![]() ![]() A few tracks were altered by up to 5dB at one or more frequencies, mostly where the peaks created by a prominent snare sound dominated the mix. On most of the commercial tracks I tried it with, tweaks of no more than a couple of dBs up or down, across two or three frequency bands, were made. It's also great fun (and educational) to apply IntuitQ to commercial tracks, to see how much it changes them. It gave me impressive results on a wide range of unreleased material, mostly providing clearer and better balanced mixes, even though the changes made were often of only a few dBs. But, judging from the majority of tracks I tried it on, I suspect that many people will end up relying totally on IntuitQ. Harbal 's developers recommend trying IntuitQ first, then using the result as a basis for further artistic tweaks. This is exactly what a professional mastering engineer should do, and although no automated EQ algorithm is likely to produce perfect results every time on all types of material, I think the results are extremely good. So if your track is already well mixed and balanced, it's likely to receive only minor changes, while material that needs a bigger helping hand should get it: a boomy bass end might be reduced, a honky mid range or harsh top end improved, or frequency ranges boosted if they're too low in the mix. What IntuitQ won't attempt to do is change the basic sound of your mixes, nor try to completely iron out their characteristic peaks and dips, which is exactly as it should be - after all, if you've spent a long time trying to achieve a particular sound, you don't want it messed with unduly. You can also apply these stages individually, if you prefer, using the Average and Peak buttons situated on either side of the main IntuitQ button. The first stage smooths the average response to minimise masking effects (so that each instrument gets the best chance of being heard) and the second deals with any dominant peaks, to reduce harshness. Instead, a single click on the 'Apply IntuitQ' button initiates a two-stage process that calculates the most appropriate modifications from the track itself, by reducing any prominent frequency bands and filling in any major holes that it finds. IntuitQ is essentially a one-click solution for EQ problems, yet it still avoids the trap of blindly forcing a track's frequency content to match that of some notional 'perfect response'. The result is Harbal 2.0, which incorporates two new features: IntuitQ and HB Air. Nevertheless, some musicians still prefer instant gratification, so Harbal 's developers have donned their thinking caps and have spent some time working on a way to provide an automated solution to EQ problems. The dedicated Harbal forums also provide users with plenty of feedback, plus techniques from professional audio engineers. I was impressed with its utilitarian yet highly usable and informative interface, and by how it allows users to learn by experience, compare their own mixes with commercial releases and educate their ears. Unlike the majority of 'EQ rippers' that attempt to match the frequency content of a destination track to that of a source (often resulting in huge boosts at some frequencies, to compensate for differences in instrumentation or key changes), Harbal encourages a more considered approach. Here you can see how the new one-click IntuitQ function has automatically removed a low-end hole between 80 and 150Hz and reduced a slightly prominent mid-range area (the white trace is the 'before' spectrum and the yellow one shows the results after IntuitQ has been applied).Ĭan Harbal 's new automatic track EQ solve your equalisation problems with one click? We find out, as well as exploring the mysteries of the Windows Driver Model.īack in SOS March 2004, I reviewed the PC-only Harbal ( Harmonic Balancing) application, which provides a sophisticated way to add final tweaks to the EQ of otherwise finished tracks at the pre-mastering stage, by referencing them against well-mixed tracks in various genres. ![]() For instant mastering EQ gratification, take a look at Harbal 2.0. ![]()
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