How to EQ strings in a mix
To EQ strings, high pass around 40 to 80 Hz, or higher on violins alone, and cut about 2 dB of mud between 250 and 500 Hz. Ease scratchy bow noise with a 1 to 3 dB cut between 2 and 4 kHz, then add a small shelf above 8 kHz if the section sounds distant.
String parts have 5 bands worth knowing, from rumble (below 60 Hz) to air (8 to 12 kHz).
The starting point on this page makes 2 cuts, 1 boost and uses 1 filter. The other 1 band stay flat until you hear a problem there.
Work through the bands in order from the bottom. Cuts come first because they clear space; boosts come last and stay small.
The 5 strings bands
| Band | Range | When it's wrong | The move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rumble | below 60 Hz | Floor noise and bow thumps | High pass at 40 to 80 Hz, higher on violins alone |
| Body | 100 to 200 Hz | Thin, with no warmth | Small boost of 1 dB, only if it sounds thin |
| Mud | 250 to 500 Hz | Thick, woolly section | Cut of about 2 dB |
| Scratch | 2 to 4 kHz | Scratchy, steely bows | Cut of 1 to 3 dB |
| Air | 8 to 12 kHz | Lifeless or far away | High shelf of 1 to 2 dB |
The moves, in order
Rumble, below 60 Hz
Floor noise and bow thumps. It lives below 60 Hz. High pass at 40 to 80 Hz, higher on violins alone. The starting point is a high pass at 60 Hz. Raise it until the part starts to thin out in solo, then back it off a little.
Body, 100 to 200 Hz
Thin, with no warmth. It lives between 100 and 200 Hz. Small boost of 1 dB, only if it sounds thin. This band stays flat in the starting point; touch it only when you can hear the problem in a string part.
Mud, 250 to 500 Hz
Thick, woolly section. It lives between 250 and 500 Hz. Cut of about 2 dB. The starting point is a 2 dB cut at 350 Hz with a Q of 1.0, narrow enough to leave the rest alone.
Scratch, 2 to 4 kHz
Scratchy, steely bows. It lives between 2 and 4 kHz. Cut of 1 to 3 dB. The starting point is a 2 dB cut at 3 kHz with a Q of 1.4, narrow enough to leave the rest alone.
Air, 8 to 12 kHz
Lifeless or far away. It lives between 8 and 12 kHz. High shelf of 1 to 2 dB. The starting point is a 1.5 dB boost at 10 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
- 350 Hz
- Mid Gain
- -2.0 dB
- High Gain
- 1.5 dB
Channel EQ has one mid band, so spend it on the mud. If the bows also sound scratchy, add a second Channel EQ with Mid Freq at 3.00 kHz and Mid Gain at -2.0 dB.
EQ EightStandard, Suite
- 1 Filter Type A
- High Pass 12dB
- 1 Frequency A
- 60.0 Hz
- 2 Filter Type A
- Bell
- 2 Frequency A
- 350 Hz
- 2 Gain A
- -2.0 dB
- 2 Resonance A
- 1.00
- 3 Filter Type A
- Bell
- 3 Frequency A
- 3.00 kHz
- 3 Gain A
- -2.0 dB
- 3 Resonance A
- 1.40
- 4 Filter Type A
- High Shelf
- 4 Frequency A
- 10.0 kHz
- 4 Gain A
- 1.5 dB
On violins alone, raise the high pass to 150 Hz or more. On a full section with cellos, keep it near 60 Hz.
In short: low cut at 60 Hz, 2 dB cut at 350 Hz, 2 dB cut at 3 kHz and 1.5 dB boost at 10 kHz. Then listen in the full mix, not in solo, and undo anything you can't hear.
Real strings and sample libraries
Recorded strings and sampled strings need different amounts of EQ, so know which you have before you start.
Real strings come with a room. Section mics and room mics pick up floor noise, chair creaks, page turns and bow thumps, and the room adds its own low mids. The rumble cut and the mud cut do real work here. Close mics on single players also pick up more bow noise and scratch than you hear from the seats, so the scratch band matters more on those tracks.
