EQ Frequency Chart: What Each Frequency Does in Your Mix
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You put an EQ on your vocal, turn a knob and it sounds different. But better? No idea. The problem usually isn't the EQ itself, it's not knowing what lives at which frequency. Once you know where the mud, the harsh S sounds and the air sit, you know where to look. In this article you get a simple frequency chart, the spots to check per instrument and a way of working you can use in any DAW.
Short answer: which frequencies do what?
People hear roughly from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Producers split that range into a few zones. The borders differ per source and per instrument, so treat the chart as a map, not a law.
| Range | About | What you hear | Too much sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub | 20 to 60 Hz | Deep bass you mostly feel, the tail of your 808 | Rumbly, your mix gets loud fast without sounding fuller |
| Bass | 60 to 250 Hz | Kick punch, body of bass and voice | Boomy and heavy |
| Low mids | 250 to 500 Hz | Warmth and fullness | Muddy, everything sticks together |
| Mids | 500 Hz to 2 kHz | The character of most sounds | Boxy or nasal |
| High mids | 2 to 5 kHz | Presence, clarity, attack | Harsh and tiring |
| Highs | 5 to 10 kHz | Brightness, hi-hats, S sounds | Sharp and hissy |
| Air | 10 to 20 kHz | Air and sparkle | Thin and shrill |
According to iZotope, our ears are most sensitive between about 2 and 5 kHz. That's why a small boost there already makes a big difference, and why a mix gets tiring there fast.
Zone by zone: what happens and what to listen for
Sub (20 to 60 Hz)
This is where the deepest part of your 808 and some kicks live. On laptop speakers and many phones you barely hear it, but it still takes up room in your master. Don't let two sounds push hard here at the same time. Usually the 808 gets this space and the kick stays short. How to make those two work together is in how to mix 808 and kick.
Bass (60 to 250 Hz)
According to iZotope, the punch of a kick sits around 60 to 80 Hz, with extra knock between roughly 100 and 200 Hz. The body of a bass sound sits around 120 to 250 Hz. Your voice has body here too: the fundamental of most voices sits between about 100 and 400 Hz. That's why you don't blindly set a low cut on a vocal at 200 Hz. Start low, move up until you hear the voice getting thinner, then back off a bit.
Low mids (250 to 500 Hz)
This is mud territory. Almost every instrument has energy here, so when everything has a little too much, it piles up. The result: a mix that sounds full but blurry. A wide, small cut on a few tracks often works better than one big cut on the master.
Mids (500 Hz to 2 kHz)
This is where character lives. Too much around 400 to 800 Hz sounds boxy, like you're standing in a cardboard box. Between about 800 Hz and 1.5 kHz a voice can start to sound nasal. On a bass, the area around 800 Hz to 1 kHz is what makes it audible on small speakers. Cut all of that and your bass disappears on a phone. More in can't hear your 808 on phone speakers.
High mids (2 to 5 kHz)
This is where words become clear and where the attack of a snare or the click of a kick sits. Vocal too far back in the beat? A small boost here often helps more than turning the fader up. But go easy: iZotope recommends keeping vocal moves in this range to about 1 to 2 dB. More gets harsh quickly.
Highs (5 to 10 kHz)
Hi-hats and S, T and SH sounds live here. Harsh S sounds in a vocal usually sit between about 5 and 8 kHz. You don't fix those with an EQ that's always on, but with a de-esser that only kicks in when it hisses. See how to de-ess your vocals in FL Studio.
Air (10 to 20 kHz)
A soft, wide boost here gives a vocal or a whole mix shine and air. Works great on a clean recording. On a noisy recording you turn the noise up too, so check that first.
Cheat sheet per instrument
These values come from iZotope's EQ guides. They're a starting point for searching, not settings to copy.
| Sound | What to listen for |
|---|---|
| Kick | 60 to 80 Hz punch, 200 to 500 Hz boxiness, 1 to 5 kHz click and attack |
| Bass and 808 | 40 to 120 Hz low end, 120 to 250 Hz body, 300 to 500 Hz mud, 800 Hz to 1 kHz presence |
| Snare | 150 to 250 Hz body, 300 to 500 Hz boxiness, 2 to 3.5 kHz attack, 8 kHz and up air |
| Hi-hats | 3 to 7 kHz can get harsh |
| Piano and keys | 60 to 200 Hz body, 200 to 500 Hz mud, 2 to 4 kHz harshness |
| Rap vocal | 100 to 400 Hz body, 400 to 800 Hz boxiness, 800 Hz to 1.5 kHz nasal, 2 to 5 kHz clarity, 5 to 8 kHz sibilance, 10 kHz and up air |
| Reverb and delay returns | below 500 Hz mud, 800 Hz to 3 kHz harshness |
How to use the chart in 5 steps
- Listen in the mix first. EQing a soloed track feels logical, but it sounds different in the beat. Use solo only to find something, and decide in the mix.
- Cut what isn't needed. A low cut on tracks that don't need bass, like vocals, hi-hats and many melodies, makes room for your kick and 808. iZotope gives around 80 to 100 Hz as a starting point for vocals. On reverb returns you can often cut even higher.
- Find problems with a sweep. Boost a narrow band a few dB and slowly sweep through the zone from the chart. Where it sounds ugliest is your problem. Turn that band down instead of up.
- Boost wide and small. Cut narrow, boost wide. A few dB is often enough. If it only sounds right with a huge boost, the problem is usually in the recording or the sound itself.
- Compare at equal volume. A boost makes everything louder, and louder quickly sounds better. Set your EQ output so on and off are equally loud, then compare.
Working in FL Studio? You'll find all of this step by step in how to EQ vocals with Parametric EQ 2.
Check your tonal balance against a reference
Your ears adjust fast. After an hour of mixing on the same headphones, too much low mids sounds normal. That's why comparing with a song that sounds the way you want to sound is so useful. How to do that fairly is in how to use a reference track when mixing.
Want to see it instead of just hearing it? Drop your mix into the free Master Checker for your LUFS, true peak and dynamics. With Master Checker Pro you compare your track with a reference and see per frequency range, from sub to air, where you have more or less. That way you know whether your mix really lacks air or your ears are just tired. Your audio isn't uploaded: everything happens in your browser.
FAQ
Where should I set a low cut on vocals?
Start around 80 to 100 Hz and listen. A low male voice sometimes needs a lower low cut, a higher voice can often go a bit higher. If you hear the voice getting thinner, you've gone too far.
Where do S sounds sit?
Usually between about 5 and 8 kHz, but it differs per voice and mic. Use a de-esser and find the spot with a sweep.
Why does my mix sound muddy?
Often because too many tracks have energy between about 200 and 500 Hz. Cut a little on the tracks that don't need to do anything there, instead of one big cut on your whole mix.
Is boosting bad?
No. But cutting what's in the way often gives you a cleaner mix than pushing up everything you miss. Boost wide and in small steps.
Do these frequencies apply to every song?
No. They're guidelines to know where to look. Every voice, mic and beat is different. Your ears decide.
Mix vocals without guessing
EQ is one step in your vocal chain. Want to know what comes before and after? Grab the free vocal chain cheat sheet for Logic Pro and FL Studio, with the order of your plugins and what to do when it doesn't sound right. Rather start with the settings already dialed in? Check out our vocal presets for FL Studio and Logic Pro.
Sources: iZotope, "EQ cheat sheet: the guide for sculpting your sound", "How to EQ vocals" and "How to EQ bass" (izotope.com).