- Why no visual graphic equalisation curve ?
- What is the musical difference between sweeping with a visual interface or a knob ?
- Is AirEQ supposed to be totally transparent or does it use "colouring" or "analog" style algorithms?
- What is the Air Band ?
- Ultra low Q Filters
- What’s new about Air EQ's workflow?
- Why an interface with knobs is ergonomic ?
- Why zero-delay is important ?
- AirEQ is very efficient. Is there any compromise in quality ?
- Is there any oversampling in AirEQ ?
- Is AirEQ using FFT or another non-temporal technique ?
Why no visual graphic equalisation curve ?
Of course it is just our opinion, resulting from our experience as mixing engineers : trust your ears, not what you see. We found that it is often better to forget WYSIWYG interfaces - you create your music with your ears first.
Our interface was designed to let you hear what you're doing instead of dealing with the pretty equalization curve you’re making on the screen.
Obviously using one user interface or the other is also a matter of taste, but we honestly think that dealing with a curve will not help you to keep focused on the sound, and to find the right equalization.
Of course it is just our opinion, resulting from our experience as mixing engineers : trust your ears, not what you see. We found that it is often better to forget WYSIWYG interfaces - you create your music with your ears first.
Our interface was designed to let you hear what you're doing instead of dealing with the pretty equalization curve you’re making on the screen.
Obviously using one user interface or the other is also a matter of taste, but we honestly think that dealing with a curve will not help you to keep focused on the sound, and to find the right equalization.
What is the musical difference between sweeping with a visual interface or a knob ?
In fact, on paragraphic EQs, and on many other EQs, when you sweep a parameter, you change equalization values according to, let's say, mathematical units.
For example, when you add 1 dB to the gain parameter, you add 1 dB to the top of your equalization curve, whatever your original gain or filter Q is. Mathematical.
The AirEQ's approach is slightly different, because we wanted to tune the different parameters in a more "musical" way, let's say, according to musical units. When you add 1 dB to your gain parameter, you want to "hear" the same "1dB sensation" of boost, whatever your original gain or filter Q is. Musical.
It means that some of the AirEQ's parameters have not a linear tuning, but used with knobs it's very convenient, you just hear that it's more natural and musical, in any case we hope that AirEQ will be appreciated like a "musical tool".
With a visual interface, it is difficult, and maybe not very convenient, to develop and to use such non-linear parameter tuning.
In fact, on paragraphic EQs, and on many other EQs, when you sweep a parameter, you change equalization values according to, let's say, mathematical units.
For example, when you add 1 dB to the gain parameter, you add 1 dB to the top of your equalization curve, whatever your original gain or filter Q is. Mathematical.
The AirEQ's approach is slightly different, because we wanted to tune the different parameters in a more "musical" way, let's say, according to musical units. When you add 1 dB to your gain parameter, you want to "hear" the same "1dB sensation" of boost, whatever your original gain or filter Q is. Musical.
It means that some of the AirEQ's parameters have not a linear tuning, but used with knobs it's very convenient, you just hear that it's more natural and musical, in any case we hope that AirEQ will be appreciated like a "musical tool".
With a visual interface, it is difficult, and maybe not very convenient, to develop and to use such non-linear parameter tuning.
Is AirEQ supposed to be totally transparent or does it use "colouring" or "analog" style algorithms?
The "transparent" or "coloured" aspect of an EQ is a matter of taste for each user, but we would say that AirEQ have been designed to be a very transparent analog-coloured EQ !!
More seriously, we studied several major EQs of the market, digital and analog, and we discovered that some issues about EQs was not coherent regarding purely technical arguments. So, before building a "coloured" or "transparent" EQ, we built up a "MUSICAL" EQ.
The "transparent" or "coloured" aspect of an EQ is a matter of taste for each user, but we would say that AirEQ have been designed to be a very transparent analog-coloured EQ !!
More seriously, we studied several major EQs of the market, digital and analog, and we discovered that some issues about EQs was not coherent regarding purely technical arguments. So, before building a "coloured" or "transparent" EQ, we built up a "MUSICAL" EQ.
What is the Air Band ?
The Air Band is a special filter designed to enhance and refresh high frequencies. It is not an exciter, but the shape of this filter allows to boost the highs in a very gentle way. It may be particularly useful on vocals, old records, cymbals, etc…
Please be aware that using the Air Band can result in a harsh sound if you push the gain too far : extreme setting are useful only for adding high frequencies to old records or tracks with a important lack of high frequencies. Normal use of the Air Band should be up to 6dB of boost, above 6dB of boost, it may produces clipping and harsh sound.
The Air Band is a special filter designed to enhance and refresh high frequencies. It is not an exciter, but the shape of this filter allows to boost the highs in a very gentle way. It may be particularly useful on vocals, old records, cymbals, etc…
Please be aware that using the Air Band can result in a harsh sound if you push the gain too far : extreme setting are useful only for adding high frequencies to old records or tracks with a important lack of high frequencies. Normal use of the Air Band should be up to 6dB of boost, above 6dB of boost, it may produces clipping and harsh sound.
Ultra low Q Filters
AirEQ have ultra low Q filters. This allows, for example, to have very gentle cuts for low pass filters so you can cut high frequency very smoothly; which is very useful in common situations.
