The Frequency Spectrum: A Beginner's Guide to EQ Carving

With the exception of those created by a tone generator, every sound you hear is comprised of multiple frequencies: pitch plus overtones. This smorgasbord of frequencies is what we describe as “timbre,” and an equalizer, or EQ, is the tool a bedroom producer uses to manipulate it. The ability of a bedroom producer to manipulate the timbre of individual tracks in a mix with an EQ allows him to get those tracks to interact in such a way that they sound good together. This is done by emphasizing certain frequencies and de-emphasizing others. It is essential for a good bedroom producer to understand how timbres vary from instrument to instrument, where they fall on the frequency spectrum, and how each timbre can be used productively in the context of an overall mix.

The following is a simple guide to the frequency spectrum that can be used for reference by any budding bedroom producer, in which I’ll describe a few notable frequencies and frequency ranges (bands):

<20 Hz: Unless you’re a whale, you cannot hear these frequencies, and neither can your fans. Your EQ probably won’t even address them, so disregard this band.

20-100 Hz: This is where you’ll find the meat and potatoes of your bass instruments. Think about the thump of a kick drum or the part of a bass guitar that you can almost “feel.” Timbres down here are often described as “warm,” “round,” “dark,” or “fat.” If you’re applying an EQ to anything other than a bass instrument, you can probably safely cut this whole band with a high-pass filter, which will allow your bass instruments to occupy the low end of your overall mix without being masked by noise build-up in that frequency range from other instruments (guitars, piano, vocals, etc.) that don’t typically have any useful tonal information below 100 Hz or so.

100-200 Hz: Still described as “warm,” “dark,” or “fat,” these are the lowest useful frequencies for some of those non-bass instruments (guitars, piano, vocals, etc).

200-400 Hz: Many instruments start to sound “muddy” in this range. Be prepared to make cuts here to instruments that have a lot of noise build-up. But be careful, there can be some useful tonal information in this band.

400 Hz: Almost everything sounds bad around here. Drums sound like cardboard, bass can sound nasally, guitars and vocals sometimes sound “woofy.” I often make a small EQ cut here on the master fader to de-emphasize this nasty part of the frequency spectrum, which in turn emphasizes both the low and high ends, making the song sound both warmer and crisper (We’ll get into high frequencies shortly).

400-800 Hz: This is where many instruments start to open up and bare some energy. Lots of tonal information, though cuts might be needed to control “mud” or “woofiness.”

800-2000 Hz: This is where bass instruments cut through the mix, where you’ll hear the character of a bass guitar or the batter head of a kick drum.

1 kHz: Vocals can sound particularly nasal around here.

2 kHz: Almost everything sounds good here. Vocals are clear, guitars have “bite,” bass guitar gets some texture, and drums hit hard. It’s a good spot to emphasize an integral part of the mix, like a vocal that really needs to sit on top.

2 kHz-4 kHz: This is where things start to sound “sharp.” De-emphasizing anything below this point can really thin out a mix (which might be what it needs from time to time).

4 kHz-20 kHz: The tonal information in this band adds detail and clarity to a sound. It is often described as “bright” or “airy.” Emphasizing an instrument here can bring it out in the mix without the need to raise the overall level of the track. De-emphasizing an instrument here has the opposite effect, pulling it back in the mix and making it sound muffled.

>20 kHz: Unless your band has a dog whistle player, disregard this band. Humans can’t hear this high.

---

This guide is intended to give you a basic skeletal idea of how different timbres fit into the frequency spectrum and what you can do to make them cooperate in a mix; however, what works for one song might not work for the next. The advice I’ve given here is a great starting point when making EQ adjustments, but a good bedroom producer will listen actively and determine where exactly to make boosts and cuts by the way the song sounds, not by the way it looks in the DAW. Use your ears, and happy carving!