Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

How to Mix Kick Drum Frequency Levels

The way you mix the frequencies of a kick drum drastically affects the way it sounds. To mix these frequency levels, you can use an equalizer. With an equalizer, you can make a kick drum sound thick, thin, boomy, defined, dull, or sharp just by boosting and cutting certain frequencies. This allows you to shape the kick drum in a way that best complements the rest of the music.

Things You'll Need

  • Equalizer
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Boost the equalizer at 80 to 100 Hz to add bass to the kick drum and make it sound thicker. Cut the equalizer around 80 to 100 Hz to take away bass from the kick drum and make it sound thinner.

    • 2

      Boost the equalizer at 200 to 250 Hz to make the kick drum sound more boomy. Cut the equalizer around 200 to 250 Hz to take away boominess from the kick drum and make it sound more defined.

    • 3

      Cut the equalizer at 300 to 600 Hz to take away unpleasant frequencies that cause the kick drum to sound like a cardboard drum.

    • 4

      Boost the equalizer at 2.5 KHz to 4 KHz to give the kick drum a sharper attack, which allows it to cut through a mix more easily. Cut the equalizer at 2.5 to 4 KHz to dull the attack of the kick drum and allow it to blend into a mix more easily.

+:
+:

Recording Music

Related Categories