Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

While working on an album with a singer/songwriter, I noticed that the vocal in one song sounded tonally strange for whatever reason. Har-Bal fixed it. Here's how: 1. I exported the strange-sounding vocal track as a wave file. 2. I opened another song project where the vocal sounded good, and export...

I'm continuing to use Har-Bal with each mastering session, and it continues to improve my mixes. I've even used it on an orchestral recording and what a difference! Is there a way to raise/lower the loaded file's spectrum relative to the reference spectrum, other than creating a full-bandwidth filte...

The spectrum had several big bumps around 200 Hz to 800 Hz, and rolled off pretty sharply above and below that. Har-Bal equalized the old mics, the mix, and the recording medium all at once!

Bruce Bartlett

From a recording client, I received a home-recorded analog tape made in the late 1940's. The client asked me to "make it sound good." I imported it into Har-Bal, tweaked its curve to look more like a contemporary folk recording, and recorded the EQ'd file. Then I added a steep 10 kHz lowpa...

Hi Paavo and Earle, Here' a suggestion for Har-Bal. To move the display of the loaded file's curve to coincide with the reference curve, we need to click-drag a wideband filter and then drag the curve up or down. It would be convenient to do the same thing by pressing the up-arrow or down-arrow (or ...

Please consider adding this new function: the ability to normalize (flatten) the reference curve, and apply the same correction to the loaded file's curve. Two advantages would be: 1. It's easier to match a straight line than it is to match a complex curve. 2. The normalized display would directly s...

Hi Earle and Paavo, Thanks for the kind words! I am mentioning Har-Bal several times in Practical Recording Techniques 4th Ed. which is due out in September. I'm going to explore mic techniques with Har-Bal as a research tool. When you want to achieve a certain sound on an instrument, EQ is not a su...

Here is a suggested new use of Har-Bal: Make a short recording of a musical instrument or vocal in various microphone positions. Compare the spectra of those positions. This shows the tonal effect (almost like EQ) of various mic techniques. You could even select a reference mic position where the in...