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Like everything else in music or recording, applying equalization (EQ) is an art. You have to rely on a person’s ear, and often trial and error.

Human beings generally can hear frequencies between 20 Hz (Hertz) – 20 kHz). Music producers use different words to describe their perception of frequencies in certain ranges.

Also, it’s helpful to know which frequencies characterize different instruments, in order to be able use equalization to create the specific effect you are looking for.

In this article, we’ll cover each of these topics, and you’ll have a good introduction to effectively using [tag]EQ[/tag]. But once you have a grasp of the principles, there is no substitute for live experience. So get going and experiment as much as you can to develop your EQ skills.

The Jargon of EQ

• Bass (20 Hz – 100 Hz) – Boomy, Thick, Depth, Bottom
• Mid-Bass (100 Hz – 500 Hz) – Full, Warm, fat
• Midrange (500Hz – 2 kHz) – Nasal, overly focused, Horn like
• Upper Mid Range (2k Hz – 8 kHz) – Harsh, Bright, Presence, Edge, crisp
• High Range (8 kHz – 20 kHz) – Airy, Openness, Treble, Brilliance

Instruments and their relative frequencies as a starting point in applying proper EQ.

• Snare Drum – Fat at 240 Hz, crisp at 5 kHz
• Hi hat / cymbals - Full at 240 Hz bright at 7.5 kHz–12 kHz
• Bass Guitar – Thick and Bottom at 60–80 Hz bright at 2.5 kHz
• Electric Guitar – Full at 240 Hz, edge at 2.5 kHz
• Acoustic Guitar – Bottom end between 80-120 HZ, full at 240 HZ and bright at 2.5 kHz
• Strings – Full and Warm at 240 Hz treble between 7.5 kHz – 10kHz
• Vocals – Full and warm at 120 Hz-240Hz, presence at 5 kHz
• Horns – Full and fat at 120-240 Hz, harsh and bright between 5-7.5Hz
• Piano – Bottom end at 80-120Hz, presence at 2.5-5 kHz with crispness at 10 kHz

With practice you can eventually learn to recognize certain frequencies and apply them correctly throughout your mix. For example, if you want to add EQ to change the sound of an instrument but you have no idea what frequency needs to be altered, start by scanning over a range of frequencies with the EQ gain set to a high boost or low cut. This is what sound engineers refer to as ‘finding the sweet spot’

If you want to give a bass guitar track a crisp and edgy sound, from the chart above set it to between 2 kHz – 8 kHz. Set the gain of the EQ to about 12.0 dB and use the frequency slider to move into the upper mid range frequency. Once you have found the frequency you are looking for, you can tweak the other controls to your liking.

Dave’s Tip: Computer Software EQ often have a bypass button where you can compare the original sound you started with and with EQ applied.

Five Types of EQ Units:

1. Peak EQ - This provides a localized cut or boost to a particular frequency. How the “Q” control is set will determine how the bandwidth of the boost or cut is affected. A high “Q” setting will narrow the frequency range and a low “Q” setting will affect a wide range
2. Hi-pass filters – This type will allow all high frequencies to pass through the EQ and cut off the low frequencies
3. Low-pass filters – This type is the exact opposite. It allows low frequencies to pass through the EQ and it will cut off the high frequencies
4. High-Shelf filters – This type of filter can amplify and ease high frequencies
5. Low-Shelf filters – This type of filter can amplify and ease low frequencies

The purpose of High-pass, Low-pass and shelf filters is to improve the sound clarity of a track.

There are two methods to consider when applying EQ:

1. applying it to individual tracks in isolation or
2. applying it to the entire mix.

If needed, both can be done. But be cautious, because if you have just spent time putting the perfect EQ on a guitar track, bringing in other instruments to the mix may cause it to either stand out too much or just get lost.

Dave’s Tip: “Carving Holes” or using EQ over your entire mix can help with the overall frequency spectrum of the instruments and their placement in the stereo or surround sound environment.

Advice: Be careful not to add too much EQ if you don’t think it’s needed. It is true that you can get a variety of great effects by playing around, but if your mix starts to sound too cluttered and has lost its definition, you have added too much [tag]equalization[/tag].