MagicFrequencies

ExcerptedfromTheMixingEngineer'sHandbook
by Bobby Ows i ns k i
Page1of1

Editors'Note:Thefollowingexcerptfrom"TheMixingEngineer'sHandbook"byengineerBobby
OwsinskidiscusseshowEQcanaffectdifferentfrequenciesinanaudiomix.ATipsandTrickssection
atthetheendfeaturesvariousprofessionalengineersofferingtheirperspectiveonEQtechniques.
Beforeweexaminesomemethodsofequalizing,itsimportanttonotetheareasoftheaudioband
andwhateffecttheyhaveonwhatwehear.Theaudiobandcaneffectivelybebrokendownintosix
distinctranges,eachonehavingenormousimpactonthetotalsound.
SubBassTheverylowbassbetween16Hzand60Hzthatencompassessoundsthatareoften
feltmorethanheard,suchasthunderinthedistance.Thesefrequenciesgivethemusicasenseof
powereveniftheyoccurinfrequently.Toomuchemphasisonthisrangemakesthemusicsoundmuddy.
BassThebassbetween60Hzand250Hzcontainsthefundamentalnotesoftherhythmsection,soEQingthisrange
canchangethemusicalbalance,makingitfatorthin.Toomuchboostinthisrangecanmakethemusicsoundboomy.
LowMidsThemidrangebetween250Hzand2000Hzcontainstheloworderharmonicsofmostmusicalinstruments
andcanintroduceatelephonelikequalitytothemusicifboostedtoomuch.Boostingthe500Hzto1000Hzoctavemakesthe
instrumentssoundhornlike,whileboostingthe1kHzto2kHzoctavemakesthemsoundtinny.Excessoutputinthisrange
cancauselisteningfatigue.
HighMidsTheuppermidrangebetween2kHzand4kHzcanmasktheimportantspeechrecognitionsoundsifboosted,
introducingalispingqualityintoavoiceandmakingsoundsformedwiththelipssuchasm,bandv
indistinguishable.Toomuchboostinthisrangeespeciallyat3kHzcanalsocauselisteningfatigue.Dippingthe3kHz
rangeoninstrumentbackgroundsandslightlypeaking3kHzonvocalscanmakethevocalsaudiblewithouthavingto
decreasetheinstrumentallevelinmixeswherethevoicewouldotherwiseseemburied.
PresenceThepresencerangebetween4kHzand6kHzisresponsiblefortheclarityanddefinitionofvoicesand
instruments.Boostingthisrangecanmakethemusicseemclosertothelistener.Reducingthe5kHzcontentofamixmakes
thesoundmoredistantandtransparent.
BrillianceThe6kHzto16kHzrangecontrolsthebrillianceandclarityofsounds.Toomuchemphasisinthisrange,
however,canproducesibilanceonthevocals.
Leo di Gar Kulka Equalization The Highest, Most Sustained Expression of the Recordists Heart, Recording Engineer/Producer, Vol. 3, Number 6,
November/December, 1972

For those of you who have an easier time visualizing the audio spectrum in oneoctave increments (like
those found on a graphic equalizer), heres an octave look at the same chart.
31Hz

Rumble, "chest"

63 Hz

Bottom

125Hz

Boom, thump, warmth

250Hz

Fullness or mud

500Hz

Honk

1KHz

Whack

2KHz

Crunch

4KHz

Edge

8KHz

Sibilance, definition, "ouch!"

16 KHz

Air

EasyToRemember
Golden Rules Of EQ

1. If it sounds muddy, cut

2. If it sounds honky, cut

3. Cut if youre trying to

4. Boost if youre trying to

5. You cant boost

TricksandTips
GeneralTips
UseanarrowQ(bandwidth)whencuttingusewide
Qswhenboosting
Ifyouwantsomethingtostickout,rolloffthebottomif
youwantittoblendin,rolloffthetop
ForSnare

Tofindthepointonthesnare,boosttheupper
midrangestartingatabout+5or6dBat2kHzorso.
Openupthebandwidth(ifthatparameterisavailable)
untilyougetthesnaretojumpout,thentightenthe
bandwidthuntilyougetonlythepartofthesnaresound
thatyouwantmost.Thenfinetunethefrequencyuntil
youneedtheleastamountofboostinordertomakeit
jumpoutofthemix.

