Drum EQ Frequencies: The Essential Reference Guide

Drum EQ frequencies provide reference points for shaping drum sounds during mixing. While every recording presents unique characteristics, certain frequency ranges consistently affect specific tonal qualities across drums. Understanding these frequency relationships enables efficient problem-solving and intentional tonal shaping.

Kick Drum Frequency Ranges

Sub-bass (40-60Hz): The physical weight felt more than heard. This range provides the chest-thumping impact on large playback systems. Enhancement adds power; excessive boost creates mud.

Low-end (60-100Hz): The fundamental tone and punch. Most kick drum body lives here. This range balances the kick against bass guitar.

Low-mids (100-250Hz): Warmth and body. Enhancement adds fullness; too much creates boominess and masks other low-frequency elements.

Mud (250-400Hz): Often problematic, this range can obscure definition. Cutting here typically clears the kick without losing essential weight.

Beater attack (2-5kHz): The click of beater striking head. Enhancement helps kick cut through dense mixes. The specific frequency depends on beater type and recording.

High-end click (5-8kHz): Extended attack presence. Subtle enhancement can add definition on playback systems that don’t reproduce sub-bass.

Snare Drum Frequency Ranges

Body (150-250Hz): The fundamental weight of the snare. Enhancement adds depth; too much creates boominess that conflicts with kick.

Boxiness (300-500Hz): Often problematic, this range can sound cardboard-like. Cutting typically improves clarity without losing body.

Crack (2-4kHz): The cutting attack that makes snares heard in busy mixes. This range provides presence and aggression.

Wire sizzle (5-8kHz): Snare wire brightness, especially from bottom mic. Enhancement adds crispness; excessive boost creates harshness.

Air (10-15kHz): High-frequency shimmer. Subtle enhancement adds modern brightness and polish.

Tom Frequency Ranges

Body (80-200Hz depending on tom size): The fundamental weight varies with drum size. Floor toms have lower fundamentals than rack toms.

Boxiness (300-500Hz): Similar to snare, this range often needs reduction for clarity. The effect is consistent across tom sizes.

Attack (3-5kHz): The stick impact that helps toms cut through arrangements. Enhancement increases presence and punch.

Ring (varies): Problematic overtones appear at various frequencies depending on tuning. Notch filtering addresses specific ringing frequencies.

Hi-Hat and Cymbal Frequencies

Body (300-800Hz): The lower frequencies of cymbal sound. Usually reduced to prevent muddiness in overhead and hi-hat captures.

Presence (2-5kHz): The cutting quality that helps cymbals be heard. This range can also contain harshness requiring reduction.

Brilliance (6-10kHz): The shimmer and sizzle of cymbals. Enhancement adds brightness; excessive boost creates harshness.

Air (12kHz+): The highest shimmer frequencies. Subtle enhancement adds expensive, polished quality.

Overhead Frequency Considerations

Low-end (below 100-200Hz): Usually filtered out, as close mics provide low-frequency content. The filter frequency depends on how much drum shell content overheads should provide.

Mid-range (500Hz-2kHz): Contains kit body and initial cymbal tone. This range balances overall kit presence in overheads.

High-mids (2-6kHz): Contains both useful presence and potential harshness. Careful treatment balances clarity against harshness.

High-end (8kHz+): Cymbal shimmer and detail. Enhancement adds brightness; reduction controls harshness.

Using EQ Musically

Cut narrow, boost wide: When reducing problematic frequencies, narrow Q settings target specific issues. When enhancing desirable qualities, wider Q settings sound more natural.

Cut first, then boost: Addressing problems before enhancement prevents fighting the EQ against itself. Removing mud clarifies what might actually need boosting.

Context matters more than solo sound: Drums that sound perfect in isolation may not work in the full mix. Make EQ decisions in musical context.

Reference comparison: Professional mixes reveal appropriate frequency balance. Comparing to references calibrates expectations and identifies areas needing attention.

Common Problems and Solutions

Muddy drums: Cut in the 200-400Hz range across problematic elements. High-pass filtering on non-bass-drum elements clears low-end space.

Harsh cymbals: Reduce in the 3-6kHz range. Use dynamic EQ or multiband compression to reduce harshness only when it occurs.

Thin kick: Enhance in the 60-100Hz range. Check that low-end isn’t being cancelled by phase issues before boosting.

Boxy snare: Cut in the 400-600Hz range. The specific frequency varies per recording but typically lives in this range.

Weak attack: Enhance in the 2-5kHz range for the specific drum. Different drums may need enhancement at slightly different frequencies.