Are you using EQ boosts in your mixes in these 10 places?

Published: Fri, 10/07/16

I've talked about how sick I am of the eternal mantra of the "subtractive EQ"

Yeah, yeah. You should cut rather than boost

But sometimes you can't. Sometimes you just don't want to!

Sometimes you want to crank up the gain on your EQ.

So if that's the case, here are some places to boost in your mixes.

1. Boost your kick drum in the high-mids for the beater
2. Boost the bass in 250 for warmth
3. Boost the guitars in 2.5 kHz for edginess
4. Boost the vocal in 5 kHz for presence
5. Boost the keyboards in the mids (think 600-800 Hz) for thickness and warmth
6. Boost the cymbals in 12 kHz for air
7. Boost the snare in 500 for body
8. Boost the acoustic guitar in 8 kHz for brilliance
9. Boost the kick in 50 Hz to feel the thump
10. Boost your overall mix in the upper-mids when it needs presence.

I'm sure you can find other places to boost. And of course, the exact frequencies differ from instrument to instrument.

Don't just set your EQ to 250 Hz for warmth.

It might be 260 Hz, or 238 Hz.

It's about the general area so don't yell at me for giving guidelines.

That's what they are. You have to do the rest.

But hey, if you want more tips on EQ (and not just boosting!) check out EQ Strategies.