Instruments and Effects

94 Chapter 5 EQ
To use the matched EQ on a track:
1 Set the track you want to match as a sidechain input to the Match EQ.
2 Click the “Template Learn” button, play the entire source audio track from start to finish,
then click the “Template Learn” button again.
3 Return to the start of your mix, click Current Material Learn, then play your mix (the
current material) from start to finish.
4 When done, click Current Material Match (this automatically disengages the Current
Material Learn button).
Match EQ creates a filter curve based on the differences between the spectrum of the
template and the current material. This curve automatically compensates for
differences in gain between the template and the current material, with the resulting
EQ curve referenced to 0 dB. A yellow filter response curve appears in the graphic
display, showing the average spectrum of your mix approximating (mirroring) the
average spectrum of your source audio file.
You can also drag an audio file onto the Template Learn or Current Material Learn
buttons to use as either the template or the current material. A progress bar appears
while the Match EQ is analyzing the file.
Control-clicking (or right-clicking, with an appropriate mouse) either of the Learn
buttons opens a shortcut menu containing a variety of options to apply to the
spectrum of the template or the current material, including: clearing, copying to the
Match EQ clipboard (which you can access from any Match EQ instance in the current
project), pasting from the Match EQ clipboard to the current instance, loading from a
stored settings file, or generating a frequency spectrum for an audio file you choose in
a File dialog.
When you click either of the Learn buttons, the View parameter is set to Automatic, and
the graphic display shows the frequency curve for the function matching the selected
button. You can review any of the frequency curves when no file is being processed by
choosing one of the other View options.
The filter curve is updated automatically each time a new template or current material
spectrum is learned or loaded, when the Match button is enabled. You can alternate
between the matched (and possibly scaled and/or manually modified) filter curve and
a flat response by activating/deactivating the Match button.
Only one of the Learn buttons can be active at a time. For example, if the Learn button
in the Template section is active and you press the Learn button in the Current Material
section, the analysis of the template file stops, the current status is used as the spectral
template, and analysis of the track (Current Material) begins.