How to EQ a snare drum
To EQ a snare drum, high pass around 80 to 100 Hz, add 1 to 2 dB of body between 150 and 250 Hz, and cut boxy ring between 400 and 900 Hz. Then add 2 dB of crack between 2 and 4 kHz, and a small shelf above 6 kHz if the snare wires sound dull.
Snares have 5 bands worth knowing, from low end (below 100 Hz) to wires (6 to 10 kHz).
The starting point on this page makes 1 cut, 3 boosts and uses 1 filter. Every band is part of the starting point.
Work through the bands in order from the bottom. Cuts come first because they clear space; boosts come last and stay small.
The 5 snare bands
| Band | Range | When it's wrong | The move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end | below 100 Hz | Spill from the kick and toms | High pass at 80 to 100 Hz |
| Body | 150 to 250 Hz | Thin, weak snare | Boost of 1 to 2 dB |
| Ring | 400 to 900 Hz | Boxy or ringing | Cut of 2 to 4 dB |
| Crack | 2 to 4 kHz | No snap | Boost of about 2 dB |
| Wires | 6 to 10 kHz | Dull, no rattle | High shelf of 1 to 2 dB |
The moves, in order
Low end, below 100 Hz
Spill from the kick and toms. It lives below 100 Hz. High pass at 80 to 100 Hz. The starting point is a high pass at 100 Hz. Raise it until the part starts to thin out in solo, then back it off a little.
Body, 150 to 250 Hz
Thin, weak snare. It lives between 150 and 250 Hz. Boost of 1 to 2 dB. The starting point is a 2 dB boost at 200 Hz with a Q of 1.0, narrow enough to leave the rest alone.
Ring, 400 to 900 Hz
Boxy or ringing. It lives between 400 and 900 Hz. Cut of 2 to 4 dB. The starting point is a 3 dB cut at 600 Hz with a Q of 1.4, narrow enough to leave the rest alone.
Crack, 2 to 4 kHz
No snap. It lives between 2 and 4 kHz. Boost of about 2 dB. The starting point is a 2 dB boost at 3 kHz with a Q of 1.0, narrow enough to leave the rest alone.
Wires, 6 to 10 kHz
Dull, no rattle. It lives between 6 and 10 kHz. High shelf of 1 to 2 dB. The starting point is a 1.5 dB boost at 8 kHz with a Q of 0.7, wide enough to sound natural.
The settings in Live 12
Channel EQLite, Intro
- Highpass On
- On
- Mid Freq
- 600 Hz
- Mid Gain
- -3.0 dB
- High Gain
- 1.5 dB
The high pass clears kick spill, the mid band cuts the ring, and the high shelf brings up the wires.
EQ EightStandard, Suite
- 1 Filter Type A
- High Pass 12dB
- 1 Frequency A
- 100 Hz
- 2 Filter Type A
- Bell
- 2 Frequency A
- 200 Hz
- 2 Gain A
- 2.0 dB
- 2 Resonance A
- 1.00
- 3 Filter Type A
- Bell
- 3 Frequency A
- 600 Hz
- 3 Gain A
- -3.0 dB
- 3 Resonance A
- 1.40
- 4 Filter Type A
- Bell
- 4 Frequency A
- 3.00 kHz
- 4 Gain A
- 2.0 dB
- 4 Resonance A
- 1.00
- 5 Filter Type A
- High Shelf
- 5 Frequency A
- 8.00 kHz
- 5 Gain A
- 1.5 dB
Find the ring by boosting band 3 hard and sweeping until it rings loudest, then turn that boost into a cut.
In short: low cut at 100 Hz, 2 dB boost at 200 Hz, 3 dB cut at 600 Hz, 2 dB boost at 3 kHz and 1.5 dB boost at 8 kHz. Then listen in the full mix, not in solo, and undo anything you can't hear.
Top and bottom mics, or one sample
A recorded snare often comes on two tracks. The top mic points at the head you hit, and catches the body and the crack. The bottom mic points at the wires underneath, and catches the rattle. Mixed together they make a full snare, but each one needs different EQ.
