Free cheat sheet
EQ Frequency Cheat Sheet (Mixing Frequency Chart)
Good EQ starts with knowing where things live. This cheat sheet maps every frequency band to what it does in a mix - and gives you the key boost and cut spots for the instruments you reach for most.
The frequency spectrum
Felt more than heard - weight and rumble. Muddy, eats headroom; high-pass non-bass parts.
Fullness, body of bass and kick. Boomy and thick if overdone.
Warmth and body. Mud and boxiness - the usual cut zone.
Body and presence of most instruments. Boxy, nasal, or honky.
Presence, attack, intelligibility. Harsh and fatiguing; ear is most sensitive here.
Clarity, definition, sibilance. Sharp esses and hi-hats; de-ess here.
Openness, sparkle, sheen. Thin or brittle if pushed too far.
Key frequencies by instrument
Boost 60 Hz weight, 3 - 5 kHz click
Cut 300 - 500 Hz mud
Boost 800 Hz - 2 kHz to cut through
Cut 200 - 300 Hz boxiness
Boost 200 Hz body, 5 kHz crack
Cut 400 - 600 Hz boxy
Boost 3 - 5 kHz presence, 10 kHz air
Cut 200 - 400 Hz mud, 6 - 8 kHz sibilance
Boost 10 kHz sparkle
Cut Below 500 Hz (high-pass)
Boost 2 - 5 kHz clarity
Cut 250 - 500 Hz to unmask vocals
Key takeaway. Cut before you boost, and make big moves with wide cuts, small moves with narrow boosts. When two parts fight, carve one to make room for the other.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency is muddy in a mix?
Mud usually lives in the low-mids, roughly 250 - 500 Hz. A gentle cut there on busy parts often clears up a thick, cluttered mix.
Where do I boost vocals to make them clear?
Add presence around 3 - 5 kHz for intelligibility and a little air at 10 kHz for sheen. Cut 200 - 400 Hz if the vocal sounds muddy, and de-ess around 6 - 8 kHz.
What frequencies are harsh?
The 2 - 5 kHz range is where the ear is most sensitive, so harshness and fatigue tend to sit there. Ease it with a gentle cut rather than a big boost elsewhere.
Put it into practice
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