« To Individual track editing: Overview
EQ (short for equalizer) is a tool used in audio editing to adjust the balance of specific frequencies, shaping the overall tone of a sound. If a participant's setup isn’t optimized for recording, you can use Riverside's Parametric EQ to fine-tune the frequency, gain, and bandwidth, making the final product sound clearer and more professional.
Plan: All plans
Device: Computer browser
Step by step
- Open a recording in the editor.
- From the editor toolbar, click Tracks.
-
On the track you want to edit, click the participant's name.
- Next to EQ, click the toggle
to turn it on.
- Click the
Settings icon to open the EQ panel.
-
Select a band by clicking directly on a colored dot on the EQ curve.
The selected band is highlighted. - Under each EQ parameter input box, manually enter a precise value.
Changes you make are immediately applied.
- Or, click and drag each band directly on the graph:
- Drag left or right to change the frequency (which part of the sound spectrum you're affecting)
- Drag up to boost the gain (make that frequency louder)
- Drag down to cut the gain (make that frequency quieter)
As you move the band, the numerical values update in real time for immediate feedback
- Click the
undo icon to reset to default settings.
- Click the
headphones icon to to solo this track and hear it in isolation.
Understanding Parametric EQ
|
Parameter |
What It Means |
How It Appears on the EQ Curve |
| Band | A specific range of frequencies in the audio spectrum that you can individually adjust using EQ controls. |
Each colored dot on the graph represents a specific band that you can adjust to shape the audio at that range. |
| Frequency |
The specific point on the audio spectrum that the EQ band is targeting, measured in hertz (Hz). |
Moving a dot left or right shifts the band’s center frequency, changing which part of the sound spectrum you’re adjusting. |
| Gain |
The amount of boost or cut applied to the selected frequency, measured in decibels (dB). |
Dragging a band up boosts the gain; dragging it down cuts the gain. |
| Width |
(Also known as Q or Bandwidth) How narrow or wide the affected frequency range is, meaning how precise or broad changes will be. |
A narrow Q appears as a tall, sharp peak on the EQ graph, affecting only a small, precise slice of the frequency spectrum. A wide Q appears as a low, wide hill on the EQ graph, impacting a broad range of frequencies. |
Good to know
- You can also use Riverside’s ready-made EQ presets for quick, one-click enhancements without manual adjustments.