Ozone 6 Equalizer, and the FabFilter Pro Q 3.
The Matching EQ works hand in hand with spectrum snapshots to 'borrow' the spectrum of an audio clip and apply it to another. Therefore, the first step is to take snapshots of two spectrums - the mix you want to EQ and the recording that has the spectrum you want to match.
1. Select the Snaphots tab in the lower-left of the spectrum window and select Matching under EQ Mode.
2.Load the recording that you want to use for your EQ curve in your host audio application.
3. Now, while the recording is playing back, hit the Start Capture button to begin capturing the spectrum and Stop Capture when you have captured the portion of the recording you wish to apply to another mix. This snapshot will now be added to the list on the right where it may be renamed and have its color and opacity in the spectrum display adjusted.
Snapshot Time: This new setting allows you to determine how the spectrum is averaged. Instead of displaying only the infinite average of the spectrum, it will also calculate and display an overall average spectrum for your mix using either real-time or a 1, 3, 5, or 10 second average. While this isn't technically necessary for using the Matching EQ, you most likely want to match the overall spectrum of a mix, as opposed to an instantaneous spectrum.
5.Now repeat the previous steps with the new mix that you would like to match with the recording you captured previously. You will now have two snapshots listed in the snapshots menu.
6. Now click Matching tab and select “Match From” next to the second snapshot of the recording you want to be affected and select “Apply To” next to the snapshot of the first mix that has your desired frequency curve.
7. Click Match and a new red filter curve will appear which will conform the spectrum of the second mix to the spectrum of the first mix.
8. Use the Amount and Smoothing tools to adjust how aggressively your mix will be matched to the originally captured recording as well as the sharpness of the EQ curves’ peaks and valleys.
Matching Tips
·As you increase the Matching amount, you'll notice a red EQ curve appearing. Most likely, the more you increase the Matching amount the more 'jagged' this Matching EQ curve will become, with increasing peaks and valleys.
·A Matching amount of 100% and a Smoothing amount of 0 might be technically the closest match to your “Apply to” mix, but in reality it's probably not the most effective combination of settings. Those settings will try to capture every peak, valley and level, which can result in extreme (unnatural) EQs.
·Instead, we suggest working with the Matching amount around 50%. If your Matching EQ curve has narrow peaks and valleys, increase the Smoothing parameter to smooth them out. Your goal is to capture the overall tonal shape of the Source - an overall tone as opposed to an exact match.
·Adjust manually as necessary. Close the Snapshots window, and you'll notice that you can still use the manual EQ nodes to further adjust the equalization. It may not be necessary, but feel free to further 'season to taste' manually.
· Matching settings are universal for both of Ozone 5’s Equalizers so you may only perform matching with one EQ in the signal chain.
Overview
Ozone’s versatile Equalizer allows you to add warmth and character with analog-matched filters, or precisely boost and cut frequencies with digital linear-phase filters. In the main Ozone plug-in and Ozone application, you have access to two EQ modules: EQ & Post EQ. The EQ is also available as a component plug-in of Ozone 8 Advanced.
EQ Views
Ozone’s EQ module contains three different views for working with the EQ.
Spectrum View
This view offers a simple overview of all eight bands of EQ, allowing you to work with key parameters of all eight bands at the same time, including frequency, gain, bandwidth (Q), and individual band bypass.
The nodes on the EQ display mark each of the eight EQ bands. You can adjust an EQ band by clicking on a node and dragging:
Izotope Rx 6 Eq Match
- Horizontally to change the frequency of the band.
- Vertically to change the gain of the band.
- Drag the “handles” on each side of the band to adjust the bandwidth (Q) of the EQ band, by dragging with the mouse and widening the band.
- You can also use your mouse or trackpad’s scroll action to widen/narrow a selected band.
As you adjust the nodes you will see different curves. The white curve is the composite of all EQ bands, while the selected band shows as a thin line in the band’s specific color.
All Bands View
This view allows you to view the numerical parameters (Frequency/Gain/Q) for all eight bands at the same time, and adjust them by clicking and dragging on the numerical entries, or double-clicking the field and typing in the desired numerical value. In this view you can also bypass any band of the EQ by clicking on the graphical “power” button at the top of each band column.
Detailed Band View
In this view, you select an individual band to adjust by selecting that band’s tab in the interface window; the rest of the interface then displays a deeper set of parameters to adjust for that band including the parameters above, but also the specific filter type, as well as the matching function.
This view contains the following controls:
ANALOG/DIGITAL
Sets the global EQ filter algorithm.
- Analog: Emulates classic analog EQ sounds with added coloring. This mode utilizes IIR (Infinite Impulse Response) filters.
- Digital: More precise, clinical-sounding EQ models. This mode utilizes FIR (Finite Impulse Response) filters.
When Digital mode is enabled, two additional parameters become available:
- PHASE When using the Equalizer in Digital mode, you have access to a phase slider for each of the EQ bands. When the Phase slider is set to 0%, the currently selected band will have a Linear phase response. When the Phase slider is set to 100%, the currently selected band will have a Minimum phase response.