Sample libraries are usually cleaner, because the samples were recorded, edited and shaped before you got them. Many libraries also include their own room or hall sound, often with a lot of low mids, and stacking two or three library patches piles that up fast. A sampled section often needs a mud cut more than anything else. It rarely needs much rumble cleaning, though a high pass still clears low noise and sub from the reverb tails.
Check the mic positions in the library before you EQ. Many let you blend close, section and room mics. Turning down the room mic can clear more mud than any cut, and turning up the close mic brings the bows forward without a presence boost.
A full section versus a single violin
A full string section covers a wide range, from cellos and basses at the bottom to violins at the top. Treat it like one big instrument. Keep the high pass low, near 60 Hz, so the cellos keep their weight, or lower, near 40 Hz, if the section has double basses, and use the mud cut to clear the thick middle where every part overlaps. If you have the parts on separate tracks, you can EQ each group on its own, which gives you more control.
A single violin is a very different job. It has little useful low end, so you can raise the high pass to 150 Hz or more without losing anything. Its tone lives in the middle and upper middle, and that is also where a close mic picks up the scratch of the bow. Sweep slowly between 2 and 4 kHz and cut only as much as you need to soften it. Too much and the violin turns dull and boxy.
A solo cello sits in between. It needs the body band, and it may even need a small lift there if it sounds thin. Leave its high pass low and be gentle with any cut in the low mids, because that is where its warmth lives.
Setting strings back in the mix
In pop and film music, strings often sit behind the vocal or the lead, filling the space without stepping in front. EQ helps with that, mostly by taking away rather than adding.
To push strings back, take a little out of the presence area rather than adding to it, and leave the air shelf flat or ease it down. Sounds with less upper mid energy seem further away. A small cut in the scratch band does this and softens the bows at the same time.
Reverb does the rest. Send the strings to a hall or a long room on a return track, and EQ the return as well. Cutting the low end of the reverb keeps it from muddying the mix, and a gentle top cut makes the space sound darker and further back.
To bring strings forward for a big moment, do the reverse. Add the air shelf, ease off the scratch cut a little, and turn down the reverb send. Automating these moves between sections works better than a single setting for the whole song.
Mistakes that make strings harsh
Boosting the top to make strings sound expensive is the most common one. A big shelf or a presence boost on violins brings out every bit of bow scratch and rosin noise, and the section turns steely and tiring. Use the air shelf gently, and check the scratch band before you boost anything.
Stacking bright library patches is another. Each patch sounds fine alone, but two or three bright violin patches together pile up in the upper mids. Cut the brightest one, or drop one patch.
Judging strings loud can fool you. Harsh strings often sound exciting at high volume and painful on earbuds. Check them quietly, and listen on small speakers too.
Using the same high pass on every string part can hurt too. A setting that suits violins will thin out the cellos, and one that suits the cellos leaves rumble on the violins. Set it per part or per group.
Last, a narrow boost in the upper mids can whistle on long held notes. Keep boosts wide on strings, and save narrow bands for cuts.
Questions people ask
What is the best EQ for a violin?
A violin on its own has little useful low end, so you can raise the high pass to 150 Hz or more. Then ease scratchy bow noise with a cut of 1 to 3 dB between 2 and 4 kHz, and add a small high shelf above 8 kHz if it sounds far away. Sweep slowly, because every violin and room sounds different.
What is the ideal EQ for cello?
A cello carries the low end of a string section, so keep its high pass low, near 60 Hz. Cut about 2 dB of mud between 250 and 500 Hz if it sounds thick and woolly, and add a small 1 dB boost between 100 and 200 Hz only if it sounds thin. Leave the top alone unless the bow sounds scratchy.
How do I EQ strings?
Work on the whole section first. High pass at 40 to 80 Hz, cut about 2 dB of mud between 250 and 500 Hz, and ease scratchy bows with a 1 to 3 dB cut between 2 and 4 kHz. Add a small shelf above 8 kHz only if the strings sound distant, and judge every move with the rest of the track playing.
What are the best EQ settings for strings?
In EQ Eight, a good start is a 12 dB high pass at 60 Hz, a bell at 350 Hz cut by 2 dB, a narrower bell at 3 kHz cut by 2 dB, and a high shelf at 10 kHz lifted by 1.5 dB. In Lite or Intro, one Channel EQ handles the mud cut and the shelf, and a second one can take the scratch.