The Basics: Finding problem frequencies in your mix

The Basics

Finding problem frequencies in your mix

Often when starting out on a mix, our instruments can sound crowded, with all of our various tracks fighting for space in the mix. While a lot of this can be attributed to volume discrepancies, you may notice that certain tracks are definitely affecting others more significantly than others. This is caused by what I like to call "problem frequency bands"  

Here's how it works: Humans can hear roughly from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Since our access to the frequency spectrum is pretty limited in this sense, this doesn't leave a whole lot of "space" for the various instruments when we start tracking entire bands. You'll often find that maybe your bass sounds will be interfering with your kick drum, or maybe the higher mids of your guitar are washing out your vocals a little bit. This is because these instruments are fighting to be heard at similar bands of frequencies.

So now that we know what these problem frequency bands are, the next question is, 

How do we find them?

The most common method of locating these rogue frequency bands will take some practice, but as your ear gets accustomed to the process, it becomes consistently easier. The steps are:

1. Once we identify a conflict between two tracks, we must decide which track / instrument we want to be heard, and which one we will be ducking out. This just comes down to personal preference of who you want to hear more of.

2. Next, we will open up a Multiband EQ on the track that we want to hear. By narrowing the Q all the way on one of our bands, and boosting the gain, We've created a great tool we can utilize to find Problem Frequency bands. This will accentuate and audibly highlight a very select few frequencies.

3. All we must do now is drag our boosted band across the spectrum till we find the exact frequency / frequencies that we are looking for. This is where you must really use your ears and employ active listening. Picture clearly in your mind where the two tracks sounds are interfering with each other. Once you have a clear conception of where our problem area is in the spectrum, drag the band through that area till you hear the intended frequency highlighted. Once we're confident this is the correct frequency, bring the gain of the band back to 0.

4. Open up a Multiband EQ on the track we want to duck now, and place a band at the same frequency we had identified earlier. This time, we are turning the gain down. There is no exact perfect method at this point, so play with your gain, Q, and frequency; compare, and make adjustments until you have cleared up any undesired frequencies in that range.

5. Repeat this method wherever you hear conflicts and muddiness in your mix. This is a great method for establishing and identifying problem areas in your mix.