From the May 1989 issue of Radio And Production

Tips & Techniques

EQ-ing Voice Tracks
"Reduce Tape Hiss"

by Jerry Vigil

Since "The Voice & the EQ" is this month's feature article, this is a good opportunity to elaborate a bit more on EQ-ing voice tracks. The article describes an exercise to help train the ear. In this exercise, you are told to record voice tracks to 2-track without using any EQ. The exercise suggests that EQ be set while music is being mixed under the voice. For the sake of the exercise, this is fine. This will help you learn what frequencies you will most likely cut or boost on a particular voice. However, in actual production, applying high end boost while recording the voice track can help reduce tape hiss in your final mix.

Let's say you're taking a voice track that will be sent to multi-track later. If you know you will add high boost to the voice track on the final mix, adding part or all of the boost now is best. The reason being, when you boost EQ on the mike, you're only boosting the high frequencies of the voice being recorded. If you boost the highs during a final mix, you're not only boosting the high frequencies of the voice, but you're also boosting those frequencies that are part of the tape hiss.

The basic rule to follow is: Apply the desired high end boost when the audio is being recorded for the first time. If you get a cassette of actualities recorded on the street that need to be edited and used for a spot or promo, EQ them as you transfer them from cassette to reel; this will be the first time you record them. ◙