3 Tips for EQ-ing Vocals

3 Tips for EQ-ing Vocals

1. Get rid of excess low end.

I use a lot of high-pass filters when I mix. I like to roll of the bottom end on everything except for kick and bass so that the frequencies don’t with each other within the mix. Too much low end makes your mixes sound very muddy and unprofessional.

Take some time and listen to a few of your favorite recordings. Pay particular attention to the vocals. Do you notice anything about the vocal? I.e. where do the low frequencies fit? They really never have a lot of low end. Choose a method that you can hear from the radio. If you leave the low end in your vocal track. It’ll sound muffled and thick. The reason is that most vocals are recorded a few inches from the mic. Always know that the closer a microphone is to the source, the greater the bass response of the mic.

2. Remove problem frequencies rather than boosting other frequencies.

You should do this with every sound you have. The sweeping method is great for this. Creating a thin bell curve eq, turn up the gain, and sweep from 1 side of the spectrum to the other. This is the Sweep Method. After finding a bad frequency, Turn down the gain, however many decibels (db) to take out this frequency.

Here are some starting points for EQ-ing a vocal.

Roll off everything below 150 Hz.

If the vocal is still boomy, try cutting somewhere between 250 and 350 Hz.

If the vocal sounds “boxy” but not boomy, try cutting a little bit around 400-500 Hz.

If the vocal sounds a bit “honky” or “nasal,” try cutting somewhere between 1kHz and 4kHz

The one place I will boost EQ is in the high-end. If the vocal needs a bit of “air,” I’ll boost somewhere around 12 kHz.

3. Use EQ before compression

This portion has always been debatable. And in actuality is just depends on what effect you are looking for when it comes to the finished product. Compression brings out the flaws in a recording. Compression by definition makes the louder parts quieter and the quiet parts louder. So if there are a few frequencies that need to be cut, you need to do it before the compressor. Otherwise, those frequencies will only get boosted with compression. Low frequencies tend to hog the compressor. If you put the EQ after the compressor, then all the bottom end that you plan to roll off with the EQ will still pass through the compressor. Low frequencies have a LOT of energy. All this energy will trigger the compressor more than you want it to, causing excess compression. If you roll of these frequencies first, the compressor will behave more naturally.

This blog won’t make you a master at EQ-ing vocals, but it will give you a starting point. As always, use your ears!!!!