Eq cheat sheet
Boosting with a narrow Q has the potential to make a frequency stick out in an undesirable way.
It’s advisable to use a narrow bandwidth (Q) when cutting and a broader one when boosting.When a kick drum’s hollowness is at approximately 400 Hz, listen to what’s occurring at 200 or 800 Hz as well. If a floor tom’s attack is somewhere around 5 kHz, see what’s happening at 2.5 kHz. No two mixes or mix elements are alike, so sweep above and below the recommended frequencies to find what works best in your specific mix.Īlso, experiment with and listen to different octaves of suggested frequencies. Remember that the EQ cheat sheet is a basic guideline–not a list of hard and fast rules. Likewise, you may need to boost some presence around 5 kHz to make it stand out. For example, you may want to pull some “boom” around 240 Hz out of a vocal if it’s clashing with the low end. Using the list of notable frequencies above, experiment with boosting and cutting to achieve the desired results. An EQ Cheat Sheet for 14 Common Instruments 1. live they’ll be listed as starting points when you’re trying to achieve a particular outcome with EQ. The following information has been adapted from Bobby Owsinski’s Mixing Engineer’s Handbook. Each instrument has a range of frequencies in which terms like “bottom,” “crispness,” etc. No two instruments, performances, or recordings are alike, which is why mileage may vary from mix to mix when referencing cheat sheets or charts.Īlways, always, always use your ears and trust your taste an EQ cheat sheet will get you started, but it’s up to the engineer to make things work for that particular mix! EQ cheat sheets should never be taken as law, but they do provide starting points to guide your mixes.