Standard digital filters are know to have warped curves in their low pass filters, that's why it's impossible with standard digital filters to have gentle high cuts.
With AirEQ, the equalization curve is always very close to the analog reference, no matter the Q factor.
Smooth filtering is one of the secrets of a good equalizer. Sharp filtering produces unnatural results, in both non-linear or linear phase filtering techniques.
AirEQ's Q factors goes from 0.05 to 7 for bell filters, from 0.3 to 4 for shelves filters, from 0.05 to 4 for low and high pass filters.
AirEQ have ultra low Q filters. This allows, for example, to have very gentle cuts for low pass filters so you can cut high frequency very smoothly; which is very useful in common situations.
Standard digital filters are know to have warped curves in their low pass filters, that's why it's impossible with standard digital filters to have gentle high cuts.
With AirEQ, the equalization curve is always very close to the analog reference, no matter the Q factor.
Smooth filtering is one of the secrets of a good equalizer. Sharp filtering produces unnatural results, in both non-linear or linear phase filtering techniques.
AirEQ's Q factors goes from 0.05 to 7 for bell filters, from 0.3 to 4 for shelves filters, from 0.05 to 4 for low and high pass filters.
What’s new about Air EQ's workflow?
AirEQ was designed to let you work more intuitively and quickly. Many simple and innovative features have been included in AirEQ:
AirEQ was designed to let you work more intuitively and quickly. Many simple and innovative features have been included in AirEQ:
- Many keyboards shorcuts, like max gain on Alt-click
- “Kick” enable/disable for fast comparison
- Coarse/fine/snap tuning
- Presets, with sorting options and additional information for each preset
- A/B comparison of two tuning sets
- Display options
- And much more
Why an interface with knobs is ergonomic ?
Using knobs allowed us to develop several features, which are very useful while mixing : max gain on alt-click, value snaps, different tuning precisions, etc.. that cannot be easily implemented and used with a paragraphic interface.
With a paragraphic interface, it's very difficult to obtain "musical" variations of the parameters when you search for the right equalization of a track.
With AirEQ, equalization parameters are tuned in a very special, and musical way. The result is intended to be more ergonomic and more suitable to many mixing situations.
Using knobs allowed us to develop several features, which are very useful while mixing : max gain on alt-click, value snaps, different tuning precisions, etc.. that cannot be easily implemented and used with a paragraphic interface.
With a paragraphic interface, it's very difficult to obtain "musical" variations of the parameters when you search for the right equalization of a track.
With AirEQ, equalization parameters are tuned in a very special, and musical way. The result is intended to be more ergonomic and more suitable to many mixing situations.
Why zero-delay is important ?
Nowadays, most sequencers have a built-in delay compensation system. But when you want to use your equalization during tracking and recording, it's better to have zero-delay equalization.
And even when you mix or record a song, if you use or play live some midi tracks with virtual instruments, the delay compensation of your sequencer cannot do anything on the virtual instrument's tracks.
It is also very important to have zero delay in live mixing situation. Indeed "live" means no delay !
Nowadays, most sequencers have a built-in delay compensation system. But when you want to use your equalization during tracking and recording, it's better to have zero-delay equalization.
And even when you mix or record a song, if you use or play live some midi tracks with virtual instruments, the delay compensation of your sequencer cannot do anything on the virtual instrument's tracks.
It is also very important to have zero delay in live mixing situation. Indeed "live" means no delay !
AirEQ is very efficient. Is there any compromise in quality ?
No. AirEQ's algorithm was designed to be very efficient without any quality sacrifice. There was exhaustive research and development for AirEQ to obtain excellent sounding algorithms with low CPU usage.
Today, only the AMLT® filtering technology, which is developed and exclusive to Eliosound, allows to have such high filtering quality at an astonishingly low CPU cost!
No. AirEQ's algorithm was designed to be very efficient without any quality sacrifice. There was exhaustive research and development for AirEQ to obtain excellent sounding algorithms with low CPU usage.
Today, only the AMLT® filtering technology, which is developed and exclusive to Eliosound, allows to have such high filtering quality at an astonishingly low CPU cost!
Is there any oversampling in AirEQ ?
No. There is absolutely no oversampling in AirEQ. AMLT® technology gives a sound quality and a curve precision ultra-close to the analog reference, but without the drawbacks of oversampling, which are mainly processing delay, cpu consumption and imperfections of anti-aliasing filters.
No. There is absolutely no oversampling in AirEQ. AMLT® technology gives a sound quality and a curve precision ultra-close to the analog reference, but without the drawbacks of oversampling, which are mainly processing delay, cpu consumption and imperfections of anti-aliasing filters.
Is AirEQ using FFT or another non-temporal technique ?
No. AirEQ uses only temporal techniques, and that's the only way to have smooth results, without processing approximation or decimation. It also doesn't use shortened impulse response calculation techniques, which introduces some artefacts in the sound.
Moreover, temporal techniques are the only way to have a zero-delay processing.
No. AirEQ uses only temporal techniques, and that's the only way to have smooth results, without processing approximation or decimation. It also doesn't use shortened impulse response calculation techniques, which introduces some artefacts in the sound.
Moreover, temporal techniques are the only way to have a zero-delay processing.
