The "Audio Equalizer" Approach to Tuning Blends

[georged]

I've always thought in terms of frequency bands when tasting tobacco.

I might like a blend perfectly well on its own, but think it would be better with more "bass drum", "cymbal sizzle", or whatever.

So then I mess around with slicing/shredding/weighing/etc. other pre-made blends (or sometimes just straight blending tobacco) until a full spectrum experience is achieved.

A long time favorite / go-to smoke for me is 2.5 parts Kendal Kentucky to one part #4 Brown rope (or Brown Bogie). The rope is sliced and shredded to match the cut of KK, the two are throughly mixed on a big sheet of bendy plastic (a hardware store "for sale" sign) and put into a mason jar to marry for a while.

The KK has plenty of mid-range and snap, but is anemic below 80 cycles.

#4 and BB are like the tallest pipes on a cathedral pipe organ, but lack oomph above 1K.

Play with the sliders until neither overpowers the other, and you get Magic Smoke.


Lots of others over the years, but you get the idea.

If you've not tried the approach before, there you go. A new "hobby within a hobby" awaits.

If you have, what are some of your favorites?

 

[verporchting]

I rather often add KK or Dark Birdseye to VA blends to pump them up and get some depth, particularly if the VA is too bright.

Been known to mix in some Five Brothers to a lot of things to add some oomph and body as well.

Once upon a time I tried adding Perique to things but it was always a failure. I think you really need to be better with the equalizer for that one than my skills allowed. I suspect the marrying process needed more time or something but I never got a result I was happy with.

 

[vosBghos]

Bass would be Dark fired Kentucky
Mids would be Oriental/Turkish
Highs would be bright Va

I pinch of each in a mixing bowl, load the pipe, and epiphanies galore...

 

[kcghost]

Ye gads, you're kidding aren't you.

 

[georged]

Ye gads, you're kidding aren't you.

Not at all.

I spent years mixing live audio, and thinking in terms of spectrum segments, decay times, blending, featuring, and so forth got applied to many "balance the experience" situations since. Cooking is another.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Not at all.

I spent years mixing live audio, and thinking in terms of spectrum segments, decay times, blending, featuring, and so forth got applied to many "balance the experience" situations since. Cooking is another.

You speak my language, tobacco is not the only thing I eq as such. I like to scoop the mids, lots of full bouncy bass and shimmering highs. Bogie and Cannon plug sliced to a shag and mixed 1:1 is funky in a good way.

 

[augiebd]

The idea of balancing a blend or creating the desired balance makes perfect sense!

 

[dunnyboy]

@georged, how far have you gone with this hobby within a hobby? Are you content tweaking good blends that, to your palate, have something missing? Or have you experimented with creating new bespoke blends that are not commercially available.

 

[huntertrw]

I might like a blend perfectly well on its own...

I saw what you did there!