- SURGICAL MODE Enabling Surgical Mode changes the filter curves to less musical, but far more precise shapes.
FILTER SHAPES
In both Analog and Digital modes, Ozone provides the ability to set the type or shape of any of the eight EQ nodes. Any node can be set to any of the following types of EQ filter types:
- The Low-Pass and High-Pass filters are Butterworth filters; optimized for maximum flatness without ripple or resonance in the passband or stopband.
- The Brickwall Low-Pass/High-Pass filters are elliptic filters; optimized for steepness with minimal ripple in the passband and stopband.
- The Vintage-type filters exhibit a complimentary frequency dip, modeled after the renowned Pultec analog Equalizer, creating a complex slope with one node.
FREQUENCY/GAIN/BANDWIDTH (Q)
Individual parameter adjust mode also lets you adjust the frequency, gain, and bandwidth for the currently selected band. You can adjust them graphically, as with the Spectrum View, but in this view you can also adjust them by clicking and dragging on the numerical parameters (frequency/gain) and the numerical parameter (bandwidth, aka Q).
Matching EQ
The Matching EQ is a digital linear-phase EQ, with the ability to use over 8,000 bands of frequencies for very precise matching.
Matching EQ Workflow
To access the Matching EQ panel, navigate to the Detailed Band View of the EQ and click the Matching button (directly below the Analog/Digital buttons).
CAPTURE A SOURCE CURVE
Press the Capture button under the Source curve header and playback the track you are working on to begin taking a snapshot. Press the Stop button to stop capturing and freeze the current shape of the curve.
After the Source curve is captured, the resulting curve will be displayed in yellow in the EQ spectrum area.
If you aren’t happy with the curve you captured, press the Clear button to clear the source curve and try again.
CAPTURE/SELECT A TARGET CURVE
If you have a track you’d like to match your curve to, choose the “Custom” option. Import the track and ensure the audio will pass through Ozone. In the application, you can import the target track to your session and capture the curve when that track tab is selected. All tracks share a common target curve in the Ozone application. Custom Target curves will appear in blue in the spectrum area.
You can also choose “Pink Noise” or “6dB Guide” preset target curves instead of capturing your own.
Izotope Ozone Eq Matching
Pink Noise & 6dB Guide Target Curves
- These snapshots represent the high-frequency decay found in many commercial recordings. You can use this as a guide to compare to your own spectrum.
- In general, many recordings follow the 6 dB slope, while some newer recordings are tending towards a brighter Pink Noise spectrum.
- You cannot adjust the overall level or position of these guides, but instead use it as a representative slope for your spectrum. It is the slope of the spectrum (as opposed to the absolute level of the mix) that defines the tonal balance.
MATCHED CURVE SETTINGS
After setting the Source and Target curves, you can enable the Matched EQ Curve by pressing the power button to the left of the Matching button. A white curve will appear that represents the Matched curve shape. This curve will update to based on the Amount and Smoothing settings.
Matching eq notes
- A Matched Curve amount of 100% and a Smoothing amount of 0% might be technically the closest match to your “Reference” mix, but in reality it’s probably not the most effective combination of settings. Those settings will try to capture every peak, valley, and level, which can result in extreme, unnatural EQs.
- We suggest working with the Matched Curve amount under 50%. If your Matching EQ curve has narrow peaks and valleys, increase the Smoothing parameter to smooth them out. Your goal is to capture the overall tonal shape of the Reference as opposed to an exact match.
- Click on the Analog or Digital buttons to go back to the Main View. You’ll notice that you can still use the EQ nodes to further adjust the equalization. It may not be necessary, but feel free to further “season to taste” manually.
M/S & L/R Modes
Eq Match Ozone 9
The Equalizer module can offers Stereo, Mid/Side & Left/Right processing modes. See the Processing Mode section of the Common Module Controls chapter for more details.
Meter Scales
- EQ GAIN SCALE: Gain scale for the EQ curve is displayed on the right side of the spectrum window.
- SPECTRUM MAGNITUDE SCALE: Spectrum magnitude (dB) scale is displayed on the left side of the spectrum window.
- SPECTRUM FREQUENCY SCALE: Spectrum & EQ curve frequency scale is displayed along the top of the spectrum window.
note
- The scales for the EQ and spectrum are different, by design. If they were made to match, you wouldn’t see enough of the spectrum for it to be useful. The frequency scale in grey applies to both the EQ and the spectrum.
- You can set options for the spectrum by accessing the Spectrum Options tab or right-clicking the spectrum and selecting “Spectrum Options” from the context menu.
Alt-Solo
Izotope Eq Match Pro
If you hold down the Alt key and click on the spectrum, you have an “audio magnifying glass” that lets you hear only the frequencies that are under the mouse cursor, without affecting your actual EQ settings. This is useful for pinpointing the location of a problem frequency in the mix without changing your actual EQ bands. Releasing the mouse button returns the sound to the actual EQ. You can set the default bandwidth of this filter in the EQ Options screen under “Alt-Solo Filter Q.”