Complete EQ Guide: Beginner to Pro

📅 January 2026⏱️ 18 min📚 Guides / Mixing

EQ (equalization) is the most powerful mixing tool. It fixes problems, creates space, and shapes tone. This complete guide covers frequency fundamentals, filter types, subtractive vs additive philosophy, and instrument-specific settings. Master EQ = master mixing.

🎯 EQ Fundamentals

What is EQ?

EQ adjusts volume of specific frequency ranges (bass, mids, treble).

Main Controls

Frequency: Which range to adjust (measured in Hz)
Gain: How much to boost/cut (measured in dB, ±18dB typical)
Q (bandwidth): How wide the adjustment (0.5 = broad, 10 = surgical)

📊 Complete Frequency Chart (20Hz-20kHz)

Range	Character	Common Use
20-60Hz	Sub-bass (rumble)	Kick drum, 808 bass. Cut on most instruments.
60-250Hz	Bass (power)	Bass guitar, kick fundamental. Cut to reduce muddiness.
250-500Hz	Low-mids (mud zone)	Male vocals, snare body. MOST COMMON CUT ZONE.
500Hz-2kHz	Mids (body)	Guitars, piano, vocal warmth. Boost for presence.
2-5kHz	High-mids (clarity)	Vocal intelligibility, snare snap. Boost for definition.
5-8kHz	Presence (bite)	Sibilance (S sounds), hi-hat. Cut if harsh.
8-12kHz	Brilliance (sparkle)	Cymbals, vocal breath. Boost for air.
12-20kHz	Air (shimmer)	Reverb tails, room tone. Gentle boost for openness.

Tip: Print this chart. Refer to it constantly until you memorize frequencies.

🎛️ Filter Types

1. Bell (Parametric)

Shape: Bump centered at frequency
Use: Broad tone shaping (boost/cut mids)
Q setting: 0.5-3.0 (broad to medium)

2. High-Pass Filter (HPF)

Shape: Removes frequencies BELOW cutoff
Use: Remove rumble/mud (essential on most tracks)
Typical settings: 80-100Hz on vocals, 30Hz on kick

3. Low-Pass Filter (LPF)

Shape: Removes frequencies ABOVE cutoff
Use: Tame harshness (electric guitars, synths)
Typical settings: 8-12kHz

4. Shelf

Shape: Boosts/cuts all frequencies above/below point
Use: Broad highs/lows adjustment (air, bass)
Example: Low shelf at 100Hz (+3dB) adds warmth

💡 Subtractive vs Additive EQ

Golden Rule: Cut Before You Boost

Why?

Cutting: Removes problems, sounds natural
Boosting: Adds coloration, eats headroom

Workflow

Identify problem: Sweep with narrow Q (Q=10), boost +12dB
Find harsh frequency: When it sounds bad, you found it
Cut it: Switch to cut -3 to -6dB, widen Q to 2-3
Check result: Should sound cleaner
Only then boost: Add sparkle/presence if needed

Exception: Boost is OK for creative tone shaping (Pultec EQ style).

📏 Q Width: Surgical vs Broad

Narrow Q (5-10): Surgical EQ

Use: Remove specific problem (resonance, ring)
Example: Snare ring at 850Hz → cut -6dB, Q=8
Warning: Sounds unnatural if overused

Medium Q (1-3): Standard

Use: General tone shaping
Most common setting

Wide Q (0.5-1): Broad Strokes

Use: Gentle warmth/air adjustments
Example: Vocal air +2dB at 10kHz, Q=0.7
Sounds natural

Rule of thumb: Cut narrow, boost wide.

