If the track is unimportant, then it doesn’t necessarily matter whether you preserve its fundamental qualities you essentially have the freedom to low-pass it to high heaven, or to ruin its integrity with a complicated series of cuts-so long as it serves the mix. But these questions become especially useful in this scenario, as they help your plan your next course of action.
It's always a good idea to ask yourself these question at pivotal points in the mix (i.e., at the beginning, when you're making critical decisions as you're in the thick of it, to ensure you've hit your target). Assess the track's functionīefore you go any farther, stop and ask yourself a simple series of questions: What is this track trying to accomplish in the mix? Is it a feature player or a supporting cast member? Will you ultimately bury it, pushing it all the way to the right, or does the track carry/double a melody of the utmost importance? Have you ever been left scratching your head over what to do when a simple static EQ just isn't cutting it (pun intended)? If so, maybe some of the following tricks and tips might work for you. With that first application of the EQ, we hope against all hope that a simple low-pass filter or parametric notch will do the trick. Oh the brutality! The brittleness and the harshness! Yes, that high-end can be quite a doozy for us audio engineers.