liminfoEQ Frequency Guide
Free web tool: EQ Frequency Guide
Sub-Bass
20 – 60 HzFelt more than heard. Rumble, weight, and physical impact.
Instruments: Kick drum (sub), bass synths, 808s, organ pedal tones
Bass
60 – 250 HzFundamental low-end warmth and body. Too much causes muddiness.
Instruments: Bass guitar, kick drum, toms, cello, tuba, male vocals (fundamental)
Low-Mids
250 – 500 HzFullness and body. Excessive buildup here sounds boxy or muddy.
Instruments: Guitar body, snare body, piano lower range, vocals (chest resonance)
Mids
500 Hz – 2 kHzCore presence range for most instruments. Critical for clarity.
Instruments: Vocals, guitar, piano, horns, snare attack, violin
Upper-Mids
2 – 4 kHzPresence and attack. Human ear is most sensitive here. Can be harsh.
Instruments: Vocal clarity, guitar pick attack, snare crack, trumpet
Presence
4 – 6 kHzDefinition and sibilance. Brings sounds forward in the mix.
Instruments: Vocal sibilance, hi-hat, cymbal body, acoustic guitar brightness
Brilliance
6 – 20 kHzAir, sparkle, and shimmer. Too much sounds harsh or thin.
Instruments: Cymbals (shimmer), breath, reverb tail, synth air, high harmonics
About EQ Frequency Guide
The EQ Frequency Guide is a free, interactive reference tool that maps the full audible spectrum — from the deep Sub-Bass rumble at 20–60 Hz all the way up to the airy Brilliance range at 6–20 kHz — into seven clearly defined frequency bands. Each band entry describes its sonic character, the specific instruments that occupy that range, and the common mixing pitfalls like muddiness, boxiness, or harshness that arise from over-boosting or cutting in that zone.
Audio engineers, music producers, home studio owners, and music students use this guide to make faster, more confident EQ decisions. Instead of guessing why a mix sounds muddy or harsh, you can pinpoint the problematic frequency region and understand which instruments are competing there. The guide covers Sub-Bass (20–60 Hz), Bass (60–250 Hz), Low-Mids (250–500 Hz), Mids (500 Hz–2 kHz), Upper-Mids (2–4 kHz), Presence (4–6 kHz), and Brilliance (6–20 kHz) with color-coded cards for rapid visual scanning.
Technically, all content is rendered entirely in your browser using React with no server round-trips. The search filter uses a real-time substring match across band names, instrument lists, and descriptions, letting you type "kick" or "vocals" to instantly surface every frequency band relevant to that sound source. The tool requires no login, no installation, and works equally well on desktop DAW setups and mobile phones on the go.
Key Features
- Seven color-coded frequency bands covering the full 20 Hz–20 kHz audible spectrum
- Per-band instrument listings: kick drum, bass guitar, vocals, guitars, cymbals, synths, and more
- Sonic character descriptions for each band — warmth, body, presence, air, harshness warnings
- Real-time search filter across band names, instruments, and descriptions
- Precise Hz range labels displayed in monospace for easy DAW plugin reference
- Dark mode support for comfortable use in dimly lit studio environments
- Fully responsive layout — works on phone, tablet, and widescreen monitors
- Zero server dependency — all data is embedded and rendered client-side instantly
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the seven EQ frequency bands?
The seven bands are: Sub-Bass (20–60 Hz) for felt rumble and 808 weight; Bass (60–250 Hz) for warmth and body; Low-Mids (250–500 Hz) for fullness that can turn muddy; Mids (500 Hz–2 kHz) for presence and clarity; Upper-Mids (2–4 kHz) for attack and perceived loudness; Presence (4–6 kHz) for definition and sibilance; and Brilliance (6–20 kHz) for air, shimmer, and sparkle.
Which frequency range causes a muddy mix?
Muddiness typically originates in the Bass (60–250 Hz) and Low-Mids (250–500 Hz) regions. Excessive buildup from bass guitar, kick drum, and guitar body resonances in these bands causes the mix to lose clarity. High-passing instruments that do not need low-end energy is a common fix.
Where do vocals sit in the frequency spectrum?
Vocal fundamentals live in the Mids (500 Hz–2 kHz), with chest resonance in the Low-Mids (250–500 Hz) and the critical presence and intelligibility range in the Upper-Mids (2–4 kHz). Sibilance (the "s" and "sh" sounds) appears in the Presence zone at 4–6 kHz.
Why are Upper-Mids (2–4 kHz) described as harsh?
The human ear is most sensitive to frequencies between 2 kHz and 4 kHz, which is why boosting this range makes sounds feel louder and more aggressive. This is the range where guitar pick attacks, snare crack, and vocal bite live. Too much boost causes listener fatigue.
What is the Brilliance or "air" band in audio?
The Brilliance band (6–20 kHz) contains harmonic overtones, breath, reverb tails, cymbal shimmer, and synthetic "air" on vocals. Adding a gentle high-shelf boost here can make a mix sound more open and polished, but excessive amounts result in a harsh or thin sound.
How do I use this guide when EQing in a DAW?
Identify the sonic problem you are hearing — warmth, muddiness, harshness, lack of air — then use the guide to find the corresponding frequency band. Note the Hz range and dial it into your EQ plugin. The instrument list tells you which other tracks share that band and may be competing.
Is this guide useful for mixing bass-heavy genres?
Yes. For genres like hip-hop, EDM, and reggae where Sub-Bass (20–60 Hz) and Bass (60–250 Hz) are critical, the guide explains the difference between felt sub-bass energy and audible bass body, helping you balance 808s, bass synths, and kick drums without them canceling each other out.
Does this tool work offline?
Once the page is loaded in your browser, all the frequency data is available without any further network requests. You can use it while working in a studio without internet access, provided the initial page load has completed.