The top mic gets most of the moves on this page. The high pass clears kick spill, the body boost fills it out, the ring cut cleans it up, and the crack boost gives it snap. The bottom mic usually needs a much higher high pass, because all you want from it is the wires. Cut its low end firmly and blend it in under the top mic until the snare sounds like it has a rattle, not like a second drum.
Check the polarity. The two mics face opposite sides of the drum, so the bottom mic is often flipped compared to the top. If the snare gets thinner when you add the bottom mic, flip its polarity with Live's Utility device and listen again. The fuller version is the right one.
A single snare sample is simpler. It has already been shaped, often with top, bottom and room mixed together, so it may need only one or two of these moves. Start with the ring cut and the crack, and only add the rest if you can hear the need.
Finding the ring
Most snares ring at a particular note, a boxy or metallic tone that hangs after each hit. It is usually the single most useful thing to fix, and it is easy to find.
Set a bell band to a big boost, around 8 to 10 dB, with a fairly narrow Q. Play the snare and sweep the band slowly through the area between 400 and 900 Hz. At one spot the ring jumps out and gets much louder. That is the frequency. Our EQ Eight setting notes describe the same trick, boost band 3 hard and sweep until it rings loudest, then turn that boost into a cut.
Turn the boost into a cut of 2 to 4 dB and widen the band a little. Then switch the EQ on and off. The snare should sound cleaner and tighter, not hollow. If it sounds hollow, the cut is too deep or too wide.
Some ring is part of the sound. A snare with no ring at all can sound dead and fake. Aim to tame it so it sits in the mix, not to remove it.
Snare on the drum bus
The snare usually goes to a drum bus with the kick, toms and cymbals, and what happens on the bus affects how it sounds.
Do the snare's own EQ on the snare track first, and keep the bus moves small. Our drum cheat sheet says the same, fix single drums first, then shape the bus. If you add body to the snare on the bus, you add it to everything in that range, including the toms and the boxy part of the kick.
Compression on the bus changes the snare's attack. A bus compressor with a fast attack can soften the crack, so you may need a little more crack on the snare track itself to keep it snapping. A slower attack lets the hit through.
Room and reverb change it too. A short reverb on a return makes a dry snare sound bigger without any EQ. Keep the low end out of that reverb, or the snare's body turns into mud on the return.
Mistakes
Too much crack is the quickest way to a harsh snare. A snare with too much 2 to 4 kHz sounds harsh and cuts through everything, including the vocal. About 2 dB is usually enough.
Cutting the body away to make room for other parts leaves a snare that sounds thin and weak. Keep a little body, and make the space in the other parts.
Leaving the kick spill in makes the snare track add low end you didn't ask for. A high pass at 80 to 100 Hz clears it.
Don't remove all the ring, either. A snare with none left sounds lifeless. Tame it, then stop.
Questions people ask
What is the best EQ for a snare?
A good snare starting point is a high pass at 80 to 100 Hz, 1 to 2 dB of body between 150 and 250 Hz, a cut of 2 to 4 dB of ring between 400 and 900 Hz, and about 2 dB of crack between 2 and 4 kHz. Add a small high shelf only if the wires sound dull.
What frequency should a snare be at?
A snare's body usually sits between 150 and 250 Hz, its crack between 2 and 4 kHz, and the rattle of its wires above 6 kHz. The exact body note depends on how the drum is tuned, so sweep a boost through the low range and listen for the spot where it sounds fullest.
How do I make my snare sound better?
Start by finding and cutting the ring, because a boxy ring between 400 and 900 Hz makes a snare sound cheap. Then add a little body and a little crack, and judge it with the kick and the rest of the kit playing. A short room reverb on a return often helps more than more EQ.
What EQ is best for drums?
Do most drum EQ on the single drums, then make small moves on the drum bus. The kick gets thump and click, the snare gets body and crack, and the bus gets a small cut in the boxy range and a little air. Our drum EQ cheat sheet lists the bus moves.