One Minute EQ Trick #4 - How to Cut Boxiness From Kick Drums

Published: Tue, 02/16/16

Boxiness is a notorious kick drum problem. It’s usually resolved by cutting the middle frequencies around 300 Hz but if that doesn’t work try looking in the 400 and up to 600 Hz area.

Multiple cuts work differently than one large one so be sure to experiment to find the right sound for your song.

In this week's One Minute EQ Trick video you can hear how the kick tightens up when I cut the mids out. It becomes more defined since we're accenting the lows of the drum as well as the hit of the beater while taking out all the garbage in between.

You'll cut more or less of the boxy mids depending on the style and genre of the song. For The Long Wait that has a more natural sounding "folk-rock" sound I wouldn't drastically scoop the mids, while the "alternative-metal" band I'm about to mix today will probably get a more heavy-handed treatment.

Check the video below for the audio example.

One Minute EQ Trick #4 - Cutting Boxiness From Kick Drums

EQ is such an incredibly important factor for shaping your mix. I tend to instinctively hear what frequencies need to be cut or boosted when I'm mixing. It comes from experience of doing a lot of different mixes with limited gear, especially when I'm doing live or broadcast sound.

Being able to know where the frequencies lie in the EQ spectrum is kind of a superpower. A super-hearing if you will. I want you to have the same power but I don't want you to have to spend the time to get there.

That's why I created this shortcut for you called EQ Strategies - The Ultimate Guide to EQ.

Here's what Bob Holada had to say about it recently:

The eBook component is great for referencing while you're mixing if you need a refresher of where the muddiness, boominess, harshness or boxiness lies.

The video components give you an overview over the frequency spectrum and you'll learn to EQ effectively in my hour-long mixing session where I use just EQ to make a mix sound cleaner and more professional immediately.

Check it out here:

www.EQStrategies.net