Types of EQ Explained: A Complete Guide to Equalizers in Music

Balancing the audio spectrum across drums, bass, instruments, and vocals is central to high-quality music production.

By applying different types of EQ, producers can refine each element, shaping sounds with greater clarity and precision.

This guide breaks down the main types of EQ used in music production and explains how they affect individual sounds and the overall mix.

What Is EQ In Music?

EQ in music refers to equalization, the process of altering the amplitude (volume) of specific frequencies to shape sounds and fix issues.

A core process in making music, EQing controls the bass, midrange, and high-end frequency spectrum of sounds.

EQ tools are common features of the best music production software, often including visualizations that help beginners master the basics.

By applying EQ judiciously across your track’s channels, you can fine-tune the listening experience for your audience.

Understanding The Audio Frequency Spectrum

Before you begin mixing music, it’s essential to understand the audio spectrum and how different EQ types can be applied to specific frequency ranges.

Here’s a concise overview of the different frequency ranges used throughout popular music genres:

• Sub-bass: Often found in kick drums and low basslines, these frequencies fall in the 20-60 Hz range.
• Bass frequencies: Lower piano notes and bass guitars typically fall within the 60-250 Hz frequency range.
• Low midrange: These sounds deliver clarity and give the music a sense of body, falling within the 250-500 Hz range.
• Midrange: Instruments and vocal tracks are midrange elements with a frequency spectrum range of 500 Hz to 4 kHz.
• High midrange: Higher-end vocals and instruments, such as snares, sit in the upper midrange, from 2 kHz to 6 kHz.
• High/Treble: Bright, airy sounds, such as cymbals, are classed in this category, with a range of 6 kHz to 20 kHz.

By understanding how this frequency range relates to your overall song structure, you can mix each element with precise control.

Learn more: How to build a home recording studio.

Why EQ In Music Is Important

Equalization in music serves a range of functions that can significantly enhance a track’s overall tonal balance.

Here are some of the main reasons why it’s important to spend time applying EQ to your music’s elements when writing a song:

• Creating space and balance: Overstuffed sounds with poor mixing are common issues for anyone who has recently started producing music. By mastering EQing, you can avoid “frequency masking” and ensure all instruments sit within a mix without drowning one another out.
• Shaping sounds: In addition to creating space, EQ can be used for creative sound design, enhancing tonal character and adding warmth or depth to the music.
• Correcting problems with the source audio: If your recorded music features unwanted humming or hissing, you can surgically remove them with EQ and retain clarity.
• Preparing music for different formats: Producers who release their tracks through music distribution services or physical media can apply various EQ strategies to optimize their tracks across multiple formats.

Dedicate time listening to tracks by successful independent artists you admire to see how they fit instruments and vocals within their mixes.

The Different Types Of EQ In Music

When approaching mixing, the best digital audio workstations offer a range of tools with different applications.

Let’s break down the different types of EQ audio controls used in music production and their common usages:

Graphic EQ

Drawing on multiple sliders that control fixed frequencies, the graphic EQ’s function allows fine-tuning of feedback elimination and room correction.

The graphic EQ can also be used for tone shaping, with a visual graph of each vertical slider, making it useful in both music production and live sound engineering.

Parametric EQ

A hugely versatile feature used throughout the music production process, the parametric EQ can serve a range of purposes.

Parametric equalizers also address problematic frequencies, give instruments clarity and separation, and can be combined with filters to reshape sounds.

Shelving EQ

Producers use the shelving EQ to set cutoff frequencies with low- or high-shelf filters, cutting or boosting frequencies outside the range.

This can be used to add warmth or brightness, shaping tones subtly or implementing general tone adjustments to the entire track.

Dynamic EQ

An audio processing tool that blends aspects of standard EQs with audio compression, Dynamic EQ is ideal for taming and controlling harsh sounds.

Often used on the vocal track to enhance dynamics, the Dynamic EQ can be combined with sidechaining to further create space between instruments.

Linear Phase EQ

This type of digital equalizer enables producers to maintain phase relationships between audio signals, resulting in cleaner, more natural sound.

Widely used in mastering, the linear-phase EQ’s role extends to multi-mic recordings and to parallel processing that requires accurate phase alignment.

Related read: Music terms glossary.

Analog EQ Vs. Digital EQ

The pros and cons of analog and digital in music production have long been debated, with the same principles applicable to analog and digital EQing.

Analog EQing using traditional hardware is typically associated with stronger color and warmth, complemented by natural saturation.

Alternatively, digital EQing via software allows precise control over the frequency spectrum without introducing color.

In many cases, music producers apply both approaches depending on the song’s style and choice of instruments and vocal performances.

For instance, the analog EQ can create a lush, vintage sound, while digital parametric EQs are used for corrections and boosting frequencies.

Understanding EQ Bands & EQ Filter Types

The next concept to understand when applying EQ to your track’s elements is bands and filters, and how each affects the audio frequency range.

Let’s break down the various types of EQ bands and filters, and how producers use these in specific contexts using music production equipment:

Low & High Pass Filters

Low-pass filters and high-pass filters are used to alter their respective low and high frequencies, blocking or allowing specific frequencies in the mix.

Used widely by top music producers, these filters can remove unwanted sounds, create space, and add creative effects.

Band Pass Filters

While low- and high-pass filters operate by setting cutoff frequencies, band-pass filters allow specific frequencies to pass through.

