Mission 020
EQ Mixing
The three-band swap — the core DJ technique.
EQ is the surgeon's scalpel. Subtract first, add later.
+60 XP
// WHAT IT DOES
Every channel on the mixer has 3 EQ knobs: LOW (bass), MID (vocals/snare), HIGH (cymbals/air).
Turning a knob down (cut) reduces those frequencies on that deck. Turning up (boost) adds them.
Most mixes use cuts: kill the bass on Deck B while bringing it in, swap basses between the two tracks.
Think of it like → EQ is like layering clothes. You don't wear two heavy coats — you take one off when you add the other.
▸ WHY YOU CARE
- • Two basslines fighting = mud. Cutting one fixes it instantly.
- • EQ shapes energy without changing volume.
- • Lets you blend tracks that don't naturally fit.
// SEE & HEAR IT
Move faders, mute, solo — listen.
DRUMS
80
BASS
70
SYNTH
60
PAD
50
VOX
65
MASTER
0.0 dB
▸ HOW IT WORKS
▸ Signal flow — watch the dot
▸ SIGNAL FLOW
Glowing dot = your signal travelling through Live.
▸ LISTEN FOR
- • Mud when both basses are full = bass clash
- • Hollow sound when only mid+high = correct intermediate state
- • Vocal clarity during blend = mid management
▸ WALKTHROUGH (5 steps)
- 1. DO: Cue Deck B in headphones; full-cut its LOW EQ (knob fully counter-clockwise).▸ LISTEN: Deck B has no bass — sounds thin in headphones.
- 2. DO: Bring Deck B's fader up to full while Deck A plays through master.▸ LISTEN: You hear Deck A's bass + Deck B's mids and highs layered cleanly.
- 3. DO: On the next 16-bar phrase boundary, kill Deck A's LOW and restore Deck B's LOW in one motion.▸ LISTEN: Bass has swapped — Deck B now drives the low end.
- 4. DO: Over the next 8 bars, gradually lower Deck A's MID then HIGH to wash it out.▸ LISTEN: Deck A fades cleanly without a level dip.
- 5. DO: Pull Deck A's channel fader down, restore its EQs to 12 o'clock for next time.▸ LISTEN: Mix complete; deck reset for reload.
▸ COMMON MISTAKES
- ✗ Boosting EQs to make a track 'louder' — boosts clip; use gain instead.
- ✗ Forgetting to reset EQs after a mix — next mix starts in the wrong state.
- ✗ Killing all three EQs at once — same as a fader cut, defeats the point.
// QUIZ (QUICK)
Question 1 / 40 correct
The bass swap technique means