#195: How I Fixed My Mix with One Simple Move... EQ Automation

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Having trouble getting your build-ups and drops to land with real impact? In this episode of Inside The Mix, host Marc Matthews reveals how he tackled that exact issue in his latest single, “Half-Life”, using a simple but powerful technique—EQ automation.

Marc walks listeners through when to use EQ automation instead of static EQ, explaining how dynamic frequency changes can bring more contrast and tension to a mix. He shares how EQ automation can enhance your mix by creating energy shifts that static processing just can't achieve.

You’ll hear how Marc applied a high-pass filter from 250Hz to 2kHz on both kick and bass during the build, dramatically increasing impact when those frequencies return at the drop. He outlines best practices for automating EQ in a DAW and highlights creative uses of EQ automation in sound design—from subtle movement to full-on transitions.

Whether you're producing electronic, pop, or cinematic tracks, this episode offers a practical technique you can apply immediately. Marc also explains how keeping a playlist of reference tracks is key to overcoming creative blocks. Don’t forget to check the description for a free discovery call where Marc can help elevate your mix, workflow, and overall sound.

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Episode Transcript

Marc Matthews (00:00):
I always start with a reference track right at
the beginning of the productionphase.
So when I'm actuallysongwriting, producing, I have a
reference track and usuallywhat happens is I'll be out and
about listening to the radio andI hear a song and I add it to
this Spotify playlist I have.
I'm thinking, right, I'll comeback to that and I'm going to
use that as a reference for asong, because I really like the
idea.
There might be a certainsection of the song I like.
There might be a sound design,a vocal, a melody, whatever it

(00:22):
is, and the song, in thisinstance, is no Bad Vibes.
You're listening to the Insidethe Mix podcast with your host,
mark Matthews.
Welcome to Inside the Mix, yourgo-to podcast for music
creation and production.
Whether you're crafting yourfirst track or refining your

(00:43):
mixing skills, join me each weekfor expert interviews,
practical tutorials and insightsto help you level up your music
and smash it in the musicindustry.
Let's dive in.
Hey folks, welcome to Insidethe Mix.
In this episode, I am liftingthe lid on one of my favorite
kick and bass drum creativetechniques, and I use this in my
latest single, half-life, whichdropped at the beginning of May

(01:03):
.
Click the link in the episodedescription to give it a spin.
Before we do that, if you are aproducer or artist stuck in
your tracks and you need a bitof help just to break through
creative blocks and elevate yoursound, then click the link in
the episode description and booka free producer potential
discovery call with me.
Alternatively, you can visit mywebsite,
wwwsynthmusicmasteringcom, andtogether we'll audit your

(01:25):
workflow, uncover keyimprovement areas and map out
one thing you can do right nowto move forward.
So to schedule your free callwith me, jump on my calendar,
click the link in the episodedescription or visit
synthmusicmasteringcom.
This build section and I waskind of thinking you know what?
It sounds a bit boring.
What can I do with the kick andbass to make it a bit more

(01:47):
interesting?
And I thought automation.
But before I did thinkautomation, I actually used my
reference track, and this is whyI always bang out, bang on
about reference tracks in thispodcast, because I always start
with the reference track rightat the beginning of the
production phase.
So when I'm actuallysongwriting, producing, I have a
reference track and usuallywhat happens is I'll be out and
about listening to the radio andI hear a song and I add it to

(02:09):
the Spotify playlist I have.
I'm thinking right, I'll comeback to that and I'm going to
use that as a reference for asong.
So I really like the idea theremight be a certain section of
the song I like.
There might be a sound design,a vocal, a melody, whatever it
is, and the song in thisinstance is no bad vibes and
I've got it here as my reference.
And there's a bit in the buildof that tune that I really liked

(02:29):
the bass and the kick.
I can only assume that it is ahigh pass filter that is
automating and moving up.
So I'll play the reference foryou.
So it's this build section here.
Just make sure I'm at the build, it's approximate because it's
this build section here.
Just make sure I'm at the build, it's approximate because it's
not the same tempo.
And then we'll do it all overagain, bringing on the new, best

(02:55):
lives forever.
So you can hear there it buildsand there is a high pass filter
, a low cut and as it getstowards the end of the build,
it's automating and moving up.

