Mixing craft · 75 min
EQ Mastery
Subtractive vs additive EQ, filters, vocal clarity, instrument carving, and stream-friendly tonal balance.
Learning objectives
- Use HPF/LPF intentionally
- Find problem frequencies with boost-and-sweep, then cut
- Carve space between kick/bass and guitars/vocals
- EQ a speaking mic for intelligibility without harshness
EQ mindset of professionals
- Cut before boost — remove what doesn’t belong; then gently enhance.
- Wide vs narrow — musical tone = wider Q; surgery/feedback = narrower.
- EQ is relative — a guitar isn’t harsh alone; it’s harsh against cymbals and vocals.
- Small moves — 2–4 dB is often plenty live.
| Source | Common cut | Common gentle boost |
|---|---|---|
| Worship vocal | 200–350 mud; 1k boxy if needed | 3–5k presence (careful) |
| Pastor mic | Rumble HPF; 200–300 boom | 2–4k intelligibility |
| Kick | 300–400 box | 60–80 thump; 3–5k beater click |
| Bass DI | Compete with kick; mud 200s | Note definition ~700–1k |
| Acoustic | 200s boom; 1–2k quack | Sparkle only if dull |
| Electric guitar | 200s mud; harsh 2–4k if piercing | Sit around vocals, not on them |
Boost-and-sweep method (training wheels that work)
- Solo or feature the source at a normal fader level.
- Boost a medium-narrow band +6 to +8 dB.
- Sweep until the ugly resonance jumps out.
- Flip to a cut of 2–6 dB at that frequency.
- Widen/narrow Q until it feels natural.
- Unsolo. Check in mix context — context always wins.
Stream note
Online listeners use phones and earbuds. Excess 2–6 kHz and exaggerated cymbals fatigue fast. If it is bright in the room, it may be knives on stream — check the stream bus EQ.
Lab — three EQs that change everything
- EQ pastor mic for spoken word using only HPF + two cuts + one tiny presence move.
- Carve kick vs bass so each is audible on earbuds.
- Take a harsh electric guitar and fix it with cuts, not volume reduction alone.
- A/B your stream recording before/after a broadband stream-bus tonal trim.
Video tutorials
Curated watch-list. If an embed is unavailable, use the YouTube link — then come back and do the lab. Watching without the lab is only half-training.
Introductory Guide to the Basics of Equalization (EQ 101)
Practical EQ thinking — then do the boost-and-sweep lab on a vocal.
Prove it
Module quiz
Need 70% to pass
1. Best first EQ move on a booming stage mic?
Why: HPF + low-mid cleanup fixes most boom before fancy boosts.
2. Why check EQ in the full mix, not only solo?
Why: Mix context reveals masking and harshness that solo hides.