Have you ever finished a mix only to find it sounds “blurry”? You can hear the kick drum, but it feels soft; the vocals are there, but they lack sparkle. This is often caused by frequency clashing, when two or more instruments compete for the same real estate in the audio spectrum.
To improve the sound, you need to treat your frequency range like a house: if you put too much furniture in one room, no one can move.
Here is how to use the frequency map to declutter your mix.
1. The Foundation: Sub & Rumble (20Hz – 100Hz)
This is the “physical” part of the music. If you have a synth bass and a kick drum both sitting heavily in the Sub area, they will clash, creating a weak, flubby low end.
- The Fix: Use a high-pass filter on everything that isn’t a kick or a primary bass. You don’t need 50Hz energy in your vocals or guitars.
2. The Danger Zone: Mud & Boom (100Hz – 500Hz)
This is where most amateur mixes fail. Too much Boom makes a track feel heavy and slow, while too much Mud (250Hz–500Hz) makes it sound like it’s being played through a cardboard box.
- The Fix: Be aggressive with EQ cuts in the “Mud” range for instruments that provide “Warmth” (like acoustic guitars or pianos) to let the snare and vocals breathe.
3. The Character Range: Thickness & Harmonics (500Hz – 3kHz)
This is the “meat” of the instrument. It’s where we find the Thickness of a snare or the Harmonics of a vocal. However, if this area is over-packed, the mix becomes Harsh and fatiguing to the ears.
- The Fix: If the mix sounds “honky” or annoying, look for a buildup around 1kHz–2kHz. Slight cuts here can smooth out a digital-sounding track.
4. The Finish: Clarity, Presence & Sizzle (3kHz – 10kHz+)
This is where the “expensive” sound lives. Presence (3kHz–5kHz) helps a vocal sit on top of the mix, while Sizzle and Crisp highs (8kHz+) add air and excitement.
- The Fix: Be careful! Too much “Sizzle” leads to sibilance (harsh ‘S’ sounds). Use a de-esser to keep the highs crisp without piercing the listener’s eardrums.
Pro Tip for Detecting Clashes
If you can’t tell which two instruments are clashing, try the Mute Test. Mute one instrument; if the other instrument suddenly sounds clearer and more defined, you’ve found your clash. Use the frequency ranges above to carve out space so both can coexist.
