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EQ is the most-used tool in mixing, and the hardest part is knowing where to reach. This EQ frequency chart maps the important ranges for every common instrument, with what each range sounds like and what to boost or cut. Bookmark it and keep it open next to your DAW. It’s part of my how to mix and master a song guide, and the guitar sections connect directly to how to mix electric guitar and how to mix vocals.
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Send My Cheat Sheet →What does an EQ frequency chart show? An EQ frequency chart shows which frequency ranges shape the sound of each instrument: lows (20–250 Hz) for weight, mids (250 Hz–4 kHz) for body and clarity, and highs (4–20 kHz) for presence and air. Use it as a starting point, then adjust by ear in the full mix.
The frequency spectrum at a glance
| Range | Frequencies | Sounds like | Too much | Too little |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub bass | 20–60 Hz | Felt more than heard; rumble | Muddy, wasted headroom | No depth on big systems |
| Bass | 60–250 Hz | Weight, warmth, punch | Boomy | Thin |
| Low mids | 250–500 Hz | Body; where mud builds up | Muddy, boxy | Hollow |
| Mids | 500 Hz–2 kHz | Tone, honk, character | Honky, nasal | Scooped, distant |
| Upper mids | 2–4 kHz | Clarity, bite, intelligibility | Harsh, fatiguing | Dull, unclear |
| Presence | 4–6 kHz | Definition, edge | Piercing | Lifeless |
| Brilliance and air | 6–20 kHz | Sparkle, sibilance, air | Sibilant, brittle, hissy | Dark, muffled |
EQ frequency chart by instrument
| Instrument | Low cut (typical) | Weight / body | Mud / box | Clarity / attack | Air / sparkle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kick drum | Around 30–40 Hz | 50–100 Hz | 200–500 Hz | 2–5 kHz (beater click) | Rarely needed |
| Snare | Around 80–100 Hz | 150–250 Hz | 400–800 Hz (ring) | 2–5 kHz (crack) | 8–12 kHz (snap) |
| Toms | Around 50–80 Hz | 80–200 Hz | 300–600 Hz | 3–5 kHz | – |
| Cymbals and overheads | Around 200–500 Hz (if mics are dedicated to cymbals) | – | – | 1–3 kHz (clang) | 8–16 kHz (shimmer) |
| Bass guitar | Around 30–40 Hz | 60–200 Hz | 250–400 Hz | 700 Hz–1.5 kHz (growl), 2–4 kHz (string noise) | – |
| Electric guitar | Around 80–120 Hz | 100–250 Hz | 200–400 Hz | 1.5–3 kHz (bite) | Low-pass ~8–10 kHz for distorted tones |
| Acoustic guitar | Around 80–100 Hz | 100–250 Hz | 200–400 Hz (boom) | 2–5 kHz (pick, strings) | 10–12 kHz |
| Piano | Around 40–60 Hz (unless solo) | 80–200 Hz | 250–500 Hz | 2–5 kHz | 10–15 kHz |
| Male vocal | Around 80–100 Hz | 100–250 Hz | 200–500 Hz | 2–5 kHz (presence) | 10–15 kHz (air); sibilance 4–8 kHz |
| Female vocal | Around 100–150 Hz | 200–300 Hz | 250–500 Hz | 2–5 kHz | 10–16 kHz (air); sibilance 5–9 kHz |
| Synth pads | Around 100–200 Hz | – | 250–500 Hz | 1–3 kHz | 8–12 kHz |
These ranges are widely used starting points, not rules. Every recording, instrument and voice is different.
Eq cheat sheet: 10 rules of thumb
- Cut before you boost. Removing a problem sounds more natural than boosting around it.
- Use narrow cuts and wide boosts. Narrow Q for resonances; broad, gentle boosts for tone.
- EQ in context. Soloed tracks lie. Make decisions with the full mix playing.
- High-pass anything that doesn’t need lows. But don’t overdo it; set the filter until you hear the sound thin out, then back off.
- Give each instrument a home. Decide whether kick or bass owns the lowest range, and carve the other.
- Watch the 200–500 Hz pile-up. Mud usually comes from many tracks each adding a bit here.
- Be careful at 2–5 kHz. Our ears are very sensitive here. Small boosts add clarity; large ones add fatigue.
- Match volume when comparing. Boosting makes things louder, and louder sounds “better.” Bypass and compare at equal level.
- Small moves add up. Two or three 1–2 dB changes often beat one big move.
- Fix it at the source if you can. Mic placement and tone choices beat corrective EQ.
Guitar eq frequencies
Guitar sits right in the middle of the spectrum, which is why it so often fights with vocals, keys and bass.
| Frequency | Electric guitar | Acoustic guitar | Bass guitar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40–80 Hz | Usually filtered | Usually filtered | Fundamental weight |
| 80–250 Hz | Body and thump (palm mutes) | Warmth; boom near soundhole | Fullness |
| 250–500 Hz | Mud; cut to clean up | Boxiness | Mud; cut carefully |
| 500 Hz–1 kHz | Honk; mid push for leads | Woodiness | Definition on small speakers |
| 1–3 kHz | Bite and pick attack | Clarity | Growl, finger and pick attack |
| 3–6 kHz | Harshness, fizz | String detail | String noise |
| 6–12 kHz | Fizz (low-pass on high gain) | Sparkle and shimmer | Mostly noise |
Electric guitar tips: high-pass around 80–120 Hz, cut mud around 200–400 Hz, and tame fizz with a low-pass. A small mid push around 800 Hz–1 kHz helps a lead cut through without just turning it up. Want to shape your tone before it hits the recording? See my guide to the best EQ pedals.