They can be combined with low-pass and high-pass filters to refine the frequency band of a given sound with extreme precision.

Low & High Shelf Filters

Applying a low- or high-pass filter allows producers to boost or cut frequencies below or above the low- or high-frequency bands.

Used for natural tonal balance and shaping, they can tame harsh sounds and elevate brightness in the higher frequency spectrum.

Bell Curve Filters

Sometimes called “peak filters,” bell curve filters can be applied to boost or cut a specific range of frequencies, visualized as a bell-shaped curve.

For instance, midrange bell curve filters can improve the articulation of vocals and other instruments between 200 Hz and 8 kHz.

Apply it to cut through harshness in a sound, enhance elements for more presence, or combine with other filters for creative effects.

Notch Filters

Similar to the bell filter, the notch filter has a deeper “notch” in the frequency spectrum, attenuating frequencies in this range.

Producers often use this to strip recordings of any humming or feedback, enhancing vocals and adding texture to synthesizers.

EQ Settings Explained

Understanding the different EQ settings is also fundamental to professional music production and mixing for a clear, balanced sound.

If you’re becoming a music producer, take the time to explore these settings when exploring the mixing and mastering process:

• Center Frequency: The center frequency is the point at which a given EQ adjustment is focused, such as the peak of the curve when applying a bell filter.
• Gain: Gain functions similarly to volume, with positive and negative gain increasing or decreasing the volume of a selected frequency band, respectively.
• Q (Bandwidth): The Q value controls the width of the frequency range; a high Q yields a narrower range than a low, wide Q.
• Slope Values: Typically applied to high-pass and low-pass filters, the filter slope establishes how aggressively the audio signal is attenuated beyond the cutoff point.

These settings play a pivotal role in both mixing and mastering, whether applied to individual instruments or across the entire mix.

Related reading: Music theory for producers.

How To Use EQ For Mixing

Whether you’re entirely new to making beats or refining your workflow, there are core EQing steps you can apply to your projects.

Here’s what a music producer does when using EQ tools in their process to ensure each sound complements the other:

• Begin with subtractive EQ: The first stage in EQing is to clean up your audio, removing muddiness, harshness, and any unwanted rumbling. You can use filters to remove unwanted frequencies from instruments, bass and drums, and other elements like vocals and sound effects.
• Apply the “sweep” technique: The cleanup stage can be streamlined using the “sweep” technique, scanning the audio spectrum to locate irritating resonances and cutting them out of the mix.
• Boost frequencies with additive EQ: With your mix cleaned up, you can move on to additive EQing to introduce presence and clarity to instruments and vocals. Kick drums, guitars, and other instruments can also be unmasked, creating space in the mix to allow each element to stand out.
• Create space with frequency slotting: Also known as “range allocation,” this technique enhances separation between song elements by assigning a distinctive frequency range to each. This may require reducing certain frequencies in a given instrument to open up space in the mix for other instruments to breathe.

By applying these processes, you can create polished and professional tracks and make money as a music producer.

Pro EQ Tips For Professional Mixing

Mastering the art of EQing is easier when you understand how professionals apply various audio equalization tips to their workflow.

Here are some pro EQ tips to help with your processes and apply changes selectively to achieve the best results:

• Use reference tracks: When striving for a particular sound based on a music genre, using reference tracks will help you determine the vibe and audio levels that deliver optimal tonal balance.
• Balance levels first: Before you begin applying EQ to specific frequencies and instruments, create a rough mix with balanced levels for each channel using just faders.
• Check in mono: Often considered the “secret weapon” of audio engineers, checking a mix in mono allows for accurate balancing of volume and frequency, avoiding the need to rely on spatial separation to hide mistakes.

If you’re mixing on headphones, consider using calibration software to ensure they create the most accurate sounds possible.

Common EQ Mistakes To Avoid

When starting a music career, it can be easy to fall into bad habits that professional music producers consciously avoid.

These are some of the common EQ mistakes to look out for when mixing your tracks:

• Avoid over-boosting and over-processing: While it may be tempting to apply large boosts or cuts, over-processing audio signals can result in an artificial sound and poor mixing.
• Excessive solo EQing: When EQing individual elements solo, it removes the ability to assess how they sound alongside the frequencies from other elements, creating new problems.
• Overlooking the midrange: Focusing primarily on bass and treble frequencies without paying attention to the midrange – where many of the instruments lie – is another common mistake for new producers.

By dedicating time to researching music production tips, you can refine your mixing process and avoid these common pitfalls.

Read this next: The best music production schools.

Best EQing Tools, Plugins & Resources

If you’re looking for robust tools and software for your music production EQ process, here are some essential resources to check out:

• Beat-making apps and DAWs: The best beat-making apps often include a range of EQing tools, while dedicated digital audio workstations include everything covered in this guide for professional mixing.
• Free VST plugins: There are countless free VST plugins you can install to enhance your workflow, including EQs for parametric, dynamic, linear-phase, and more.
• EQ charts and cheat sheets: Using EQ charts and cheat sheets provides a shortcut to understanding how different types of EQ can be applied to specific instruments at a glance.

You can expand your knowledge and EQ skills through online music production courses or by watching free YouTube tutorials.

Summary

Mastering EQ is essential for controlling how frequencies interact within a mix.

By understanding how different EQ types affect instruments, beats, and vocals, you can create more precise, balanced, and professional-sounding tracks.

As your skills develop, applying EQ with intention allows you to shape tone, improve separation, and add character to your music.