Open your preferred digital audio workstation (DAW), for example Logic or Pro Tools. Typically the last edited session opens automatically. If this isn’t the correct song, click “File” and select “Open Recent.” Select your preferred song from the drop-down menu.
Solo the steel guitar. Click the “S” icon on the channel strip for the steel guitar. This mutes everything else and lets you listen to the steel guitar in isolation. If you recorded the steel guitar in stereo, click “S” on both audio channels.
Click “Tools,” “Equalizer.” This opens a new interface with a variety of slider dials and virtual switches. The vertical slider dials govern the gain of each individual frequency band. The lowest frequency band is always located far-left, the highest far-right.
Click the “S” icon again to unmute the other audio to hear how the steel guitar sounds in the mix. Do this intermittently during the equalization process to hear how things are sitting together.
Adjust the slider dials. Move upward to increase the prominence of that particular frequency, downward to reduce it. Aim to enhance the brightness of the steel guitar without creating a harsh, “toppy” sound. Tweak the high frequency slider dials until you find a “sweet spot” where the natural resonance of the instrument is enhanced. There is no specific setting for this, as there are myriad other factors that influence the sound, such as the type of guitar, the room, the microphone and the guitarist’s technique. Increase the lower frequencies to add body and depth to the guitar.
Adjust the “Output Gain” level. This governs the volume of the equalized audio in relation to the unequalized. Because you’ve tempered the unwanted frequencies, you can boost the output level of the instrument slightly to make it more prominent in the mix. Click “Save.”