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4. Reference mode

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Carve EQ includes various ways to view/use audio references and on the next page we’ll look how we can match our audio to these references. On this page we’ll focus on the types of references available and how to create them.

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The single, white dotted line indicates that you’re viewing the profile in mono. Click on the Stereo button in the toolbar and you’ll see the same profile in either left/right or mid/sides, depending on which one is selected. You can now see two coloured dotted lines to match your Stereo mode.

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For our example we’ll compare two bass sounds from our tutorial files and these are Bass, which is our track sound, and Synth Bass, the sidechain reference. This process provides a handy way to spot areas where sounds clash and we can then apply corrective EQ as required. 2

To get started, head to the left side of the plugin window where you’ll find an icon with a single dotted peak curve. This is the Reference tool. Clicking on this activates Reference mode. You’ll see you’ve gained a few parameters in the menu bar.

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Now load up some audio. We’re using our Full Mix tutorial file. When you hit play you can see the real-time analyser for your audio and also the Static Reference curve. Now try moving through a few of the factory profiles (there are over 50 to choose from). You can view the curves without actually loading them.

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One final reference option is an external file. This supports WAV format files and you just select the ‘Create profile from file’ option in the menu and choose a file. This invokes a waveform window and you can also choose which section of the file to use as a reference. 3

Click on the Reference menu to view the options. These include Sidechain, Presets (factory and user) and WAV file import. You can also switch the Profile off. Select a working example from the factory set. We’ve chosen Live Forever from the Indie Rock folder. You’ll see a white dotted curve overlaid in the workspace.

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Reference can also be handy for individual instruments and here the sidechain option is ideal. To get started, select Sidechain from the menu and then a track for the sidechain input of the plugin. Hit play and you’ll see an Analyser curve for the sidechain. Hit Record to capture a profile of the sidechain.

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The profiles we create using Sidechain and WAV import can be saved as user profiles, and while we have the plugin loaded, all we have to do is select the Save tab. This may seem unnecessary, but profiles also play a part in the match feature we’re using on the next page…