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Reference : Identifying Frequencies In Your Recording
Identifying the proper frequencies of the instruments in your mix can help you create more width and clarity in your final mixdown. Unfortunately, finding the pesky frequncies that make you cringe can be somewhat of a guessing game if you don't have the frequency ranges of all of your instruments memorized. So we've put together a reference guide you can use when mixing to help you get the best sound out of each and every one of your mixes. Although every recording will be different depending on a variety of factors, you can still get a good sense of where to work by referring to the figures below.
Full Mix
| Sub Bass |
16 - 60Hz |
| Bass |
60 - 250Hz |
| Midrange |
250Hz - 2kHz |
| High Midrange |
2 - 4kHz |
| High |
6 - 20kHz |
Vocals
Male Vocal
| Fullness |
~120Hz |
| Boominess |
~240Hz |
| Prescence |
2kHz - 4kHz |
| Breath/Air |
10kHz - 16kHz |
Female Vocal
| Fullness |
~240Hz |
| Prescence |
2 - 4kHz |
| Breath/Air |
10 - 16kHz |
Percussion
Kick Drum
| Bottom Punch |
50 - 100Hz |
| Fullness |
100 - 250Hz |
| Attack |
3 - 5kHz |
| Hollowness |
~400Hz |
| Muddiness |
< 800Hz |
Tympani
| Fundamentals |
125 - 150Hz |
| Primary Modes |
145 - 360Hz |
| Attack |
~3kHz |
Floor Tom
| Fullness |
80 - 120Hz |
| Attack |
~5kHz |
Rack Toms
| Fullness |
240 - 400Hz |
| Attack |
5 - 7kHz |
Snare Drum
| Ring |
~900Hz |
| Fullness |
120 - 240Hz |
| Attack |
2.5 - 5kHz |
| Snap |
~10kHz |
Congas
| Ring |
200 - 240Hz |
| Prescence |
4 - 5kHz |
Cymbals
| Clang |
~200Hz |
| Prescence |
~3kHz |
| Shimmer |
7.5 - 12kHz |
Brass
Tuba
| Low Fundamental |
29Hz |
| Overtones |
1.5 - 2kHz |
French Horn
| Fundamentals |
55 - 700Hz |
| Formants |
~340Hz, 750Hz - 3.5kHz |
Bass Trombone
| Fundamentals |
58-400Hz |
| Overtones |
< 4kHz |
| Overblow |
< 8kHz |
Tenor Trombone
| Fundamentals |
82-520Hz |
| Overtones |
< 5kHz |
| Overblow |
< 10kHz |
Trumpet
| Fundamentals |
165Hz - 1.2kHz |
| Formants |
1 - 1.5kHz, 2 - 3kHz |
| Piercing |
~5kHz |
Woodwinds
Contrabassoon
| Fundamentals |
29-200Hz |
| Overtones |
< 4kHz |
Bassoon
| Fundamentals |
55 - 575Hz |
| Overtones |
< 9kHz |
Tenor Sax
| Fundamentals |
120 - 725Hz |
| Overtones |
< 8kHz |
| Breath |
< 13kHz |
Alto Sax
| Fundamentals |
139 - 785Hz |
| Overtones |
8kHz |
| Breath |
< 13kHz |
Clarinet
| Fundamentals |
139Hz - 1.6kHz |
| Overtones |
Soft < 1.5kHz, Loud < 12kHz |
Oboe
| Fundamentals |
250Hz - 1.5kHz |
| Overtones |
< 12kHz |
Flute
| Fundamentals |
247Hz - 2.1kHz |
| Overtones |
< 3 - 6kHz |
| Overblow |
< 8kHz |
Piccolo
| Fundamentals |
630Hz - 4kHz |
| Overtones |
< 16kHz |
Strings
Bass
| Fundamentals |
41 - 343Hz |
| Bottom |
50 - 80Hz |
| Attack / Pick |
700Hz - 1kHz |
| String Noise |
2.5kHz |
| Harmonics |
< 4kHz |
Cello
| Fundamentals |
56 - 520Hz |
| Fullness |
240Hz |
| Overtones |
< 8kHz |
Viola
| Fundamentals |
125Hz - 1kHz |
| Overtones |
< 6.3kHz |
| Fullness |
220 - 240Hz |
| Scratchiness |
7 - 10kHz |
Violin
| Fundamentals |
200Hz - 1.3kHz |
| Fullness |
~240Hz |
| Formants |
300Hz, 1kHz, 1.2kHz |
| Overtones |
< 16kHz |
| Scratchiness |
7 - 10kHz |
Guitar
| Fundamentals |
82Hz - 1.2kHz |
| Fullness (acoustic) |
80Hz |
| Fullness (electric) |
240 - 500Hz |
| Body (acoustic) |
~240Hz |
| Prescence |
2 - 5kHz |
Piano
| Fundamentals |
27Hz - 4.2kHz |
| Fullness |
80 - 120Hz |
| Prescence |
2 - 5kHz |
| Resonance |
~40 - 60Hz |
| Honkey-Tonk |
~2.5kHz |