Vocal EQ cheat sheet
This vocal EQ cheat sheet covers six bands: rumble below 80 Hz, mud at 200 to 500 Hz, nasal tone at 800 Hz to 1.2 kHz, presence at 2 to 5 kHz, sibilance at 5 to 8 kHz and air at 10 to 16 kHz. Cut the problems first, then boost lightly.
Vocals EQ
Send & Return Audio| Band | Range | When it's wrong | The move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumble | below 80 Hz | Thumps, room noise and mic stand bumps | High pass at 80 to 100 Hz |
| Mud | 200 to 500 Hz | Boxy, crowded by the bass and guitars | Wide cut of 2 to 4 dB |
| Nasal | 800 Hz to 1.2 kHz | Honky, like a phone call | Narrow cut, only if it sticks out |
| Presence | 2 to 5 kHz | Words get lost behind the beat | Small boost of 1 to 3 dB |
| Sibilance | 5 to 8 kHz | Sharp S and T sounds | De-esser or a narrow dynamic cut |
| Air | 10 to 16 kHz | Dull, with no breath | High shelf of 1 to 2 dB |
How to read this sheet
This sheet lists 6 bands for vocals, from below 80 Hz up to 10 to 16 kHz. Each row gives the range, what you hear when that band is wrong, and the move that fixes it.
Vocals change from track to track, so treat every number as a place to start sweeping, not a rule. Print it on one page and keep it next to your screen.
Using this sheet
Play the vocal in the full mix and listen for one problem at a time. Find the row whose symptom matches what you hear, go to that range, and sweep a band across it until the problem jumps out. Then make the move in the last column, starting small. Work from the top row down, because the filter and the cuts clear space that changes how the boosts sound.
Most vocals need three of these moves, the high pass, the mud cut and a little presence. The nasal and sibilance rows are there for when you hear those problems, not for every vocal. If the S sounds are sharp, use a de-esser rather than a fixed EQ cut, so the vocal only gets darker on the letters that need it.
Check each move by switching the EQ off and on at the same level. Keep the ones you can hear helping.
When the sheet is wrong
A bright condenser mic changes the presence and air rows. It already brings plenty of presence and air, so boosting there can make the vocal harsh and the S sounds worse. Try leaving the presence and air bands flat, and check whether the sibilance row needs more attention.
A dark or deep voice changes the rumble and mud rows. Its chest tone can sit close to the rumble range, so a high pass at the top of the suggested range may thin it out. Lower the filter until the voice keeps its weight. Its mud may also sit lower in the 200 to 500 Hz range, so sweep the whole range before you cut.
A thin or quiet recording may need less cutting and a careful look at the level, since no EQ setting replaces a vocal that is loud enough in the mix.
Questions people ask
How do you EQ vocals as a beginner?
Work down this sheet from the top row to the bottom row, and fix only the problems you can hear. Most vocals need the high pass, the mud cut and a small presence boost. Leave the nasal and sibilance rows alone unless the voice really sounds honky or the S sounds hurt.
What is the best EQ setting for vocals?
The best starting setting is a high pass at 80 to 100 Hz, a 2 to 4 dB cut in the 200 to 500 Hz range and a 1 to 3 dB boost at 2 to 5 kHz. On screen that looks like a gentle curve, and moves of 1 to 4 dB are normal. Bigger moves usually mean the recording needs fixing.
How do you apply EQ to a vocal?
Put an EQ on the vocal track before the compressor, then work through this sheet one row at a time with the beat playing. Sweep each range to find the exact spot on this voice, make the smallest move that fixes what you hear, and switch the EQ off and on to check it.