Home > EQ
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This is a page from our old website that remained on the web even though our front page no longer linked to it. I found I still referred to it regularly, so I'm keeping it out here and re-linking it.
I'm no EQ expert. In fact, I've always been kind of a minimalist in that regard. But then I saw a few tips here and there, tried a thing or two and decided I needed to learn more. I compiled this list from several sources and will continue to tweak as I try things out. Generally speaking, I think cutting frequencies works better than boosting. It doesn't seem reasonable that you could take a lousy vocal track and make it "sparkle" by twisting a knob. You're probably better off trying to put a better label on the "lousy" -- nasal, maybe, or boomy -- and try to eliminate that specific problem. Maybe the sparkle is just hidden under the bad stuff. Anyway, here's what I dug up. Remember, I used several different sources so not everything will be perfectly complementary. |
| Instrument | Effect/Symptom | Cut | Boost | Comments |
| Male Voice |
Thin, tinny | 100 Hz | Male fundamentals 87-494 Hz | |
| Bassy or tubby | 100 Hz | Male fundamentals 87-494 Hz | ||
| Clarity | 3-10 KHz | Male harmonics 1-12 KHz | ||
| Harsh, sizzly | 10 KHz | Male harmonics 1-12 KHz | ||
| Nasal, chesty | 500-800 Hz | |||
| Popping P's | Below 80Hz | |||
| Body | 200-400 Hz | |||
| Presence | 5 KHz | |||
| Incr. Distance | 5 KHz | For backing vox | ||
| Silibance | 7-8 KHz | Sweep to find the "s" | ||
| Bright | 10KHz | |||
| Female Voice |
Thin, tinny | 200 Hz | Female fundamentals 175-1175 Hz | |
| Bassy or tubby | 200 Hz | Female fundamentals 175-1175 Hz | ||
| Clarity | 3-10 KHz | Female harmonics 2-12 KHz | ||
| Harsh, sizzly | 10 KHz | Female harmonics 2-12 KHz | ||
| Nasal, chesty | 500-1000 Hz | |||
| Popping P's | Below 80Hz | |||
| Body | 200-400 Hz | |||
| Presence | 5 KHz | |||
| Incr. Distance | 5 KHz | For backing vox | ||
| Bright | 10KHz | |||
| Bass | Thin | 1 KHz | Depends a lot on the bass | |
| Boomy | 40-125 Hz | Bass fundamentals about 40 Hz | ||
| Growl | 600 Hz | Depends a lot on the bass | ||
| Bottom | Below 80 Hz | Depends a lot on the bass | ||
| Fullness | 50 Hz | Depends a lot on the bass | ||
| Clarity, punch | 400, 800 or 1500 Hz | These are bass harmonics | ||
| Pluck | 2-3 KHz | Depends a lot on the bass | ||
| Electric Guitar |
Muddy | Below 80Hz | ||
| Clarity | 3 KHz | |||
| Bottom | 125 Hz | |||
| Boomy | 100 Hz | |||
| Fullness | 100 Hz | |||
| "Cheap" | 800 Hz | |||
| Dullness | 1500 Hz | |||
| Attack | 3 KHz | |||
| Acoustic Guitar |
Tinny | 2-3 KHz | ||
| Boomy | 200 Hz | |||
| Sparkle | Above 5 KHz | |||
| Fullness | 125 Hz | |||
| Attack | 3 KHz | |||
| Horns | Scratchy | 3 KHz | ||
| Honky | 1 KHz | |||
| Muddy | Below 120 Hz | |||
| Hot | 8-12 KHz | |||
| Clarity | Above 2 KHz | |||
| Warmth | 100 Hz | |||
| Piano | Tinny | 1-2 KHz | ||
| Boomy | 300 Hz | |||
| Presence, clarity | 5 KHz | |||
| Bottom, warmth | 100 Hz | Not with full rhythm section | ||
| Strings | Scratchy | 3 KHz | ||
| Muddy | Below 120 Hz | |||
| Clarity | Above 2 KHz | |||
| Lush | 400-600 Hz | |||
| Bright | 15 KHz | |||
| Snare Drum |
Annoying | 1 KHz | ||
| Crisp | Above 2 KHz | |||
| Full | 100-200 Hz | |||
| Deep | 80 Hz | |||
| Attack | 3 KHz | |||
| Kick Drum |
Floppy | 600 Hz | ||
| Boomy | Below 80 Hz | |||
| Slap | 2-5 KHz | |||
| Bottom | 60-125 Hz | |||
| Fullness | 50 Hz | |||
| "Cardboard" | 400 Hz | |||
| Toms | Boomy | 300 Hz | ||
| Slap | 2-5 KHz | |||
| Bottom | 80-200 Hz | |||
| "Cardboard" | 400 Hz | |||
| Cymbals, Tambourine |
Annoying | 1 KHz | ||
| Sparkle | Above 5 KHz | |||
| "Gong" | 200 Hz | |||
| Excess ambience | 400 Hz | |||
| Bright | 15 KHz |