The EQ Spectrum & Finding the “Sweet Spot”

[♔Chello]

The EQ Spectrum & Finding the “Sweet Spot”

The EQ Spectrum

   

The frequency spectrum is broad from a scientific perspective. But when it comes to music production, we only focus on frequencies between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz. Why ? 
Because this is the range of frequencies that are audible to the human ear.

Everything outside of these frequencies, humans can’t hear. For example, ever wonder why you can’t hear a dog whistle, but they can? It’s because a dog whistle resonates at 35,000 Hz. Crazy right ?

Below is your EQ Cheat Sheet for the frequency ranges and their classifications.

Sub Bass (0-60Hz)
AKA - "Rumble"
Sounds that live in this range are more felt than heard. Most speaker systems won’t even resonate this frequency because they’re physically incapable. These frequencies hold the most energy and are where you typically hear the rumble.

Bass (60-250Hz)
A.K.A - “Bottom”
Especially in EDM music, this is the area of the spectrum responsible for making a track sound full. The kick and bass are the only things that should live in this space. Be careful because it’s easy to get carried away boosting or cutting too much in this area.

Low Mid-Range (250-500Hz)
A.K.A - Boom/Warmth/Mud
This is where the power of a track comes from. In rock music, this range is responsible for housing the power that you feel from electric guitars. It also holds the character and presence of bass sounds as well.

Mid-Range (500-2000Hz)
A.K.A - Honk/Tinny
This is the meat of the music. Most of your instruments will live in this range. But be careful adding too many instruments because this area can start to sound muddy pretty quickly.

High Mid-Range (2000-6000Hz)
A.K.A - Crunch/Presence
The overall presence and clarity of a mix is best heard here. You’ll find the attack of your percussion and rhythm instruments in this range. However, this range is perceived to be the loudest to humans out of all other ranges. Too much boosting here can cause ear fatigue.

Highs (6000-20,000Hz)
A.K.A - Definition/Air
If you ever noticed how some vocal recording seems to sparkle and be so airy, this range is responsible for that. Too much boosting here can also cause ear fatigue and give a shrill-like tone. Too much cutting, and your mix will sound too dark.


The EQ Cheat Sheet for Finding the “Sweet Spot”
The million-dollar question; How do you know when you’ve boosted or cut enough? Also known as the  “sweet spot” it can be hard to tell when you’ve EQed a sound just right.

This is where you need to trust your feelings more and also your tastes. Use this EQ Cheat Sheet below as your guide to creating the right balance in your mix.

   

The EQ Cheat Sheet for Instruments
This EQ Cheat Sheet will show you where common instruments tend to live in the frequency spectrum and a guide on how to EQ them to get the character you want.


Drums

Kick (Acoustic)
40-60Hz - Rumble
60-145Hz - Body/Weight
250-300Hz - Mud/Boxiness
2000-4000Hz - Knock/Attack
4000-8000Hz - Air/Click
As a starting point, highpass your kick at 20-50Hz to get rid of any unwanted rumble and to give more headroom. Mud tends to build up in the 250-350Hz range but can live elsewhere too.

Kick (808)
20-40Hz - Low End
50-60Hz - Bottom
100-200Hz - Body/Smack
200-500Hz - Mud/Boxiness
2000-4000Hz - Knock/Click/Attack
Highpass your 808 kick at 20-40Hz with a minimum 24 db slope minimum. If you need more energy in your sound, boost it in the 50-60Hz range. But for punch, boost in the 100-200Hz area. Scope out the mud with a high Q and cut in the area you find it. Every 808 is different.

Kick (EDM)
20-40Hz - Low End
40-100Hz - Energy
100-200Hz - Body/Punch
5000-15,000Hz - Presence/Click
10,000-20,000Hz - Tone
EDM kicks are known for their energy. A lot of this lives in the 40-100Hz range. Boost in the 100-200Hz range for added punch. Boosting in the 5kHz-15kHz range will increase the kick's click and presence. Boosting over this range will make the kick sound sharper or darker.

Snare
20-120Hz - Rumble
200-400Hz - Body
250-600Hz - Ring
2000-4000Hz - Smack/Bang
6000-10,000Hz - Air/Definition
Highpass your snare at 100Hz. In between, 200 and 400Hz is the body of the snare. Every snare is different but you can see it in a spectrum analyzer. The ring of the snare lives between 250 and 600 but varies depending on the snare. Sweep for it with a narrow Q.

Toms
20-100Hz - Rumble
100-300Hz - Body/Thump
3000-5000Hz - Attack
5000-12,000Hz - Air/Presence
Highpass your toms at 40Hz. For more weight, boost in the 100 to 300 area. Too much can make them sound boomy, though. To make your toms spack, boost in the 3kHz to 5kHz area.

Cymbals
20-200Hz - Low End
200-400Hz - Clank/Clink/Gong
6000-15,000Hz - Brightness/Air
All of your cymbals should be highpassed at 100-200Hz. In between 200 and 400Hz, you can increase the clank and gong sounds, but it’s very easy to overdo it. The “Tsss” sound you hear in a lot of EDM is found above 6kHz.


