What's wrong with the mix?
Usually processing like that means that the mix has a fault that can be corrected with a remix.

I've only seen and heard the smile curve used with bad sounding PA's and bad sounding productions. It's an attempt through out the most unpleasent faults of your equipment. But then you can ask yourself if the result really is better or not?

Try 100Hz and 10kHz at about 6dB, make sure the Q (or the width) is really wide so it's a gradual slope. If it sounds crap then that means it probably is crap, so you should try something else, like record and mix it properly.

Don't waste your money with an exciter, it won't do what you want, at least not very well.

This is a really tough question to answer, because you have to eq based on what you already have. If you have a mix with a ton of bass and treble, then adding a "smiley face" type EQ doesn't make any sense at all, no matter what frequencies you're boosting. You're best bet is to get a commercial CD you like the sound of and do A/B comparisons to match the frequency content they have, rather than trying to find an all-in-one solution to EQing, because there isn't one.

Fishybob wrote: my question is, what frequencies?

Gee Whiz, I always kinda liked the midrange !

IMVHO the smiley curve you are referring to is an outdated concept, originaly used to compensate for lower quality analog gear's lack of freq response in high & low ranges, and the non-linearity of the ear at softer volumes... the gear has changed, the ear hasn't.

You can Invert the Fletcher Munson Curve on your graphic EQ at the desired SPL to get that flat freq response... depending on the monitors and room of course.

Cheers 8)

p.s. what about the Frowny curve ? :D

The Frowny curve is what I use to undo the smiley curve.

Michael Fossenkemper wrote: The Frowny curve is what I use to undo the smiley curve.

Sooooo Mike... THAT"S your mastering secret !

LMAO :wink:

i just master with a frown on my face! that's my secret! :lol:

No wonder all of your CD's sound so dark.