TrainYourEars EQ Edition 2.0: ear training for sound engineers
We all like to think we know what we’re doing, that we’re adept and fully functional sound engineering and producing type people. But can we actually describe what EQ does to sound? Could you spot a 6dB boost at 2000Hz or some bass attenuation, or the limits of a band pass filter using just your ears? Well TrainYourEars believe they can teach you to hear, identify and understand what EQ does to sound and to your music, and they’ve just released version two of their EQ Edition software.
It uses a teaching method which is essentially a never-ending quiz asking you to guess what equalization has been applied to the music. You start by simply guessing at it and the software will tell you if you’re right or wrong. It then lets you listen to and compare the original with the right answer and your answer. The process of continually listening and guessing at the changes develops a frequency memory which will allow you to connect the sound image in your head with the parameters you need to dial in to achieve it. Is that clever? It sounds clever to me but my ears are terrible – I respond much better to visual stimuli. This new version also brings in a new teaching method suggested by pro audio mastering guru Bob Katz where instead of guessing you have to make corrections to return the music back to its original sound. It can use whatever music you want and you can set up random tests or design your own specific tests to hone in on particular parameters.
The purpose of the software is to open your ears to what each frequency sounds like and reduce the amount of time needed to acquire this sort of knowledge. It’s the same with anything – practice makes perfect and this seems to be a well-designed method of learning to use EQ properly.
TrainYourEars EQ Edition 2.0 is available for PC and Mac and has an introductory price of EUR 49
More information: https://www.trainyourears.com/
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