Frequency Reference
| Range | Frequency | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20–80 Hz | Felt more than heard. Rumble, thud. |
| Bass | 80–250 Hz | Body and warmth. Also mud. |
| Low-mid | 250–500 Hz | Fullness, boxiness. Where mud lives. |
| Mid | 500 Hz–2 kHz | Presence, honk, nasal character. |
| Upper-mid | 2–6 kHz | Clarity, attack, intelligibility. |
| Presence | 4–8 kHz | Edge, bite, definition. |
| Air / high | 8–20 kHz | Shimmer, sparkle, harshness. |
The Controls
High-Pass Filter (HPF) — Cuts everything below a set frequency. Apply this first on almost every channel. Cleaning low-end buildup on every channel does more for mix clarity than almost anything else.
Parametric Bands — Each band has three controls:
- Frequency — Which frequency you're targeting
- Gain — How much boost or cut in dB
- Q (Width) — High Q = narrow, surgical. Low Q = broad, musical.
The HPF Rule
Before anything else on a new channel: set the high-pass filter.
| Source | HPF Setting |
|---|---|
| Vocals, guitars, keys | 100–120 Hz |
| Drum overheads, room mics | 80–100 Hz |
| Kick drum, bass | No HPF, or 40–60 Hz at most |
Starting Points by Source
Kick Drum
- HPF at 40–60 Hz
- Cut 300–400 Hz to reduce boxiness
- Boost 60–80 Hz for punch/weight
- Boost 3–5 kHz for click/attack
Snare
- HPF at 80–100 Hz
- Cut 300–500 Hz if boxy
- Boost 200 Hz lightly for body if thin
- Boost 4–6 kHz for crack and presence
Bass (DI)
- HPF at 40–60 Hz
- Cut 200–300 Hz if muddy
- Boost 80–100 Hz for weight
- Small boost 700 Hz–1 kHz for definition
Electric Guitar
- HPF at 100–120 Hz
- Cut 200–400 Hz if boxy
- Boost 2–4 kHz for presence if getting lost
Acoustic Guitar
- HPF at 100–120 Hz
- Cut 200–300 Hz if boomy (common with DI)
- Boost 8–12 kHz lightly for air
Vocals
- HPF at 100–120 Hz (removes handling noise, breath, stand rumble)
- Cut 200–400 Hz if boxy or congested
- Boost 2–4 kHz for intelligibility
- Small boost 8–12 kHz for air on condenser mics
- Notch-cut any feedback frequencies
Keys
- HPF at 80 Hz unless covering bass frequencies
- Cut 200–400 Hz if muddy
- Adjust to taste — keys vary widely by patch
On the DM7
Each channel has a full parametric EQ. The DM7's RTA (real-time analyzer) shows frequency content of the selected channel — use it to identify problem frequencies rather than guessing.
The mix bus EQ is off-limits unless there's a system-level problem and you've talked to Matt.
Examples
Scenario: Mix sounds muddy and undefined with full band playing. Check each channel's HPF — if guitars, keys, and vocals don't have HPF engaged, you have multiple channels all contributing energy below 100 Hz. Enabling HPF on non-bass sources cleans this up immediately.
Scenario: Vocal sounds boxy and congested. Use the RTA to identify the buildup — usually around 300–400 Hz. Narrow Q cut of 3–4 dB at the offending frequency opens up the vocal significantly.
Scenario: Feedback ring develops during service. Use a narrow, high-Q notch cut to identify and pull the specific feedback frequency — don't carve a wide cut across the whole channel.
Related Concepts
Related KB Entries
Sources / Further Reading
- Yamaha DM7 Reference Manual — EQ section