Whether you need to clean up the low-end rumble or add punch to your bass, these tricks will help you get the most out of your bass guitar eq. Learn how to sculpt the general sound with broad EQ curves and avoid fighting with your kick drum.
200 to 400 Hz: Muddiness lives here. Be careful not to cut too much or you’ll lose the life of your bass.
Frequencies
Many of the most important frequencies for bass guitar are around 500Hz to 5kHz. This range contains the overtones that help give bass its distinct character and also where you’ll find muddiness and punchiness. It’s important to listen in solo mode when working with bass EQ, so you can work on the nuances of its frequency spectrum without distractions. You’ll want to avoid boosting this range too much because it can create a harsh sound.
When EQing bass, it’s also important to consider its position in the mix. Most bass instruments share the low-end with the kick drum so it’s crucial to decide which instrument will dominate and high-pass the other, to make sure both instruments aren’t fighting for space. It’s also important to make sure that you’re not removing too much information from the lower frequencies, as this can lead to a thin and hollow sound.
If you’re looking to add some depth and weight to your bass, try boosting in the 200-400Hz range. This is where the overtones live and by boosting here you can give your bass more clarity, without disturbing the fundamentals.
We’ve created a huge EQ chart that covers most of the common instruments you’ll use in a mix, including bass guitar. It includes general charts that can be used for any sound source and also detailed EQ settings for drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and orchestral instruments.
Boost
Bass guitar is one of those instruments that can really make or break a mix. Get it right and it will provide a strong foundation for the rest of the song. Get it wrong and the whole track will sound weak and lifeless. Getting it right requires a bit of knowledge about frequency ranges and some simple tricks. The main goal is to create a bass that feels solid and punchy without overwhelming other instruments in the mix.
The best way to achieve this is to boost in certain ranges. The 500 – 1000 Hz range is responsible for the low-mid grind of the bass, so boosting in this area can give it more punch. Boosting 2.5 – 5 kHz can give your bass more attack in the upper overtones and can help it cut through louder parts of the song.
Boosting around 40-50 Hz can help the bass to cut through other instruments, especially a kick drum. However, it’s important to balance this with a high-pass filter around the same region to prevent unwanted rumble and save headroom.
This range is the most important for enhancing presence in bass guitars and can make it stand out from other instruments. Increasing this range can add more fullness to bass guitars and will also be helpful in thickening vocals, snare and giving pianos a harder sound. It’s important to be careful when boosting this range as too much can lead to muddiness in the lower frequencies of your mix. Alternatively, you can use saturation plugins to create more character in the bass tone without muddying it up. Also, if you’re using multiple basses on the same track, it’s often useful to high-pass both of them around 600 Hz to prevent both from competing for sub-bass.
Cut
Whether you’re using an electric or acoustic guitar, different amplifier settings, or recording methods can make the sonic characteristics of your bass sound very different. That’s why it’s important to understand the basics of how a bass guitar sounds and its frequency response.
In general, you should be reducing or eliminating any frequencies that are too harsh. This will create a smoother bass sound. But you’ll also want to add in some frequencies that will bring some punch, dynamic, or color to your bass track. These frequencies may be created with compression, distortion, or by layering your bass track with another performance.
The most common place you’ll want to cut is around 200Hz – 300Hz. This range is where a lot of mud typically lives in bass recordings. But don’t cut too much here. It’s easy to over-cut this range and kill the life of your bass track.
Another great place to cut is around 500Hz – 1kHz. This range is where punchiness and aggression live. But it’s important not to boost this range too much. Over-boosting can cause the bass to overpower the kick drum and cause a lack of clarity in your mix.
It’s important to note that every bass track will require a unique set of EQ adjustments. It’s up to you as a mixer to decide which instruments will take the lead in the low-end and what frequencies they should use. Generally, you’ll find that it’s helpful to EQ the kick and bass opposite one another so they don’t compete for space in your mix. This approach will help you to balance your tracks quickly and easily. The most important thing to remember when EQing is to trust your ears and listen closely!
High Pass
EQ is all about balance, and it’s essential that the bass guitar and kick drum both have their own space in a mix without one overshadowing the other. To achieve this, we need to get rid of the low-end rumble from a bass track and open up some headroom for the kick and other lower-mid frequencies that drive the groove.
One way to do this is by using a high pass filter (HPF) on the bass. A HPF rolls off the bass’s low-end content, and this can be a great way to remove the muddiness that comes from recording in a small room or even just bad acoustics in general. Another benefit of a high pass on the bass is that it can be used to cut out resonances from a bass. Unlike with an amp, there are few essential harmonic frequencies beyond 5 kHz on a bass so rolling off this range is often all you need to get rid of unwanted resonances on the bass.
Boosting the bass guitar’s high-mids can also help to bring some fullness to the sound and to make it sit better in a mix. However, boosting this range too much can sound aggressive and harsh so it’s important to be careful with the amount of boost you apply in this area.
Ultimately, every bass track will require its own set of EQ adjustments depending on how it was recorded and the effect you’re going for. But knowing the basics of what each frequency range does to a bass will give you the confidence to tackle any bass EQ task.
Low Pass
In the low range, attenuating or boosting specific frequencies can give your bass guitar some extra character. For example, a slight boost at 6 kHz can highlight the “tsss” aspect of the sound, while a little cut around 10 kHz can remove some harshness and help save headroom. Using a high-pass can also be effective, as it gets rid of low-frequency energy while retaining the power and punch of your bass.
Energy & Fullness
If your bass guitar feels hollow or lifeless, it may need more energy or fullness. Boosting the 80-200 Hz range can add depth and body to your bass, making it more solid and powerful.
Muddiness & Boxiness
If you have mud or boxiness in your mix, it is often caused by frequencies in the 200-300 Hz range. This can be a result of room acoustics or just the way your bass guitar sounds, but can create problems in many mixes. To clean this up, try cutting some frequencies in this area until your bass sounds clear and open.
Ultimately, it is important to keep in mind that every instrument and performance is different. This is why it is important to use reference tracks and translation checks when EQing your music, as well as to compare your EQ settings against the original recordings to make sure you haven’t overdone it. Practice, patience, and good listening will help you find the sound characteristics of your bass guitar and learn in which frequencies they shine best. Using an EQ cheat sheet or frequency chart can help you start off on the right foot, but nothing beats real-world experience in your DAW! Thanks for reading, and happy mixing!