In-class EQ exploration
Goal: Hear what different frequency ranges contribute to a mixed loop, then use ReaEQ to make and explain a listening-based decision. We will compare settings and troubleshoot together in class.
Get set up
- Find three loops on Looperman that contain more than one audible sound or instrument. Try different styles, such as funk, acoustic, and rock. If a search is taking too long, ask for a loop so you can start listening.
- Import each loop onto its own track in one REAPER project. Work on one loop at a time; you do not need to play the three loops together.
- Add ReaEQ to the first track using its FX button. Add ReaEQ to the other tracks when you reach them.
The cheatsheet suggests places to listen. Its frequency ranges are starting points, not settings that will improve every loop. Because each loop is already mixed, an EQ move affects everything in that loop.
Loop 1: hear the ranges
Follow the class demonstration. Try one noticeable boost or cut in each area: lows (roughly 20–200 Hz), mids (roughly 200 Hz–2 kHz), and highs (roughly 2 kHz and above). Change one area at a time. What becomes more or less audible? Make the change obvious first, then return it to a setting you might actually use.
Loop 2: solve one problem
Listen before touching ReaEQ. Identify one specific issue, such as a boomy low end, a muddy sound, or harsh highs. Choose a frequency range to test, make one targeted change, and listen again. If the change does not help, undo it and try another approach. Explain why you kept your final setting.
Loop 3: make your own decision
Choose a loop in a different style. Decide whether it needs EQ and test your idea. You may leave ReaEQ flat if the original sounds better; be ready to explain what you tried and why you kept or rejected it.
Compare and discuss
For each loop, toggle ReaEQ off and on while listening to the same passage. Keep the two versions at roughly the same loudness so a louder version does not win just because it is louder. Describe both what improved and what you may have lost. Be ready to play one before-and-after example for the class.
If you finish early
Return to the problem you identified in Loop 2. Duplicate that track and try a second EQ solution on the copy, such as a broad, gentle cut instead of a narrow, deeper cut. Solo one version at a time and compare both with the original at roughly the same loudness. Which solution works better in the whole loop, and what does each one change besides the sound you meant to fix? Add your choice and one sentence explaining it to your Loop 2 note.
Submit
Submit your REAPER project with its audio files and three brief notes in D2L by the end of the week. For each loop, name the frequency range and boost or cut you tested, describe what you heard, and say whether you kept the change. Complete as much as you can in class; finish your notes afterward if needed.