EQ frequency chart: where every sound sits

A cheat sheet for the EQ: what each part of the spectrum sounds like, where the usual instruments live, and the ranges where problems usually hide. The numbers are starting points, not rules. Always sweep and listen.

The bands

Range	Name	What it sounds like
20 to 60 Hz	Sub	Felt more than heard. The weight of kick and sub bass.
60 to 250 Hz	Bass	Body and punch. Too much sounds boomy.
250 to 500 Hz	Low mids	Warmth, but also where mud builds up when many sounds overlap.
500 Hz to 2 kHz	Mids	The core of most instruments and vocals. Too much sounds boxy or honky.
2 to 6 kHz	Upper mids	Presence and attack. The ear is most sensitive here; too much is harsh.
6 to 12 kHz	Highs	Brightness and definition. Sibilance on vocals sits around 5 to 9 kHz.
12 to 20 kHz	Air	Shimmer and openness.

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Where the instruments sit

Sound	Weight	Body	Attack and presence
Kick	40 to 70 Hz (the tone)	80 to 150 Hz	2 to 5 kHz (the click)
Sub and bass	30 to 80 Hz	100 to 250 Hz	700 Hz to 2 kHz (what you hear on small speakers)
Snare and clap	150 to 250 Hz	400 Hz to 1 kHz	2 to 5 kHz, snap up to 10 kHz
Hi-hats and cymbals	Cut below 300 to 500 Hz	Not much	6 to 16 kHz
Vocals	Cut below 80 to 120 Hz	200 Hz to 1 kHz	2 to 5 kHz, air above 10 kHz
Pads and chords	Cut below 150 to 300 Hz in a busy mix	300 Hz to 2 kHz	3 to 8 kHz
Leads and plucks	Usually little below 200 Hz	500 Hz to 2 kHz	2 to 6 kHz

The ranges overlap on purpose: sounds share the spectrum. EQ decides who gets the front row in each range.

Five moves that fix most mixes

High-pass everything that does not need low end: hats, pads, vocals, FX. It clears space for kick and bass.
Find the mud: if the mix sounds thick, sweep a narrow boost between 200 and 500 Hz on the busiest sounds and cut where it sounds worst.
Give kick and bass their own place: one owns the sub, the other the area just above. See how to mix kick and bass.
Cut before you boost. A cut in one sound often does more than a boost in another.
Check harshness at 2 to 5 kHz at low volume, where it is easiest to hear.

See your mix's tonal balance →The mix analyzer compares each range from sub to air against a reference track. Free, nothing uploaded.Note frequency chart →Which note a frequency is, from C0 to B8.Get your track mixed →A hand-made mix with two rounds of revisions.

Free sounds for your next track

16 house drums, three guitar loops and five Serum 2 presets from our packs. Royalty-free, yours to use in music you release.

Questions

What frequency is the kick drum?

The low tone of most kicks sits around 40 to 70 Hz, the body around 80 to 150 Hz and the click around 2 to 5 kHz.

What frequency range is muddy?

Usually 200 to 500 Hz, where many sounds overlap.

Where is vocal presence?

Around 2 to 5 kHz. Sibilance sits around 5 to 9 kHz.

Should I high-pass everything?

Everything that does not need low end. Kick, bass and anything carrying the low notes should keep it.