Audio Equalizers
Equalizers affect the fundamental character and quality of sound more than any other tool in audio engineering and sound design, making it perhaps the most common and useful tool in the industry. Like compressors, equalizers were originally meant to be a corrective tool, developed to increase the range of transmission for telecommunications by AT&T engineer George Ashley Campbell in the early 1900s—a few decades before John Volkman first used the technology in the method we use today while working for RCA, equalizing the audio of early
Equalizers are the most powerful tool any audio engineer or musician has in their arsenal. Like many tools in the world of pro audio, while its concept and function are simple to understand, the different philosophies of a given EQ’s design and application can result in numerable sonic outcomes. Understanding how an EQ works is extremely helpful in deciding when and where to use a certain type and will work wonders for live setups, mixing, mastering, and perfecting tone.
In this tutorial guide, we’ll begin with the basics of equalization and