ABSTRACT
The equalizers used in mixing today are not employed to make one sound equal to another, but to manipulate the frequency content of various mix elements. Equalization and filtering is one area where digital designs overpower their analog counterparts. Many unwanted artifacts in analog designs are easily rectified in the digital domain. Although equalizers are not the only tools that alter frequencies, they are the most common. In simple terms, equalizers change the tonality of signals. The frequency ranges of various mix elements nearly always overlap, a sub-bass being a rare exception. Most instruments end up in a masking war that can, in some mixes at least, get quite bloody. Definition is a subset of separation. Equalizers are not employed solely for practical reasons. Frequency differences between the sound arriving at people's left and right ears are used by their brain for imaging and localization.
