Learn · All Quick-Starts · 6 min
CONTOUR
quick-start.
Find and surgically remove a problem frequency, then make the cut dynamic so it only acts when needed.
5 steps · every control name is the real one · EQ
Turn on the analyzer
Switch on the analyzer (the waveform button in the header) and play the section with the problem. Resonances show as stable spikes that don't move with the music; broadband harshness shows as a lifted region.
Create and place a band
Click the spectrum to add a band where you hear the problem; drag it to move, scroll over it for Q, double-click to remove. The band strip below shows the same values as knobs — TYPE (bell, shelf, cut, notch), FREQUENCY, GAIN and Q; pick a cut type and set SLOPE for filtering.
Hunt with solo
Hit the band's solo (headphones), narrow the Q, and sweep until the offending ring or box jumps out; hold audition (ear) to hear a band-pass of that region in context. Then un-solo and cut only as deep as needed — usually −3 to −6 dB, not −12.
Make it DYNAMIC
Raise the band's DYNAMIC amount so the cut only engages when energy appears there — the harsh words get tamed, the soft ones stay untouched. SC drives the band from the external sidechain for unmasking against another track.
Check your work
Toggle Δ (delta) to hear only what the EQ is changing, and use A / B with the morph slider between them to compare two whole curves at matched loudness. The undo arrow steps back a bad move.
Pro moves
Once it's working.
- The SCULPT tab (AMOUNT / DEPTH / SHAPE) tames broadband resonances in one move — try it before stacking six notches.
- The STEREO tab's per-band channel routing (STEREO / LEFT / RIGHT / MID / SIDE) lets you de-harsh just the sides or clean mud from just the mid.
- Suggest, Masking (collision-aware ducking from the OVERSEER mesh) and EQ Match offer intelligent starting moves — audit them by ear before keeping them.
- PRO shows the full band strip; SIMPLE hides it. Double-click any knob to reset; MIX and TRIM sit at the far right of the strip.