Pianos

Grand Piano
20-50 Hz - Low End
50-250Hz - Boom/Mud/Warmth
250-3000Hz - Body/Mud
3000-5000Hz - Presence
5000-6000Hz - Attack
7000-9000Hz  - Clarity
10,000-15,000Hz - Sharpness
With grand pianos, a lot of mud tends to build up in the 250-500Hz range. A lot of the magic happens in the higher frequencies. Depending on the piano and the effect you want in your song, there’s a lot of room for experimentation.

Electric Piano
20-50Hz - Low End
50-250hz - Boom/Mud
800-1000Hz - Bark
1500-250Hz - Presence
The 50-250Hz range should have the most attention with this instrument. Properly treating any boom and muddiness can make your pianos sound super lush and warm.


Guitars

Electric
20-120Hz - Rumble
150-300Hz - Body/Thickness
300-1000Hz - Character
1000-2000Hz - Honk
3000-10,000Hz - Presence/Attack/Brightness
Where a lot of people miss out on getting those big and powerful guitar sounds lies in the 200-1000Hz range. This is where the meat and power of the guitars come from. From 1000 to 2000Hz, boosting or cutting here is primarily taste and style.

Acoustic
20-70Hz - Rumble
200-400Hz - Wood
80-400Hz - Body
500-1000Hz - Warmth/Fullness
1500-2500Hz - Definition
7000-10,000Hz - Air/Attack
Highpassing acoustic guitars up to 70Hz is important because of how they’re recorded. It’s common that the mics will pick up rumble that can sound unpleasant in your mix. If you’re making an acoustic track, you’re going to preserve a lot of low-end. In a full mix, the magic is in the top end.

Bass Guitar
20-70Hz - Rumble
80-200Hz - Body/Girth
250-500Hz - Mud
400-800Hz - Definition
1200-1500Hz - Attack
2000-5000Hz - String Buzz
The magic of a bass guitar is in the 80-200Hz range. Cutting the right amount of mud and boosting the definition gently can give a nice sound. Sometimes the string noise and fret buzz is desired in the top end but low passing these out is fine as well.


Symphony & Orchestral

Saxophone
20-100Hz - Rumble
120-400Hz - Mud/Honk
1000-2000Hz - Squawk
5000-7000Hz - Reed Sounds
11,000-14,000Hz - Overblow
Saxophones sound good by themselves most of the time. Search out mud and cut it down. Reducing harsh tones in the 1-2kHz range can bring the great character out of this instrument.

Trumpet
20-200Hz - Rumble
200-500Hz - Mud/Fullness
5000-5000Hz - Brightness
Trumpets are also another instrument that sound great out of the box. All you need to do is cut any mud or harshness found in the recording.

Bassoon
20-60Hz - Rumble
60-250Hz - Mud
Always high pass out the rumble in your orchestral instruments. If you want rumble in your song, it should come from only one source.

Flute
20-250Hz - Rumble
250-400Hz - Mud
2000-4000Hz - Softness
10,000-12,000Hz - Brightness
Pretty simple here; check for mud and adjust the ranges listed above to taste.

Clarinet
20-140Hz - Rumble
200-300Hz - Mud
Check for mud and adjust the ranges listed above to taste.

Tuba
20-80Hz - Rumble
65-95Hz - Fullness
150-250Hz - Mud
450-550Hz - Resonances
Check for mud and adjust to taste. Make sure to attenuate resonances as well.

Trombone
20-250Hz - Rumble/Fullness/Mud
4000-10,000Hz - Brightness and Overblow
Boost in the 100-200Hz range to add fullness. Be careful attenuating frequencies for a bass trombone as it might thin out the instrument too much.

Cello
20-80Hz - Rumble
200-300Hz - Mud
400-600Hz - Fullness
6000-8000Hz - Presence
14,000-20,000Hz - Harshness
Cellos can have some harshness in their top end. If you find that to be the case, put a lowpass filter to remove what’s not sounding right.

Violin
20-100Hz - Rumble
100-250Hz - Fullness/Mud
2000-10,000Hz - String and Bow noises
Violins tend to carry the high parts of music. Highpass out any rumble you hear. Depending on how much of the ear candy from the bow and strings, boost the upper registers to bring those out.

Full Strings Section
20-50Hz - Rumble
80-300Hz - Weight/Warmth/Mud
500-1000Hz - Attack
2000-5000Hz - String noises and air
7000-12,000Hz - Sparkle/Creak
When it comes to orchestras, the rumble you hear in songs is typically driven by the drums section. So for full strings sections, be sure to highpass the record to make room for those drums.

Full Brass Section
20-125Hz - Low End
200-500Hz - Fullness/Mud
1000-5000Hz - Roundness
5000-10,000Hz - Definition/Brightness
When high passing the brass section to eliminate rumble, it’s easy to overdo it as it can think out the sound. In the high end, you can boost or dull the frequencies based on the character of the section they’re playing in the song.


