SURGICAL
Surgical targets one problem tone with a single adjustable band. Use it for a ringing note or a stubborn resonance after the EQ has shaped the overall tone.
Controls
GAIN
- Range
- -15dB to +15dB
- Default
- 0.0dB
Cuts or boosts the band around FREQ. Use a small boost to find a problem tone, then turn it into a cut once you have found it.
FREQ
- Range
- 30Hz to 16k
- Default
- 693Hz
Moves the center of the band to the tone you want to change. Sweep it while the problem is audible and stop where that tone stands out most.
WIDTH
- Range
- 0.1oct to 3.0oct
- Default
- 1.1oct
Sets how much sound around FREQ is affected, in octaves. Narrow it to catch a single ringing tone, or widen it when the problem covers a broader part of the sound.
Start here
For a boxy vocal, start with FREQ at 400Hz, WIDTH at 0.5oct and GAIN at +3.0dB. Sweep FREQ slowly while listening at a comfortable volume, then set GAIN to -3.0dB where the boxiness stands out. Bypass Surgical to check that the cut clears the problem without taking the body out of the voice.
Questions
How is Surgical different from the EQ?
The EQ shapes the overall tone with low, mid and high bands and a low cut. Surgical gives you one separate band for a specific problem, so you can keep those broader tone choices in place.
Why boost a tone I want to remove?
A small, narrow boost makes the unwanted tone easier to locate as you sweep FREQ. Once you find it, change GAIN to a cut and listen to the whole phrase before deciding how much to remove.