Recommended EQ Frequencies
This page aims to show you where certain instruments lie in the EQ spectrum & therefore give you a headstart when looking to correct your audio.
The human hearing range is from 20Hz. to 20Khz. All audible noise occurs within this range.Studies have shown that humans can detect frequencies slightly above the upper limit, these frequencies are said to give the listener a certain sense of reality to the sound. For that reason, producers sometimes enhance the top-end of a track to include these upper frequencies. This is called Psychoacoustics and we will not be taking it into consideration here.
Please Note - The values below are merely guides, each mix is unique and individual so experimentation is advised.
| Uses | |
| 50Hz | Increase to add more fullness to lowest frequency instruments like the kick, floor tom & bass. Reduce to decrease the "boom" of the bass & will increase overtones and the recognition of the bass line in the mix. This is most often used on loud bass lines like rock. |
| 100Hz | Increase to add a harder bass sound to the lowest frequency instruments. Increase to add fullness to guitars & snare. Increase to add warmth to piano & horns. Reduce to remove boom on guitars & increase clarity. |
| 200Hz | Increase to add fullness to vocals. Increase to add fullness to snare & guitar (harder sound). Reduce to decrease muddiness of vocals or mid-range instruments. Reduce to decrease gong sound of cymbals |
| 400Hz | Increase to add clarity to bass lines especially when speakers are at low volume. Reduce to decrease "cardboard" sound of lower drums (kick & toms). Reduce to decrease ambiance on cymbals. |
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| 800Hz | Increase for clarity and "punch" of bass. Reduce to remove "cheap" sound of guitars. |
| 1.5KHz | Increase for "clarity" and "pluck" of bass. Reduce to remove dullness of guitars. |
| 3Hz | Increase for more "pluck" of bass. Increase for more attack of electric / acoustic guitar. Increase for more attack on low piano parts. Increase for more clarity / hardness on voice. Reduce to increase breathy, soft sound on background vocals. Reduce to disguise out-of-tune vocals / guitars. |
| 5KHz | Increase for vocal presence. Increase low frequency drum attach (kick / toms). Increase for more "finger sound" on bass. Increase attack of piano, acoustic guitar & brightness on guitars (especially rock guitars). Reduce to make background parts more distinct. Reduce to soften "thin" guitar. |
| 7KHz | Increase to add attack on low frequency drums (more metallic sound). Increase to add attack to percussion instruments. Increase on dull singer. Increaser for more "finger sound" on acoustic bass. Reduce to decrease sibilance. Increase to add sharpness to synthesizers, rock guitars, acoustic guitar & piano. |
| 10KHz | Increase to brighten vocals. Increase for "light brightness" in acoustic guitar & piano. Increase for hardness on cymbals. Reduce to decrease sibilance. |
| 15KHz | Increase to brighten vocals (breath sound). Increase to brighten cymbals, string instruments and flutes. |
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