EQ "Map"?

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abbazabba

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This question may be kind of dumb, but as I've been reading around, I often run into comments about about how, you know, the cardboard box sound of a kick drum falls into this range of frequencies, the "snap" of the snare into this range, the female voice here, male voice there, etc etc etc…
Yes, I know, every situation can be different but is there perhaps a resource that anyone knows of that compiles all these kinds of tips, you know, just as a kind of guide, a place for a newbie to start from as I'm trying to figure out where I can safely cut or boost frequencies on different instruments. Thanks.
 
and before anybody says it, yes, I know the point is to learn to use your ears not some guide on paper. But I thought having something to point me in the right direction couldn't hurt...
 
Great article, thanks. That's the kind of thing I was looking for. If anybody else has any of their own tips or links, I'd love to see them.
 
Frequency Chart

I'v posted this a couple of times before, but I'll be damned if the search function on this forum can find it for me. So for those who have seen it already, sorry for the redundancy:

BASS
50-80Hz bottom, 700Hz attack, 2.5kHz snap
Fundamentals - E1 to F4 (41.2 - 343.2Hz)
Pick/slap harmonics up to 4kHz

KICK
80-100Hz bottom, hollowness below 400Hz, 3-5kHz attack

SNARE
120-240Hz fatness, 900Hz ring, 5kHz crispness, 10kHz snap

TOMS
240-500Hz fullness, 5-7kHz attack

FLOOR TOM
80-120Hz fullness, 5kHz attack

CONGA
200Hz ring, 5kHz slap

CYMBALS/HI HAT
200Hz clang, 8-10kHz sparkle

ELECTRIC GUITAR
240-500Hz fullness, 2-5kHz presence
Fundamentals - E2 to D6 (82-1.174kHz)
Low impedance pickups amplify freqs above 5kHz but
guitar cables and amp responses tend to attenuate freqs above 5-6kHz

ACOUSTIC GUITAR
80Hz fullness, 240Hz body, 2-5kHz presence
80-100Hz sound hole resonants

ORGAN
80Hz fullness, 240Hz body, 2-5kHz presence

PIANO
80Hz fullness, 2-5kHz presence, 2.5kHz honky-tonk

VOICE
120Hz fullness, 240Hz boominess, 5kHz presence, 5kHz sibilance, 10-15kHz air

HORNS
120-240Hz fullness, piercing at 5kHz
Trumpet: Fundamentals - E3 to D6 (165-1.174kHz); Formants - 1-1.5kHz and 2-3kHz
Tenor Trombone: Fundamentals E2 to C5 (82-520Hz); Overtones - >5kHz (>10kHz overblown)
Tuba: Low fundamental B0 (29Hz); Overtones 1.5-2kHz
French Horn: Fundamentals B1 to B5 (15-700 Hz); Formants ~340Hz, 750-3.5kHz

STRINGS
240Hz fullness, 7-10kHz scratchiness
Violin: Fundamentals - G3 to E6 (200-1.3kHz); Formants - 300Hz, 1kHz, and 1.2kHz.
Viola is tuned 1/5th lower than violin and has fewer harmonic overtones.
Cello: Fundamentals - C2 to C5 (56 to 520Hz); Overtones < 8kHz.

WOODWINDS
Flute: Fundamentals - B3 to C7 (247-2.1kHz); Overtones to 3kHz to 6 kHz.
Clarinet: Fundamentals - C3 to G6 (139-1.57kHz); Overtones to 1.5kHz soft, 12kHz loud.
Tenor Sax (Bb): Fundamentals - B2 to F5 (117-725Hz); Harmonics to 8kHz; Breath to 13kHz.
Alto Sax (Eb): Fundamentals - C3 to G5 (140-784Hz); Harmonics to 8kHz; Breath to 13kHz.

G.
 
abbazabba said:
This question may be kind of dumb...
Click to expand...
Dumb? Hope not, 'cause I've been wondering about this stuff myself. Thanks for asking, abba, and thanks to everybody else for answering. I've been bookmarking like crazy.
 
There was another thread on this recently that had a bunch of links, you can find it here:

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=161871

I linked to several web sites in that thread, but I think one of the best links to the kind of info you seek is this one:

http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqprimer.php

These kind of ready-made eq recipes or formula's can be a good starting point, but don't be afraid to twist the dial a bit once you get there. A little experimentation can lead to even better results.
 
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