NC #1114 EQ for Audiobooks, Goodbye Mac mini, Hello Desk Space, Security Bits
Sep 14, 2026 · 1 hr 32 min · 13 segments
Sep 14, 2026 · 1 hr 32 min · 13 segments
Allison SheridanHost
Eddie Tonkoi
Hi, this is Eddie Tonkoi, the in-house nerd for everything behind the scenes on my wife Jern's character-driven queer love stories, including audiobook narration and production.
I would watch the analyser, drag points around, do things that felt like they should be right, and then end up with a voice that sounded impressive for 10 seconds and exhausting for 10 minutes.
I had tin ears for EQ, so I compensated by doing more of it, which is a wonderfully efficient way to make bad decisions more confidently.
Eventually, I realised the problem was not that I needed a cleverer curve.
The problem was that I was trying to use EQ to solve things that should have been solved at the microphone.
Once I got capture right, mic position, distance, angle and a consistent tone, that as-recorded sound was basically already what I wanted for audiobook comfort.
which means EQ stopped being design my voice and became something much smaller.
So what is EQ doing when capture is already right? If the recording already sounds like a human voice in a stable space, EQ should not be trying to reinvent it.
The audiobook test is not, does it sparkle? The audiobook test is, can someone listen for hours without their ears getting tired? So now I treat EQ as not a makeover, not a signature, not a curve I'm proud of, just maintenance.
a small filter, maybe one small correction, and then I'd leave the voice alone.
The funniest part is that the EQ I kept reaching for turned out to be basically one move, a gentle high-pass filter.
Since I still mix these words up sometimes, here is the simple version.
Hi, this is Eddie Tonkoi, the in-house nerd for everything behind the scenes on my wife Jern's character-driven queer love stories, including audiobook narration and production.
I would watch the analyser, drag points around, do things that felt like they should be right, and then end up with a voice that sounded impressive for 10 seconds and exhausting for 10 minutes.
I had tin ears for EQ, so I compensated by doing more of it, which is a wonderfully efficient way to make bad decisions more confidently.
Eventually, I realised the problem was not that I needed a cleverer curve.
The problem was that I was trying to use EQ to solve things that should have been solved at the microphone.
Once I got capture right, mic position, distance, angle and a consistent tone, that as-recorded sound was basically already what I wanted for audiobook comfort.
which means EQ stopped being design my voice and became something much smaller.
So what is EQ doing when capture is already right? If the recording already sounds like a human voice in a stable space, EQ should not be trying to reinvent it.
The audiobook test is not, does it sparkle? The audiobook test is, can someone listen for hours without their ears getting tired? So now I treat EQ as not a makeover, not a signature, not a curve I'm proud of, just maintenance.
a small filter, maybe one small correction, and then I'd leave the voice alone.
The funniest part is that the EQ I kept reaching for turned out to be basically one move, a gentle high-pass filter.
Since I still mix these words up sometimes, here is the simple version.
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