EQ & Instrument Frequency Chart: Where to Cut or Boost
See where each instrument lives in the frequency spectrum and where the usual problems and sweet spots are. Hover the chart to read any frequency and its note, and click to hear a test tone.
Ranges are approximate starting points: every sound, recording and arrangement is different. Find the exact frequency by sweeping a narrow boost, then decide whether to cut it. Bars show the body, fundamentals, main energy, sung fundamentals, typical range (gold) and overtones (dim).
Frequency bands and what they do
| Band | Range | What it does | Too much sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub bass | 20 Hz–60 Hz | Felt more than heard: 808 and kick fundamentals. | rumble |
| Bass | 60 Hz–250 Hz | Weight and warmth of bass, kick and low vocals. | boomy |
| Low mids | 250 Hz–500 Hz | Body of most instruments. | muddy |
| Mids | 500 Hz–2 kHz | The basic tone of most instruments and voices. | boxy, honky |
| Upper mids | 2 kHz–4 kHz | Attack and clarity; the ear is most sensitive here. | harsh |
| Presence | 4 kHz–6 kHz | Definition and closeness. | piercing |
| Brilliance / air | 6 kHz–20 kHz | Sparkle, cymbals, sibilance and air. | brittle, hissy |
Instrument frequency ranges and EQ starting points
| Instrument | Main range | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Kick drum | 40 Hz–100 Hz | 50 Hz–80 Hz: weight and thump; 200 Hz–500 Hz: boxiness: cut if it sounds like cardboard; 2 kHz–5 kHz: beater click: boost so it cuts through on small speakers |
| 808 / sub bass | 30 Hz–100 Hz | 20 Hz–30 Hz: high-pass below the lowest note to remove inaudible rumble; 30 Hz–60 Hz: fundamental of most 808 notes: keep it clean and mono; 200 Hz–1 kHz: saturation adds harmonics here so the 808 is heard on phones |
| Bass guitar | 41 Hz–392 Hz | 60 Hz–100 Hz: weight; 200 Hz–300 Hz: mud: cut if the low end sounds cloudy; 700 Hz–1.5 kHz: growl and definition; 2 kHz–5 kHz: string and pick attack |
| Snare | 150 Hz–250 Hz | 150 Hz–250 Hz: body; 400 Hz–800 Hz: boxiness; 2 kHz–5 kHz: crack and attack; 5 kHz–10 kHz: snare wires and sizzle |
| Toms | 60 Hz–250 Hz | 80 Hz–250 Hz: body (floor tom lower, rack toms higher); 300 Hz–800 Hz: boxiness; 3 kHz–5 kHz: stick attack |
| Hi-hats & cymbals | 3 kHz–16 kHz | 100 Hz–500 Hz: high-pass: little useful content down here; 2 kHz–4 kHz: harshness: cut if they sound clangy; 8 kHz–16 kHz: shimmer and air |
| Male vocal | 82 Hz–523 Hz | 80 Hz–120 Hz: high-pass around here (lower for deep voices); 250 Hz–500 Hz: mud and boxiness; 800 Hz–1.5 kHz: nasal, honky tone; 2 kHz–5 kHz: presence and intelligibility; 5 kHz–9 kHz: sibilance: use a de-esser; 10 kHz–16 kHz: air: gentle high shelf |
| Female vocal | 165 Hz–1.047 kHz | 100 Hz–150 Hz: high-pass (higher than for deep voices); 250 Hz–500 Hz: mud and boxiness; 800 Hz–1.5 kHz: nasal, honky tone; 2 kHz–5 kHz: presence and intelligibility; 5 kHz–9 kHz: sibilance: use a de-esser; 10 kHz–16 kHz: air: gentle high shelf |
| Acoustic guitar | 82 Hz–1.047 kHz | 80 Hz–100 Hz: high-pass in a full mix; 200 Hz–300 Hz: boom and mud; 3 kHz–5 kHz: pick attack and presence; 8 kHz–12 kHz: sparkle |
| Electric guitar | 82 Hz–1.047 kHz | 80 Hz–120 Hz: high-pass to leave room for bass and kick; 200 Hz–400 Hz: mud; 2 kHz–4 kHz: bite and presence; 6 kHz–10 kHz: fizz: low-pass if distorted guitars sound harsh |
| Piano | 27.5 Hz–4.186 kHz | 200 Hz–400 Hz: mud in a dense mix; 2 kHz–5 kHz: attack and presence; 8 kHz–12 kHz: brightness |
| Violin | 196 Hz–3.52 kHz | 250 Hz–400 Hz: warmth and body; 2 kHz–5 kHz: bow detail; cut if scratchy; 8 kHz–12 kHz: air |
| Synth pad | 100 Hz–2 kHz | 100 Hz–300 Hz: high-pass so the pad does not cloud the low end; 2 kHz–5 kHz: dip here to make room for the vocal |
The Mix Cheat Sheet
Vocal EQ, panning with DAW values, starting levels, compression settings and vocal reverb by genre on two printable pages.
Your cheat sheet is ready. A copy is on its way to your inbox too.
DOWNLOAD PDF →How to EQ with the chart
- High-pass what doesn't need low end. Vocals, guitars, pads and cymbals rarely need anything below their lowest notes.
- Give each instrument its own space. Where two instruments overlap (kick and bass, vocal and guitars), cut a little in one to make room for the other.
- Cut narrow, boost wide. Narrow cuts remove a problem without changing the character; wide, gentle boosts sound natural.
- EQ in context. Make decisions with the full mix playing, not in solo. More on vocals in the vocal EQ cheat sheet and on the low end in how to mix kick and bass.
Every element of a mix, genre by genre
MixMap plots 63 elements across Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic and Indie: frequency, pan, width, level, compression, reverb and delay. Click an element to get its settings.
Quick answers
What frequencies should I cut when mixing?
Usually the low end of instruments that don't need it (high-pass filters), mud around 250–500 Hz and boxiness around 400–800 Hz when you hear them. Sweep a narrow boost to find the exact frequency, then cut it by a few dB.
What frequency range is muddy?
Roughly 200–500 Hz. Many instruments have energy there, so it builds up quickly in a full mix. Small cuts on several instruments work better than a big cut on one.
What frequency is the kick drum?
The weight of a kick is around 50–80 Hz, boxiness around 200–500 Hz and the beater click around 2–5 kHz.
Where is vocal presence?
Around 2–5 kHz, where consonants live. A gentle boost there makes words clearer; sibilance sits higher, around 5–9 kHz.
What is the frequency range of human hearing?
About 20 Hz to 20 kHz for young listeners; the upper limit drops with age. Music mixing focuses on the whole range, but the ear is most sensitive between roughly 2 and 5 kHz.