Dynamic EQ is a specialized type of EQ which gives you an additional ability over a typical parametric EQ. This is the ability to attenuate or boost a certain frequency range exclusively when that particular range reaches a certain threshold in gain. Let’s talk how to use dynamic EQ and why it’s oftentimes preferable over static or regular EQ.
How to Use Dynamic EQ
My favorite dynamic EQ also happens to be my favorite EQ in general in FabFilter Pro-Q 3 (check out my FabFilter Pro Q 3 review to see why I call this my desert island plugin).
Also check out TDR Nova as my pick for the best free EQ alternative which also features dynamic EQ capabilities so you can try this in your own mix.
Essentially dynamic EQ is a simplified multiband compressor but for more surgical adjustments. That’s part of the appeal of dynamic EQ; it’s incredibly simple to use.
The only parameters you generally have to adjust are frequency range/center, threshold, and dynamic range:
Frequency Range/Center
This is self-explanatory, but this is the range you’re adjusting with the dynamic cut or boost. If you set the center at 5k and adjust the Q so to extend to 1000Hz on either side, 5k will experience the largest adjustment while the surrounding 1000Hz on either side will also be adjusted, albeit not as aggressively.
Threshold
This is the driving operator in how to use dynamic EQ – the threshold. Like a compressor’s threshold, this determines what volume the audio needs to hit before any adjustment is made.
The difference here is that, similar to a multiband compressor, it’s frequency specific.
If you’re targeting 5k, it’s not going to adjust anything at 10k (obvious but worth mentioning).
Setting the threshold lower means that more of that frequency range will exceed that threshold, resulting in a greater adjustment being made.
Dynamic Range
This is where you determine how aggressive the adjustment is allowed to be with a max cut or boost range. In Pro-Q 3, you simply click on the gain wheel and pull it down or up for a cut or boost, respectively.
Pulling it to -10dB means that it will result in a max cut of -10dB, though a larger max also means that it will adjustment more on average than a smaller max.
Of course it’s still dependent on the frequency behavior in that range itself; if there’s nothing happening at 15k, then no adjustment will be made. If there’s a lot of frequency information there in the audio, it will result in a larger adjustment.
The beauty and appeal of dynamic EQ is that it results in a much more transparent adjustment to your audio. Not only is it frequency specific, but it only adjusts as the situation calls for it when that threshold is exceeded. It also doesn’t affect the phase of your audio as drastically as static cuts do because the adjustments are smaller and less frequent.
This is why I frequently recommend dynamic EQ adjustments for certain problems on various types of instruments in my EQ cheat sheet.
When to Use Dynamic EQ
Because dynamic EQ is transparent while maintaining its efficacy, you can use it in place of a lot of instances when you would reach for your normal/static EQ. These include:
Plosives on Vocals
Plosive sounds are those surges you get on your vocal as a result of the microphone picking up shots of air particularly on “P” consonants. To make the percussive “P” sound, we quickly part our lips and let out a small surge of air. Without (or even sometimes with) a pop screen properly in place (lots of “P” sounds in that sentence!), the microphone can pick up these surges.
In my overview on how to remove plosives from vocals, I identified that plosive sounds are especially prominent at roughly 150Hz.
A dynamic EQ cut at 150Hz ensures that the fundamental, body, and depth of our vocal remains intact 99% of the time and that this range only gets pulled down that remaining 1% of the time when we get a surge here via a plosive.
Cleaning Up Mud
The 400-600Hz region isn’t flattering for most instruments.
While a static cut here typically isn’t a liability, for a more transparent adjustment you can cut here to clean up a lot of the mix mud only when it really builds up.
This actually makes the rest of your track sound cleaner and brighter by placing a greater emphasis on the high end via subtractive EQ.
Nasal Vocal
A nasally voice typically manifests from a surplus in the 1-2k range.
With a lot of vocals I get, it’s not a constant nasally sound; the effect becomes more pronounced on certain words, syllables, etc.
This is why a dynamic EQ cut of a few dB (both for the dynamic range max and the threshold), particularly around 1000Hz, works really well to tame that effect in the vocal.
Identify the worst offending nasally instances in the vocal and set the threshold so that this instance exceeds it by a few dB.
Harsh Frequencies
At 3-5k certain vocals can grate. Honestly a lot of instruments from cymbals to synths to distorted guitar can be harsh to the ear.
You can smooth these out similar to the nasally voice, targeting the worst offending moments and setting the threshold and range accordingly.
Attenuating Sibilance
Normally you’d reach for a de-esser or a multiband compressor in this spot (see my guide on taming vocal sibilance), but a dynamic EQ can smooth out the exaggerations of certain consonants like “S” and “T” sounds in that 5-8k range.
These are easy to target; just find some of the worst offending “S” sounds and set the threshold and dynamic range to reduce the gain by a few dB to clean up sibilance in your vocal without taking away the clarity or crispness of it.
The next time you go to make an adjustment in your audio, consider if the problem is something which would benefit from a static cut or a dynamic cut.
If it’s the case of high passing where you want to constantly remove unnecessary and unmusical frequencies below a certain point, a static cut makes sense. If it’s an occasional problem which is only coming through on certain notes with instruments or sounds in a vocal, consider a dynamic EQ cut for a more transparent solution.