(03:16):
So we're really only hearingthat high mid range of the kick
drum and a bit of the mid rangeof the bass and then when the
chorus kicks in, or the droprather, you get that emphasis.
There's that contrast thatnight and day between the two
and I thought you know what?
That's what I'm going to use inmy production for Half-Life.
So this is what I did, startingwith the kick drum.
I've got the Logic Pro Basic EQat the end of my plug-in chain

(03:39):
here and basically I've got itautomated.
So when it comes to the build,the kick drum, I've
automatically got it jumpedstraight up to about 250 hertz
with a low cut and it soundslike this Okay, and it does that

(04:05):
for half of the build and thenas it gets towards the well, as
it gets to the halfway point ofthe build, I'm then automating
it up to 200, well, 2000, ratherhertz or two kilohertz.
So it automates even further upand there's more attenuation of
those sort of mid-rangefrequencies, the low frequencies
, underneath.
So I'll play it from thebeginning of the build.
Just before the drop there's asteep drop attenuation back down

(04:45):
to 20 hertz on the EQ, justbefore the drop comes in.
So then we have the bass, andthe bass is quite similar really
.
I've got a low cut on the bass,same EQ again, starting at 20
hertz on the bass.
So this is on the bass trackstack because I've got one, two,
three basses in total.

(05:05):
I've got a sub bass, I've gotmy main bass and then I've got
this other bass sample thatcomes in in the chorus.
So technically I've got twobasses really and then there's
one in the chorus and which hasadded a bit of grit.
So basically, if I play this onits own, so this is the bass
and what I'm doing is I'mgradually removing, attenuating
those low frequencies from thebass, and that's up to one

(05:44):
kilohertz.
You heard there just that otherbass sample just coming in
there.

(06:13):
So if I play the two range, thelow mid frequencies, and I'm
creating a contrast between thebuild and the drop.
So when we play it all together, which I'll do now, there we go

(06:49):
.
Hopefully you can hear thatthere you've got that contrast
between the the build and thedrop, where we're removing those
low mids, those low frequenciesagain from the kick and the
bass.
Just to emphasize that drop.
It's probably not as emphasizedas it is in the reference track
because I've got that break,that break beat going on just to
add a bit of interest, some earcandy, as it were, before the
drop comes in.

(07:10):
But there we go, folks, a quicktechnique that I like to use.
I like to use automation of lowcut and high cut, particularly
on kick drums and snares as well, and snares as well.
I like to use that on and I'musing it more and more, I find
in the productions that I'mreleasing at the moment.
So give it it a go.
Hopefully that has inspired youto play around with automation

(07:33):
of high and low cut frequencies.
Keep an eye on your slopes.
Obviously, we don't want to beboosting resonant frequencies,
so do keep an eye on that.
And also where you'repositioning the EQ in your
plug-in chain.
In this instance, here I've gotthe end of my plug-in chain on
the kick drum, but play around,see what works for you.
And also the importance of areference track, because again,
I was not struggling, but I wasfinding a challenge, thinking

(07:55):
how can I make this moreinteresting?
And that's where the referencetrack really did help me with
that.
And, just as you can see here,if you're watching this, I say
see, if you listen, you can'tsee it, but I'll explain to you.
I've also used the referencetrack just to give me a guide in
terms of fleshing out thedifferent sections of this song.
So hopefully some inspirationfor you there.
Before we wrap up, don't forget, if you want help on your

(08:15):
production, some personalizedfeedback and just some ideas of
how you can take yourproductions forward, do click
that link in the episodedescription or, alternatively,
head over tosynthmusicmasteringcom and book
that free 20-minute producerpotential discovery call.
Thanks for listening, folks.
Until next time, stay inspired,keep being creative and
experiment inside the mix.