EQ Guidelines: Cheat Sheet

[wreyniers]

Something I found that I've been using every day since.

Kick Drum
Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Try a small boost around 5-7kHz to add some high end.
Frequency Effect
50-100Hz Adds bottom to the sound
100-250Hz Adds roundness
250-800Hz Muddiness Area
5-8kHz Adds high end presence
8-12kHz Adds Hiss

Snare
Try a small boost around 60-120Hz if the sound is a little too wimpy. Try boosting around 6kHz for that 'snappy' sound.
Frequency Effect
100-250Hz Fills out the sound
6-8kHz Adds presence


Hi hats or cymbals
Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. To add some brightness try a small boost around 3kHz.
Frequency Effect
250-800Hz Muddiness area
1-6kHz Adds presence
6-8kHz Adds clarity
8-12kHz Adds brightness

Bass
Try boosting around 60Hz to add more body. Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. If more presence is needed, boost around 6kHz
Frequency Effect
50-100Hz Adds bottom end
100-250Hz Adds roundness
250-800Hz Muddiness Area
800-1kHz Adds beef to small speakers
1-6kHz Adds presence
6-8kHz Adds high-end presence
8-12kHz Adds hiss

Vocals
This is a difficult one, as it depends on the mic used to record the vocal. Apply either cut or boost around 300hz, depending on the mic and song.
Apply a very small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity.
Frequency Effect
100-250Hz Adds 'up-frontness'
250-800Hz Muddiness area
1-6kHz Adds presence
6-8kHz Adds sibilance and clarity
8-12kHz Adds brightness

Piano
Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Apply a very small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity.
Frequency Effect
50-100Hz Adds bottom
100-250Hz Adds roundness
250-1kHz Muddiness area
1-6kHz Adds presence
6-8Khz Adds clarity
8-12kHz Adds hiss

Electric guitar
Again this depends on the mix and the recording. Apply either cut or boost around 300hz, depending on the song and sound. Try boosting around 3kHz to add some edge to the sound, or cut to add some transparency. Try boosting around 6kHz to add presence. Try boosting around 10kHz to add brightness
Frequency Effect
100-250Hz Adds body
250-800Hz Muddiness area
1-6Khz Cuts through the mix
6-8kHz Adds clarity
8=12kHz Adds hiss

Acoustic guitar
Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off between 100-300Hz. Apply small amounts of cut around 1-3kHz to push the image higher. Apply small amounts of boost around 5kHz to add some presence.
Frequency Effect
100-250Hz Adds body
6-8kHz Adds clarity
8-12kHz Adds brightness

Strings
These depend entirely on the mix and the sound used.
Frequency Effect
50-100Hz Adds bottom end
100-250Hz Adds body
250-800Hz Muddiness area
1-6hHz Sounds crunchy
6-8kHz Adds clarity
8-12kHz Adds brightness

[northern cali]

tight.......

[Jamz0r]

It seems like not enough info on subtractive EQ to clean up mixes.
I usually boost a frequency by reducing other frequencies. Rolling off everything below the lowest useful note/sound of instruments and vocals is something to consider.

[Micter]

Originally Posted by Jamz0r

It seems like not enough info on subtractive EQ to clean up mixes.
I usually boost a frequency by reducing other frequencies. Rolling off everything below the lowest useful note/sound of instruments and vocals is something to consider.

I was thinking the same thing. I don't boost anything if I can get away with it. Cuts are much more natural sounding.

[fishkarma]

this may seem stupid (i generally do use eq cits rather than boosts) but if say you boosted (with a graphic as opposed to parametric eq for simplicity) 100hz 5db and had its levels just below clipping would that not be the same as reducing every thing 5db except for 100hz once boosted to just below clipping (saying that just to get accurate volume comparison between the cut and boosted)????

does that make sense? it just seems logical

[wreyniers]

I think the magic trick here and this worked for me is simply subtracting all frequencies except for the ones that you want to expose.

If say on Vocals you want to presence and brightness. Bring everything down, but leave 1-6kHz and 8-12kHz. Give that a shot it works magic for me.

It's all in how you read the table really. And yes, I know this is not the magic potion for a perfect mix - just a good starting point and reference. Eventually your ears will take over - funny thing is how often that ends up lining up with this sheet.