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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 |