Vocal specific EQ?

I wouldn’t worry much about linear phase. If you have to over-process the sound of a vocal where the eq processing is excessively smearing (min phase) or causing ringing artifacts (Lin phase) the vocal should be re-recorded with a different chain. That’s going to be rare, well, I don’t think I have ever destroyed a sound with multiband/dynamic eq unintentionally, even when I was a kiddo.

In the end though, if the vocal isn’t cutting the mustard on its own, you can alter the adjoining instruments to aid in its place in a mix, fill it out with a triggered reverb that creates the body (parallel process), etc…

Technology has come a long way and if we didn’t love and appreciate old recordings where gear was far inferior to what we have today (generally speaking), I would feel differently. Now lets record some lead vocals with a sm57 and get them to sit. :wink:

OK, thanks much Woodcrest Studio, I figured not every tool needs every bell and whistle, glad to get some “real” perspective on that though.

For whomever is interested, here’s Cubase 7 in action with Melda AutoDynEQ. Ironically, this youtube on dynamics is presented by one of the least dynamic voices around, “Dr. MaxO”! I’ve actually heard one or two others of his before, he kind of grows on you (IMO):

Ok I finally watched the videos on dynamic EQ. This won’t address the problem I’m having.

I’m close (I hope) to finalizing divorce numbers here meaning I’ll get my computer back soon. When I do, I’ll create a video of the project with the characteristics (since it’s on that computer) to illustrate the “problem” I’m seeing in hopes of getting some academic discussion started on ways to address it were it a problem.

It’s not a problem in that project because I had a bell EQ notch there with a fairly wide Q setting so it got the majority of it. And since it was a jazz “quintet,” the arrangement was sparse enough that the problem wasn’t much of a problem after that even without the precision I’m looking for. In denser arrangements I can see this being an issue, however.