Audio Engineering 1 Lab 1 Common Frequency Characteristics Bradford Cox

Frequency 40-100 100-200 200-800 800-1000 1000-5000 5000-8000 8000-12,000 SOUNDS Body on BASS Bottom Roundness Muddiness Small Presence High End Hiss Speakers KICK Bottom Roundness Muddiness High End Hiss SNARE X Fullness Muddiness Presence X Presence TOMS Fullness Muddiness High End X Irritation FLOOR Bottom Fullness Muddiness Presence X TOMS HI-HAT Muddiness Clarity/ Shimmer/ X Irritation CYMBALS Bleed Crispness Sizzle Presence Clarity/ Sparkle/ VOICE Rumble Fullness Muddiness Irritation Crispness Hiss Telephone Sibilance-6K PIANO Bottom Fullness Muddiness Muddiness Presence Clarity/ Harmonics HARP Pedal Noise Twanginess Crispness ELECTRIC Fullness Muddiness Cut/Shred Crispness X Hiss GUITAR Crunch Roundness Irritation Thinness ACOUSTIC Clarity/ X Fullness Muddiness Sparkle GUITAR Crispness Clarity/ ORGAN Bottom Fullness Muddiness Crispness Irritation Clarity/ STRINGS Bottom Fullness Muddiness Sparkle Digital Sound Crispness Clarity/ HORNS X Fullness Muddiness Roundness Crispness Clarity/ CONGA Boominess Fullness Crispness HARMONIC Clarity/ X Fullness Irritation X A Crispness Chart 4. Equalization Chart

Freq. HH Kick Snare Overheads Toms High Highs (10-12k) 3 3 Highs (5-Bk) 5 7 6 Low Mids (200-400) -9 -10 -6 -6 Lows (40-60) 2

Dist Clean Freq. Bass Guitar Guitar Acoustic Guitar Piano Vocals High Highs (10-12k) 4 Highs (5-Bk) 3 3 3 2 Mids (1-3k) 5 3 Lo Mids (200-400) -3 -5 -5 Lows (40-60) 2 Chart 5. Common Quick General EQ

The Art of Mixing – Second Edition – ISBN1-93114-045-6 PP 117 - 119 Audio Engineering 1 Lab 1 Common Frequency Characteristics Bradford Cox

Hi-Hat Lows Mids Highs Roll-off muddiness around 300H . If irritating, find & roll-off irritating Around 12k, boost 3-6dB for sizzIe. frequency Kick Drum Lows Mids Highs Roll-off muddiness around 300H . Boost highs around 5-6k. Boosting up around 10-12k will only bring out hiss and cymbals. Snare Drum Lows Mids Highs Add a little bit around 60-100H if snare Take out irritating frequency if apparent Add 3-1 0dB around 6k. sounds thin and wimpy. or going for sweet smooth sounding mix. Toms Lows Mids Highs Cut boominess around 300Hz. 3-8dB boost around 5k. Less boost on floor tom Overheads Lows Mids Highs Cut any muddiness around 300H . Be especially aware of any irritating freq's Possibly boost a little around 6k and/or in midrange. Cut them if apparent. 2k but be wary of making them too edgy. Bass Guitar Lows Mids Highs Possibly boost 40-60H if song calls for it. Boost around 1-2k if more presence is Boost around 5k for presence if mix is Possibly cut 300H if bass is too muddy needed and if string noise is not too sparse enough to even hear it. for song. much. Electric Guitar Lows Mids Highs Boost or cut around 300H depending on Boost around 3k for edge. Cut 3k for Boost around 6k for presence and clarity. need. transparency. Boost 10k for sparkle. Acoustic Guitar Lows Mids Highs Cut 100-300H where muddiness and Cut 1-3k to make image higher and more Boost around 6k for presence and clarity. boominess is. transparent. Boost 10k for sparkle Piano Lows Mids Highs Cut muddiness around 300H . Cut any honkiness around 1 k. Boost around 6k for presence and clarity. Vocals Lows Mids Highs Cut or boost 300H depending on mic, Listen closely for any irritating or Boost around 6k for presence and clarity. voice, and use in mix. midrange honk (telephone-like soundz Cut either Horns Lows Mids Highs Beware of irritating or hanky midrange. Cut if necessary Chart 6. – Typical EQ for Typical Instruments

The Art of Mixing – Second Edition – ISBN1-93114-045-6 PP 117 - 119 Audio Engineering 1 Lab 1 Common Frequency Characteristics Bradford Cox

Common Terminology for EQ Frequencies Even if you learn all of the frequencies and master how to EQ an instrument for different types of music and songs, the people you are working with might still be using street terminology to describe what they want. Therefore, Chart 7 is a list of slang and what it means.

40-200 200-800 800-5K 5-8K 8-12K Bass Low Mids Mids Highs Super Highs Fullness Body Presence Presence Presence Boomin' Robustness Projected Airy Crispness Ballsy Warmth Forward Bright Sparkling Punchy Crunchy Intelligible Brilliant Screamin' Powerful Fat Articulate Live Sharp Thumpin' Clear Solid Smooth Thick Crisp Round Beefy Bad!!

Too Much Too Much Too Much Too Much Too Much Heavy Muddy Hornlike Tinny Crisp Boomy Tubby Phonelike Steely Sizzly Rumbly Barrelly Honky Metallic Searing Bathroomy Strident Glare Boxy Cutting Glassy Woody Piercing Nasal Shrill Chunky Screamin' Woofy Edgy

Not Enough Not Enough Not Enough Not Enough Not Enough Thin Distant Veiled Dull Flat Anemic Hollow Covered Dead Cheap Wimpy Disembodied Muffled Dark

Chart 7. Comm.docon Terminology and Slang

The Art of Mixing – Second Edition – ISBN1-93114-045-6 PP 117 - 119 Audio Engineering 1 Lab 1 Common Frequency Characteristics Bradford Cox

Instrument Frequency Ranges

Kick Drum: Acoustic Guitar Bottom depth Bottom: 80-120hz 60 – 100hz Acoustic Body: 240hz 50-120hz Electric Clarity: 2.5-5k Boxiness @ 400hz Slap Attack at 2.5k Electric Organ Bottom: 80-120hz Snare Drum: Body: 240hz Fatness: Presence: 2.5k Acoustic: 240hz Electric: 120-240hz Acoustic Piano: Boing: 900hz Bottom: 80-120hz Crispness: 5k Presence: 2.5-5k Snap: 10k Crisp Attack: 10k “Honky Tonk” sound (sharp Q): 2.5k Hi-Hat / Cymbals: Clank or Gong sound: 200hz Horns: Shimmer: 7.5 – 12khz Fullness:120-240hz Shrill: 5 – 7.5k Rack Toms: Fullness: 240 – 500hz Strings Attack: 5Khz Fullness: 240hz Scratchiness: 7.5 – 10k Floor Toms: Fullness: 80 – 120hz Conga/Bongo Attack: 5khz Resonance: 200-240hz Presence/Slap: 5k Bass Guitar Bottom: 50-80hz Vocals Warmth: 100-200hz Fullness: 120hz Attack/Pluck: 700-1000hz Boominess:200-240hz String Noise/Pop: 2.5k Presence 5k Fender Jazz at 1k Sibilance: 7.5 – 10k

Electric Guitar Fullness: 240hz Bite: 2.5k