Bass guitar tips: many small speakers can’t reproduce the lowest bass notes, so the 700 Hz–1.5 kHz range is what makes bass audible on phones. That’s one reason bass can seem to vanish in a mix; my article on why bass guitars are so quiet explains more. Playing style also changes EQ needs: finger playing tends to sound rounder than a pick, as covered in why bass players use their fingers. And the standard bass’s range is part of why it has only four strings.
Acoustic guitar tips: cut boom around 100–250 Hz, especially from a mic near the soundhole, and add gentle sparkle around 10–12 kHz if it sounds dull.
How to use an EQ frequency chart
- Identify the problem in words. Is it muddy, harsh, thin, boomy or dull? The spectrum table above tells you where to look.
- Sweep to find it. Create a narrow boost of about 6–10 dB, sweep it slowly through the suspected range until the problem jumps out, then turn the boost into a cut.
- Set the amount by ear. Start with 2–4 dB and adjust with the full mix playing.
- Compare at matched volume. Bypass the EQ and check that it’s actually better, not just different or louder.
- Check on multiple speakers. Headphones, monitors, a phone and a car reveal different problems.
Common EQ problems and fixes
| Problem | Where to look | Try |
|---|---|---|
| Muddy mix | 200–500 Hz across many tracks | Small cuts on several instruments, not one big cut |
| Harsh vocals | 2–5 kHz | Gentle cut or dynamic EQ |
| Sibilant “s” sounds | 4–9 kHz | De-esser |
| Kick and bass clashing | 50–100 Hz | Boost one, cut the other; sidechain compression |
| Thin guitars | 100–250 Hz | Small boost; check high-pass setting |
| Dull mix | 8–12 kHz | Gentle high-shelf boost |
| Bass disappears on phones | 700 Hz–1.5 kHz | Add harmonics or a small mid boost |
EQ types explained
Knowing the frequency ranges is half the job. The other half is choosing the right kind of EQ band:
- High-pass (low-cut) filter: removes everything below a chosen frequency. Use it to clear rumble and make room for bass and kick.
- Low-pass (high-cut) filter: removes everything above a chosen frequency. Useful for taming fizz on distorted guitars or pushing a part into the background.
- Bell (peak) band: boosts or cuts around a center frequency. The Q setting controls how wide the change is: high Q is narrow, low Q is broad.
- Shelf: boosts or cuts everything above (high shelf) or below (low shelf) a frequency. Great for gentle tone shaping like adding air.
- Dynamic EQ: a band that only acts when a frequency gets too loud. Ideal for harshness that comes and goes, or for ducking guitars only when the vocal sings.
- Linear-phase EQ: avoids phase shifts, which can matter on parallel or mastering processing, but it adds latency and can create pre-ringing on low frequencies.
Notes, not just numbers
Musicians often think in notes rather than hertz. A few reference points help connect the two: the low E string on a standard-tuned guitar is about 82 Hz, the low E on a four-string bass is about 41 Hz, and the A above middle C is 440 Hz. Every octave doubles the frequency, so the A an octave up is 880 Hz. That’s why a guitar’s fundamental notes sit mostly between roughly 80 Hz and 1.2 kHz, while its harmonics, which give it tone and bite, reach much higher.
Monitoring for EQ decisions
EQ is only as good as what you hear. In an untreated bedroom, room reflections can make you boost or cut frequencies that aren’t really a problem. A trusted pair of studio headphones is a useful reference for low-mid and high-frequency decisions:
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50x: Check price on Amazon
- Sony MDR7506: Check price on Amazon
Once your EQ is balanced, set your final loudness using my LUFS for Spotify guide, or try AI mastering for a quick master. If you play through different amps, remember they shape EQ too; see whether an electric guitar can damage a bass amp.
For more on how loudness and frequency balance interact on streaming services, see Spotify’s loudness normalization guidance and iZotope’s mastering for streaming platforms article.
Feel free to share or link to this EQ frequency chart. A credit link back to this page is appreciated.
Printable version
The instrument table above is designed to be printed or saved as a screenshot. Keep it next to your monitor while mixing, and add your own notes over time about which settings work for your voice, guitars and room.
Over time you’ll stop needing the chart for familiar instruments. Your ears will learn what 300 Hz mud or 3 kHz harshness sounds like. Until then, sweeping with the chart open is one of the fastest ways to train them.
Frequently asked questions
What frequency is mud in a mix?
Mud usually builds up between about 200 and 500 Hz, often because many instruments each have energy there. Small cuts on several tracks usually work better than one big cut.
What frequency makes vocals clearer?
The 2–5 kHz range adds presence and intelligibility. Use small boosts, and cut competing instruments slightly in the same range rather than over-boosting the vocal.
Where should I high-pass electric guitar?
A common starting point is around 80–120 Hz for distorted rhythm guitars, but listen in the full mix and back the filter off if the guitar starts to sound thin.
What frequency is sibilance?
Sibilance, the harsh “s” and “sh” sounds, usually falls between about 4 and 9 kHz, depending on the singer. A de-esser is the best tool for it.
Should I EQ before or after compression?
Both are common. A typical approach is corrective EQ (like high-pass filters and mud cuts) before compression, and tonal EQ after. Try both and listen.
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