🎤 Instrument-Specific EQ: Vocals

Male Vocals

HPF: 80-100Hz (remove rumble)
Cut: 200-400Hz (-2 to -4dB, Q=2) → removes mud
Boost: 3-5kHz (+2 to +4dB, Q=1.5) → clarity
Boost: 10-12kHz (+2dB, Q=0.7) → air
De-ess: 5-8kHz (dynamic EQ or de-esser plugin)

Female Vocals

HPF: 100-120Hz
Cut: 250-500Hz (-2 to -3dB) → reduces boxiness
Boost: 5-8kHz (+3 to +5dB) → presence
Boost: 12kHz (+2dB) → shimmer

🥁 Drums

Kick Drum

HPF: 30-40Hz (remove sub-rumble unless 808)
Boost: 60-80Hz (+3 to +6dB) → sub punch
Cut: 300-500Hz (-3dB) → removes cardboard sound
Boost: 3-5kHz (+2 to +4dB) → beater click

Snare

HPF: 80-100Hz
Cut: 300-400Hz (-3 to -5dB) → removes boxy tone
Boost: 200Hz (+2dB) → body (if thin)
Boost: 3-5kHz (+3 to +5dB) → snap
Boost: 10kHz (+2dB) → air

Hi-Hats & Cymbals

HPF: 300-500Hz (remove bleed)
Cut: 1-2kHz (-2dB) → reduces harshness
Boost: 8-12kHz (+2 to +4dB) → sparkle

🔊 Bass Guitar

HPF: 30-40Hz (leave room for kick)
Boost: 60-100Hz (+2 to +4dB) → low-end power
Cut: 250-400Hz (-2 to -3dB) → reduces mud
Boost: 1-2kHz (+2 to +4dB) → pick attack/definition

🎸 Guitars

Electric Guitar

HPF: 80-120Hz (make room for bass)
Cut: 200-400Hz (-3 to -5dB) → removes boxiness
Boost: 2-4kHz (+2 to +4dB) → presence
LPF: 8-10kHz (tame fizz if needed)

Acoustic Guitar

HPF: 80-100Hz
Cut: 200-300Hz (-2 to -3dB) → reduces muddiness
Boost: 5-8kHz (+2 to +4dB) → sparkle
Boost: 12kHz (+1 to +2dB) → air

💡 Advanced Techniques

1. Dynamic EQ

What: EQ that activates only when signal exceeds threshold
Use: De-essing, taming harsh peaks
Example: Cut 6kHz by -6dB only when vocal hits loud S sounds
Plugin: FabFilter Pro-Q 4 (dynamic EQ mode)

2. Mid/Side EQ

Mid: Center mono signal (vocals, kick, snare)
Side: Stereo information (reverb, guitars, synths)
Technique: Boost highs on SIDE only → wider stereo

3. Match EQ

What: AI analyzes reference track, applies EQ to match
Use: Get ballpark tone quickly
Plugin: iZotope Ozone Match EQ
Warning: Starting point only, not final mix

🎛️ Best EQ Plugins

Surgical/Transparent

FabFilter Pro-Q 4: Industry standard, dynamic EQ, $149
iZotope Ozone EQ: AI-powered, match EQ, $99

Analog Color

Waves SSL E-Channel: British console vibe, $29
UAD Pultec EQP-1A: Vintage tube warmth, $149
Slate Digital Virtual Console: Console emulation, $15/mo

Free

TDR Nova: Dynamic EQ, parallel EQ, FREE
ReaEQ: Reaper stock EQ (works standalone), FREE

❌ Common Mistakes

❌ Boosting too much: Gentle +3dB > aggressive +10dB
❌ No HPF: Always high-pass (80-100Hz minimum)
❌ Fighting instruments: Cut 200-400Hz on guitars to make room for vocals
❌ EQ in solo: Check in context (full mix)
❌ Too narrow Q: Surgical cuts sound unnatural (use Q=2-3 for cuts)

✅ EQ Workflow Summary

High-pass EVERYTHING (except kick/bass): 80-100Hz minimum
Find problems: Sweep with boost +12dB, narrow Q=10
Cut problems: -3 to -6dB, widen to Q=2-3
Add clarity: Boost 3-5kHz (+2 to +4dB, Q=1.5) on vocals/snare
Add air: Boost 10-12kHz (+2dB, Q=0.7) gently
Check in context: Always listen in full mix

Remember: Less is more. If it sounds good, stop EQ'ing!