Synths

Bass Synth
20-80Hz - Rumble
60-250Hz - Body/Pressure
250-500Hz - Mud/Warmth
2000-3000Hz - Presence
There are lots of different kinds of bass synths but the ranges listed above are a commonality between them. Make sure to scope out for mud to reduce. When boosting or cutting anything, solo it with the mix to see how it fits.

Pads
20-160Hz - Low End
250-450Hz - Mud
400-600Hz - Thickness
Pads are known for having a darker sound most of the time. Some synths generate a lot of mud, so it’s very important to make sure you address it.

Leads
20-160Hz - Rumble
160-450Hz - Mud
1000-2000Hz - Character
2000-3000Hz - Presence
3000-4000Hz - Clarity
7000-9000Hz - Sharpness
Getting the EQ right on your lead synth is paramount. This will likely be the sound that’s most remembered in your song. Make sure to spend time getting the balance here correct.

Plucks
20-50 Hz - Low End
50-250Hz - Boom/Mud/Warmth
250-3000Hz - Body/Mud
3000-5000Hz - Presence
5000-6000Hz - Attack
7000-9000Hz  - Clarity
10,000-15,000Hz - Sharpness
The best part about plucks is their staccato nature. A lot of the character in plucks will come from the 3kHz-9kHz range. If you need more attack in your plucks, this is the place to boost.


Vocals
20-100Hz - Rumble
200-500Hz - Mud
800-1500Hz - Honk/Nasaly
2500-4500Hz - Presence
5000-10,000Hz - Clarity
10,000-16,000Hz - Air
Always highpass vocals at 100Hz minimum. Most of the sounds down here are unpleasant to have in a vocal. What makes vocals shine is the amount of presence and air they have. Every singer is different so each EQ is going to look different.

Background/Backing Vocals
Backing and background vocals aren’t as forward in the mix as lead vocals. So they don’t need as much presence and air as the lead. Most of the time, you can get away with using the same vocal chain on all of your vocal tracks. But backing vocals may need some special treatment.

Vocal Chops
Vocal chops behave similarly to the lead vocal. However, they don’t need as much body usually. You want to make sure you remove any mud or rumble from your vocal chops. Make sure they are present and airy so they can be memorable in your music.


FX

White Noise & Sweeps
20-500Hz - Low End
1500-2500Hz - Presence
10,000-20,000Hz - Brightness
Using white noise can be a great tool to create textures and effects in your song. It’s a very malleable sound. For example, high passing it in various places can yield different tones.

When it comes to sweeps, make sure you highpass out any low frequencies and mud, so they don’t interfere with your other sounds.

Lasers
20-160Hz - Rumble
160-450Hz - Mud
1000-2000Hz - Character
2000-3000Hz - Presence
3000-4000Hz - Clarity
7000-9000Hz - Sharpness
Lasers typically occupy the mids and highs. Add a highpass at 250Hz minimum and boost around 2.5kHz to give it more bite and presence.

Impacts
20-100Hz - Boom/Rumble
100-400Hz - Mud
2000-4000Hz - Impact
5000-20,000Hz - Top-end
Impacts come in all shapes and sizes. What commonality they have is their boomy low-end. It’s very important to listen for any mud and make sure other low frequencies aren't clashing with your impacts. They can add up and create unpleasant resonances.

[⚅Graham UK]

Chello. Excellent Article...Although the human ear has its frequency limitations.
I alway found in my young working life being involved in sound. 
Even frequencies outside my hearing range did make a big added difference to my music enjoyment.

[♔Chello]

Even frequencies outside my hearing range did make a big added difference to my music enjoyment.

Graham
Very interesting comment; you have experienced something that is a fact; that we hear frequencies at the extremes of the frequency range that are not pure sinusoidal tones.

A standard hearing test only goes to 8kHz, and says nothing about whether we can hear anything above this.
The reason why the test equipment is limited to 8kHz is that it is too expensive to use equipment that covers 20Hz - 20kHz.

I do this test myself periodically with a monitor headset and an online tone generator up in frequency, while using my subwoofer for the lowest frequencies.

I can hear sinusoidal frequencies up to 20kHz, but can also hear mixed frequencies far above this in the form of airiness or timbre.
Subbass sinusoidal frequencies I can key determine down to about 20Hz, while I hear sinusoidal frequencies down to about 8Hz, and frequencies below this are experienced as physical pressure which can be very uncomfortable (and life-threatening..!).

High sound pressures in the area below 20Hz require enormous effects from the amplifier as well as large membrane fluctuations for the units, and can effectively destroy internal organs and cause heart attacks.

But back from the digression:
Even if a hearing test says you can't hear anything above 8kHz, this only applies to sinusoidal frequencies, while a mixture of high frequencies can often be easily heard.

The Pa5X has the ability to adjust at up to 24.548Hz, which is certainly detectable to my ears, and adds a divine airiness to the soundscape.

I feel extremely lucky to have both ears and speakers capable of this.