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→Pre-EQ
| 4000+ || Gritty || Smooth
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For Pre-EQ, usually there's no need to make large, narrow cuts/boosts - they tend to sound bad. I like larger cuts/boosts. The first thing I'll adjust is bass. If the distortion is a bit too rough and has a muddy, low-end breakup, I like to reduce bass. I like to use a low sheft, with about -2 db and start with frequency around 300 HZ. This should mildly clean up the low end. Then I reduce the gain further and try to notice when the bass gets totally clear and tight. You don't want to cut too much or you lose tone. Then I start to reduce the frequency, trying to see where I get the most punch without losing tightness. Usually this is around 150 HZ, but it depends.
You can do the same thing for the highs but in reverse. Do a high shelf +4 db boost and slowly move the frequency downwards from 5 kHZ to around 1 kHZ. You should find a sweet spot that adds extra harmonic richness to the tone but isn't too sharp and harsh.
You can also use parametric bands. Some suggestions are to cut around 500-800 HZ - this should make the distortion a little rougher, but too much will make the mids too weak. Or boost around 1 kHZ to 1.5 kHZ. This gives the tone a Tube Screamer-like effect, getting a bit more djent to the tone, but can sound a bit like a cocked wah pedal if overdone. You can also try the exact reverse to getter a smoother, creamy, liquid-lead tone.
I don't have a preference of parametric EQ vs. graphic EQ here. Usually you can make settings on either one for the exact same effect, because I'm not doing any narrow or extreme boosts/cuts. I just find it generally easier to find the sweet spots using a parametric EQ - trying to adjust the graphic means moving more sliders (or turning more knobs), but it does have the advantage that you can visually see how you're impacting the signal.
== Boosts ==