frequency analysers?

Hey, just got the new live 7 (its fantastic, by the way... on first impressions!) and the feature I like the most about it so far (alonside the sidechaining for the compressor - something I couldn´t do on mac to date) is the frequency analyser...

I´m sure there are better plugins on the market but the question I have is how to use this to the maximum effect? I mean, I´m sure how you handle the spectrum is hugely down to genre and also personal tastes but are there any loose guidelines one should follow? For example, how much can you push the low end before its overbearing on the listeners over a big system? And I guess you should fill out all the frequencies but not so it resembles one big block of flat audio??

Any advice would be appreciated! Cheers

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Originally Posted by Si.

For example, how much can you push the low end before its overbearing on the listeners over a big system? And I guess you should fill out all the frequencies but not so it resembles one big block of flat audio??

Any advice would be appreciated! Cheers

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you shouldnt use the freq analyser in any decisions about how much low end to push or what to push at all. you have to use your ears. And check how your mix translates on other stereo's. Big ones, small ones, cars etc.

You can use the f a to give you an IDEA about how your mix sounds. One thing i use the f a for is to check for each individual sound if there is any useless noise in the sound that i want to eq. Often there is a low rumble somewhere in sounds that you want to cut.

I am sure there are other ways of improving your mix with f a though. Would love to learn some more.

Make eq snapshots of tracks you like and then compare with your tune to see where you might be off, say too much highs , to crammed mids etc. etc.

Yeah, Spectrum analysers are good for picking out any naughty peaks, or nulls, and pinpointing the frequency of them if you just can`t pin it down by ear, zoom functions are great for this, and also for getting a good idea of the general mix balance.
But that`s it, they are a guide, not really a solid reference.