EQ Cheat Sheet: Simple Guidelines for Effective Equalization
MIXING
EQ Cheat Sheet: Simple
Guidelines for Effective
Equalization
MAX MCALLISTER
JUNE 8, 2018
0
Understanding equalization–probably the most widely used signal processor available to
engineers–is essential to making records sound their absolute best. Sometimes it’s as simple
as high-passing an instrument in the proper spot, while other cases require a bit more
attention and precision. Either way, EQ is fundamental to making mix elements sound more
or less defined, larger or smaller, or “better” versus “different.” Having a general reference
like an EQ cheat sheet will help get you where you want to go more quickly.
In most instances, a bit of patience and trial-and-error experimentation (i.e., sweeping) will
reveal an element’s most pleasant or offensive frequencies. This is a wonderful method that’s
great for dissecting instruments and learning in which frequency bands they truly shine. For
beginners, though, this may seem like a daunting task, and determining what sounds good
and what doesn’t can be an ambiguous endeavor.
EQ cheat sheets should never be taken as law, but they do provide starting points to guide
your mixes. No two instruments, performances, or recordings are alike, which is why mileage
may vary from mix to mix when referencing cheat sheets or charts.
Always, 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!
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. live; they’ll be listed as starting points when you’re trying to achieve a
particular outcome with EQ.
An EQ Cheat Sheet for 14 Common Instruments
1. Bass Guitar
50 – 80 Hz: Bottom
700 Hz: Attack
2.5 kHz: Snap
2. Kick Drum
50 – 60 Hz: Bottom
400 Hz: Hollowness
3 – 5 kHz: Beater attack
3. Snare
120 – 240 Hz: Fatness
900 Hz: Point/Attack
5 kHz: Crispness
10 kHz: Snap
4. Rack Toms
240 – 500 Hz: Fullness/Body
5 – 7 kHz: Attack
5. Floor Toms
80 Hz: Fullness/Boom
5 kHz: Attack
6. Hi-Hat and Cymbals
200 Hz: Clang
6 – 10 kHz: Sparkle/Sizzle
7. Electric Guitar
80 Hz and below: Muddiness
240 – 500 Hz: Fullness
1.5 – 2.5 kHz: Presence
3 – 8 kHz: Brilliance
8. Acoustic Guitar
80 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Body
2 – 5 kHz: Presence
9. Organ
80 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Body
2 – 5 kHz: Presence
10. Piano
80 Hz: Fullness
2.5 kHz: “Hony Tonk”
3 – 5 kHz: Presence
11. Horns
120 Hz: Fullness
500 Hz: Honk
5 kHz: Piercing
12. Vocals
120 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Boominess
4 – 7 kHz: Sibilance
5 kHz: Presence
10 – 15 kHz: Air
13. Strings
240 Hz: Fullness
7 – 10 kHz: Scratchiness
14. Conga/Percussion
200 Hz: Ring
5 kHz: Slap
Further EQ Suggestions
Using the list of notable frequencies above, experiment with boosting and cutting to achieve
the desired results. For example, you may want to pull some “boom” around 240 Hz out of a
vocal if it’s clashing with the low end. Likewise, you may need to boost some presence
around 5 kHz to make it stand out.
Remember that the EQ cheat sheet is a basic guideline–not a list of hard and fast rules. 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.
Also, experiment with and listen to different octaves of suggested frequencies. If a floor
tom’s attack is somewhere around 5 kHz, see what’s happening at 2.5 kHz. When a kick
drum’s hollowness is at approximately 400 Hz, listen to what’s occurring at 200 or 800 Hz as
well.
RELATED: SSL Native X-EQ 2 Review (Still the Best?)
More General Tips
It’s advisable to use a narrow bandwidth (Q) when cutting and a broader one when
boosting. Boosting with a narrow Q has the potential to make a frequency stick out in
an undesirable way. On the other hand, cutting with a narrow Q means we’re pulling
out a particularly offensive tone.
Rolling off an element’s bottom end will push it forward in the mix. Rolling off the
top end will push it back.
EQ for size when dealing with fewer instruments in a mix. When mixing a 4- or 5-
piece rock band, for instance, every instrument should sound quite large.
In a dense mix with many instruments, each one should sound much smaller. This will
help them all fit together in an appropriate way.
In the same way that boosting with a narrow Q will cause one frequency to jump out
of a mix, boosting a lot of a single frequency will do the same. It’s generally advised
to boost a little bit of two similar frequencies than a lot of one.
Perhaps most importantly, don’t forget the context of your mix. Making an
instrument sound fantastic soloed doesn’t guarantee that it will fit with the rest of the
elements. In fact, you may find that even though it sounds wonderful by itself, it sits
very poorly with the rest of the instruments. Frequently un-solo elements to ensure the
EQ moves you’re making suit the full mix.
For further reading on EQ, check out our article on bass guitar for a how-to on getting the
most out of your mix’s low end. You may also find our conversation with Bobby Owsinski,
whose work greatly influenced this article, of interest as well!