ForDrums
DavePensado:AlotofthemusicIdohassamplesin
itandthatgivestheproducertheluxuryofprettymuch
gettingthesoundhewantedfromthestart.Intheold
daysyoualwayspulledoutalittle400onthekickdrum.
Youalwaysaddedalittle3and6tothetoms.Thatjust
doesnthappenasmuchanymorebecausewhenIget
thetape,evenwithlivebands,theproducersalready
triggeredthesoundhewantedofftheliveperformance
andthedrumsarecloser.
ForBass
Theratiobetweenthelowbass(80120Hz)andthe
midbass(130Hz200Hz)isimportant.Tryusingtwo
fairlynarrowpeakingbands,oneat100Hzandanother
at140Hzandboostoneandcuttheother.Ifthebassis
toowarm,sometimesreducingtheupperbandcan
makeitmoredistinctwithoutremovingthedeeper
fundamentalsthatliveinthe100Hzband.Also,try
boostingsomeofthe1kHzareasincethisiswherealot
ofthesoundoftheFenderbasslives.
ForFatterGuitars

Figure 5

Boostmidrangealot(9dBorso)andsweepthefrequenciesuntilyouheartherangewheretheguitarsoundsthickbutyet
stillbrightenoughtocutthrough.Now,backtheboostdowntoabout+4orsountiltheguitarcutsthroughthemixwithout
beingtoobright.
DonSmith:IuseEQdifferentfromsomepeople.IdontjustuseittobrightenorfattensomethingupIuseittomakean
instrumentfeelbetter.Likeonaguitar,makingsurethatallthestringsonaguitarcanbeheard.Insteadofjustbrightening
upthehighstringsandaddingmudtothelowstrings,ImaylookforacertainchordtohearmoreoftheAstring.IftheD
stringismissinginachord,IliketoEQandboostitwayupto+8or+10andthenjustdialthroughthedifferentfrequencies
untilIhearwhattheyredoingtotheguitar.SoImtryingtomakethingsmorebalancedinthewaytheylaywithother
instruments.
ForVocals
Boostalittleat125Hzto250Hztoaccentuatethevoicefundamentalandmakeitmorechestysounding.The2kHzto
4kHzrangeaccentuatestheconsonantsandmakesthevocalseemclosertothelistener.
EdSeay:OnavocalsometimesIthink,Doesthisvocalneedadietplan?Doesheneedtolosesomeflabdownthere?
Orsometimes,Weneedsomeweightonthisguysoletsaddsome300cyclesandmakehimsoundalittlemore
important.
DavidSussman:IfImrecordingvocals,Iliketorolloffquiteabitonthebottomendsothecompressordoesntstart
kickinginandbringingupanylowendrumbleornoise.IfImEQingapianoorsomethingthatsalreadybeenrecorded,I
sometimesrolloffalotofthebottomsoIleavealotofroomforthebassandthekickdrumtooccupy.AlotoftimesI
dontneedanythingunderprobably100Hz.IlldosomerollingoffwiththefiltersandthenImaytakeabellcurveand
zoneinonacoupleofotherwoofyareasoncertaininstruments.
DavePensado:IthinkofEQasaneffectmuchthesamewayyouwouldaddchorusorreverbtoaparticularinstrumentor
vocal.Like,ImighthaveavocalwhereIthinkitsreallyEQednicelyandthenIlladdalittlemore3kjusttogetittobitea
littlemore.Thenitjustmakesmefeellikethesingerwastryingharderanditbringsoutalittlebitofpassioninhisorher
voice.SoItendtobemosteffectivewhenIdothestandardequalizing,thentakeittothenextlevel,thinkingofitasan
effect.
Source:ArtistPro

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