Blindfold EQ by AudioThing: Immerse Yourself in the World of Sound, Trusting Only Your Ears
Inspired by the well-known quote from sound engineer Matt Wallace in Silvia Massey’s book “Recording Unhinged,” AudioThing’s Blindfold EQ offers a radically different, yet extremely valuable approach to frequency correction. In an era where we often rely too much on visual graphs and numbers, this VST/AU plugin forces you to step back from the screen and focus entirely on listening. The main feature of Blindfold EQ is the complete absence of any visual indicators: no frequency display, gain, or Q factor. You interact with the sound by turning four simple knobs, and your only guide is how the audio signal changes.
This unique “blind” method of operation has several significant advantages. First and foremost, it serves as an excellent tool for honing your auditory analysis skills. By regularly using Blindfold EQ, you’ll learn to better recognize different frequency ranges and their impact on the overall sound of a mix or an individual instrument. Secondly, this approach helps to avoid visual biases. We often make decisions based on how the EQ curve “looks,” rather than how the result “sounds.” Blindfold EQ forces you to trust your intuition and hearing, which can lead to more organic and musical results.
Simplicity and Efficiency: Four Key EQ Bands
Despite its “blindness,” Blindfold EQ is equipped with four carefully selected frequency bands that cover the most important areas of the spectrum:
- Low Shelf: Allows you to work with the lowest frequencies, controlling the foundation of the mix, adding weight, or cleaning up the boom in the bass.
- Low Mid: A band for working with the “body,” warmth, or, conversely, “mud” and boom in the lower mids, important for guitars, pianos, and vocals.
- High Mid: The range responsible for the clarity, presence, and attack of instruments. Helps to “bring out” the sound or soften harshness.
- High Shelf: Affects the highest frequencies, adding “air,” brilliance, and detail to the tracks.
Each knob allows you to intuitively shape the sound in the corresponding band, relying solely on the auditory perception of the result.
Who Should Try Blindfold EQ?
This plugin will be useful for:
- Musicians and producers: To improve listening skills and add a new creative tool to their arsenal.
- Sound engineers: For ear training and making more musical decisions during mixing.
- Students and beginners: As an effective training tool for developing basic audio engineering skills.
Conclusion
AudioThing Blindfold EQ is not just an equalizer, but a philosophical tool that encourages you to change your approach to working with sound. It’s perfect for those who want to improve their listening skills, free themselves from visual dependence, and create mixes that sound exactly how you feel them. If you’re ready to accept the challenge and completely trust your ears, Blindfold EQ will become an invaluable addition to your plugin collection.
