iPod + iTunes for Windows and Mac in a Snap (2nd Edition)

81. Adjust Equalizer Settings for Individual Songs

You can apply the Equalizer presets discussed in Adjust the Global Equalizer to individual songs. When you play a song with an Equalizer preset defined, that preset is used for output instead of whatever global equalizer setting is currently in effect. This feature is indispensable if you have a lot of music from different genres that require different amplification characteristics. Just set Equalizer settings for any tracks whose output balance you want to ensure is adjusted by a certain profile. As you play each such track, iTunes switches automatically to that profile for its duration, and then switches back to the global preset it had been using before.

Note

Standard equalizer settings (those default settings that come with iTunes) that you apply to individual songs are correctly applied when you play the songs on an iPod. However, custom equalizer presets (presets you have created) are not propagated to the iPod and have no effect on music you play on the iPod.

Display the Equalizer Column

In the music source or display mode of your choice (such as the Library view or a playlist), display the Equalizer column as described in Customize Which Information Columns Are Displayed. Scroll horizontally to that column's location or drag it to a position where it's visible.

Define Equalizer Presets for Individual Songs

Click the small up/down arrow icon in the Equalizer field of any of the song entries in the listing to reveal the drop-down menu full of available presets, the same as you see in the global Equalizer palette. Choose a preset that's appropriate to the song's genre or style from the list: Rock, Electronic, Jazz, Dance, Acoustic, Classical, Spoken Wordwhatever best fits the track in question.

Define Equalizer Presets in the Info Window

You can also define a song's Equalizer preset without displaying the Equalizer column. Select the song and choose File, Get Info. On the Options tab, choose the appropriate preset from the Equalizer Preset drop-down list.

If you select several songs at once and choose Get Info, the Equalizer Preset menu is one of the configurable settings that you can apply to all selected songs at once.