Use this guide to help find problem areas, or emphasise desirable qualities in a sound and cut or boost it accordingly using a parametric or graphic equaliser.
Obviously, these frequencies vary greatly with microphone placement, but they are useful as a guide and starting point for beginners.
Kick |
|
| 60-100Hz | Weight/ sub |
| 200-550Hz | Boxiness/Boomy sound |
| 2-4KHz | 'Click' of beater |
Snare |
|
| 200-450Hz | Boxy, boomy sound |
| 500Hz-2KHz | Usually the overtones of the shell |
| 4-7KHz | Brightness/toppy sound |
Hi Hats |
|
| 100 - 800Hz | Unwanted ambient sound from the rest of the kit. - Usually filtered out with a high pass filter |
| 1 - 2KHz | Harshness |
| 7-12KHz | Sparkle / air |
Toms |
|
| 80-150Hz | Weight |
| 200-500Hz | Boxiness/Boomy sound |
| 2-4 KHz | Attack of stick / definition |
Drum Overheads |
|
| 100-400Hz | Ambient sound from kit |
| 1-2Khz | Harshness |
| 7-14KHz | Sparkle/air |
Bass Guitar |
|
| 60-120Hz | Weight |
| 200-400Hz | Boomy sound |
| 2-6KHz | Detail/definition |
Electric Guitar |
|
| 200-400Hz | Boxy sound |
| 2-4 KHz | Detail, but also harshness |
| 6-12Khz | Air |
Acoustic Guitar |
|
| 200-500Hz | Boxy sound, boomy overtones |
| 1-6KHz | Detail and definition, but also harshness |
| 8-13KHz | Sparkle |
Vocals |
|
| 100-300Hz | Boomy chesty overtones |
| 1-3KHz | Harshness |
| 6-12KHz | Detail, but also sibilance |
| 13KHz+ | Air / sparkle |