How to EQ Bass
Intro
If you’re new to mixing music, it can be overwhelming to figure out which frequencies to boost or cut to make the bass sound good in a song.
For beginners, one of the easiest ways to start is by learning where to cut or boost key frequencies for different instruments. In this post, I’ll give you some helpful EQ frequency tips for getting a great bass sound.
But remember, music production is all about experimenting and finding what works best for the song you’re working on. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach—every track will need different settings.
Helpful Bass Eq Frequencies
You can sculpt a lot with bass EQ—there’s actually much more frequency range than you might think. Without going overboard, here are eight different ranges and some simple tips on how to EQ bass effectively.
- Boomy (40 Hz – 90 Hz)
- Fat (75 Hz – 150 Hz)
- Thin (40 Hz – 180 Hz)
- Power (40 Hz – 150 Hz)
- Impact (40 Hz – 150 Hz)
- Clarity (190 Hz – 800 Hz)
- Presence (800 Hz – 6.5 kHz)
- Attack (120 Hz – 4.1 kHz)
Notice that the first five all sit below 200 Hz. Still, take a look at what you can do above that—presence and attack can reach all the way up to 6.5 kHz.
Bass Eq Suggestions
Before adding an EQ to your inserts, it’s important to have a clear idea or vision of the end result you want. You need to understand why you’re applying EQ to the bass or any other sound.
It’s not enough to say, “I want it to sound better…” or “Someone told me to boost 4kHz to make the bass clearer.” While boosting around 4kHz can help, be careful—this is also where the kick drum’s presence and punch sit, so boosting here might cause a conflict between the bass and the kick.
Use the EQ frequency list above to decide what adjustments your bass needs in the mix to sound its best.
Don’t boost the high frequencies (treble) hoping it will make the bass sound brighter. Bass sounds rarely need anything above 5kHz, and boosting the treble will just make it high-pitched and piercing, not bright.
It’s also not always necessary to cut out muddiness, and you should never boost the “mud” either. The 250Hz to 500Hz range is where you find the bass’s growl. If you need your bass to sound clearer, try cutting in that range.
With a digital mixer, you have plenty of flexibility to make a range of EQ boosts and cuts. But what can you do with analog boards? Analog boards come in different EQ designs, from a single sweepable mid to separate controls for “high mids” and “low mids.”
If you have just one sweepable mid, focus on achieving clarity and presence. With mixers that offer two sweepable mids, you have much more control to shape your sound. When your EQ options are limited, prioritize clarity, presence, and getting the right balance between a “fat” or “thin” sound.
If you’re unsure where to start, listen to some songs you like and pay attention to the bass. Take notes on how it sounds. This gives you a target sound to aim for.
Here’s a tip for EQing bass: don’t forget about volume control. There have been times when I liked the mix, but the bass didn’t quite fit. Simply reducing the volume by a few dB made it sit perfectly in the mix.
How to EQ Bass – Tips
Each Bass Track Is Unique – Every bass guitar recording is different. Whether you recorded it with a microphone on the amp, plugged it directly into an audio interface, or used an upright bass, each one will need its own EQ settings. Even if you record the same bass guitar just 15 minutes later, you’ll probably need to adjust the EQ a bit differently. That’s part of the fun—you get to learn how to EQ bass for all kinds of sounds.
Mix With Your Ears – It’s important to remember that while many of these tips can be used as general guidelines, you’ll always need to adjust them to fit each situation. No one can tell you exactly what to do for every detail. You’ll need to trust your own ears and make the choices that sound best to you!
Work in Solo & in Context – When you’re doing precise EQ work to shape the tone of the bass itself, listen to it soloed so you can really hear what’s going on. But when you’re making broader decisions, listen to the bass in the context of the whole mix. If you’re trying to balance the bass with another instrument, you can solo both together to hear how they interact.
Use Headphones or a Subwoofer – If your mixing room has acoustic treatment (especially bass traps) and you have access to the best studio subwoofer you can get, use them. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to use studio headphones with a frequency response that goes as low as possible. If you can’t hear the low end clearly, you can’t make the right EQ choices.
Conclusion
As you can see, the bass guitar covers a wide range of frequencies, giving you plenty of options to work with. Using EQ can help you bring out the right sound, and adding compression and gating can make a big difference too.
The bass is just as important as the rhythm guitar, and with a little effort, you can make your mixes sound even better!
