For this week I decided to explain the best I can the different modes we can use while we EQ. I will use Fab-Q3 as my guess is that most of us use Fab-Q3 as the main EQ plugin.
In Fab-Q3 we can use three different modes, Zero Latency, Natural Phase and Linear phase. For this week I will be digging into Linear Phase and Zero latency and I will explain to you why those modes are different and how each of those modes is affecting our production.
The main difference and main reason why I change those modes are mostly when I apply low-cut.
Zero Latency:
When we set Zero Latency on the Fab-Q3 and apply low-cut, it will change the phase of the audio we applied Fab-Q3 on. Now, the more steep low cut we use, the more it will change the phase. This mode I mostly use when I lowcut the Leads, Singleshot sounds, and all other mostly mid-range audio channels, as in that case, the low cut will be applied more (bellow 100hz) and as those channels are not mainly for low-end, I don't pay much attention to the phase of it. As phase alignment is not an easy process, and it requires a lot of analyzing and adjustments in order to do it correctly, I never phase-align channels that are not low-end oriented, as this process will require a lot of time, and the results won't be that important for my music. So I am deciding to save my time instead of doing such a complicated process without getting results that will affect my sound on a bigger scale.
Linear Phase:
When we apply a Linear Phase mode on the Fab-Q3, we will get a bit of latency in our DAW, but the phase won't be changed. This process I apply when I do a low-cut on the Kick and Bass, as I spend a lot of time in designing my Kick and Bass, and I carefully pick the phase point on both of those sequences, and I really DO NOT want my EQ to change my phase! The latency that Fab-Q3 creates, I will fix by bouncing the Kick or Bass after I finish with the low-cut, and that way I won't have latency at all.
Conclusion: It is all about your decisions when it comes to this process, and I wanted to explain what is happening when we use those modes, so it is all up to you how you will use them. Above, I wrote what is happening in those 2 modes, and how you will apply this, it is all about your decisions. The idea of this blog is to explain the advantages and disadvantages and again, how you will use them, it's up to you :)