Whether you’re an audiophile or regular music listener, you understand that all songs and music genres sound different. What you think sounds catchy or beautiful might be off-putting to someone else. This exact principle applies in getting a perfect Equalizer.

The world of music recording and listening revolves around thousands of different ways to manipulate sound. How a song is recorded, engineered, mixed, and mastered will set the foundation for how consumers perceive the art. It’s your job as a listener to sculpt what you want to hear by dreaming up your ideal EQ settings.

Before a song makes it onto your playlist, it most likely was mixed and mastered by an audio engineer whose job optimize the sound on as many devices as possible. They don’t know if you’re going to be listening on headphones or speakers, so they cast a wide net to compensate for most situations. Most engineers know how to EQ, so the music sounds just fine in most scenarios. But if you know what you’re doing, you can really make your music shine with a few simple tweaks.

Why should you EQ your music if a professional engineer has already done it? Well, there are two main reasons why you’d want to, and they’re not mutually exclusive. Most people EQ because of a combination of the two.

1. Preferences. It should come as no surprise to you that everyone hears things a little differently, because of the physiology of the human ear. What sounds good for most people could sound even better to you, if you know what to do. And we all know you’re the only person that truly matters, right?
2. Faulty equipment. Nothing is perfect, and sometimes your headphones or speakers might have a hardware quirk to them that’s too annoying to just leave be. If it’s not too serious, then chances are you can account for that quirk when you EQ. It’ll be like it was never even there.

What Is Equalizer (EQ)?

EQ stands for equalization in music and home audio, which is essentially the concept of pushing, pulling, and balancing frequencies in a recording through electrical means. You’ll find EQ settings on car stereos, headphones, televisions, and Bluetooth speakers in a basic form.

Providing a solid EQ doesn’t require superpowers, but it will become easier as you train your ear. Presets on stereos and theater systems are a good reference point for hearing the differences in an EQ (Equalizer) setting. However, moving dials yourself will give you the ability to craft the ultimate listening experience.

Equalizers are found on a wide array of electronic devices. These include:

• Home stereo systems
• Car stereo systems
• Via digital software on computers, cell phones, and tablets
• Instrumental amplifiers (guitar, bass, keyboard, etc.)
• Guitar pedals or rack effects
• Studio mixing boards

The basics

Now that we know what an EQ is, we can start getting into the fun stuff: how to EQ. There are two parts to an EQ: center  frequency and bandwidth. Center frequency might sound complex, but it’s just selecting the specific frequency that you want to adjust.Bandwidth, also known as Q, refers to how narrow the selection is for the adjustments that you want to make. If you go into a car and see the bass and treble knobs, those usually have a very broad Q, which looks like a small hill when you’re adjusting it. But if you want to target a very specific frequency range, then having a more narrow Q will let you achieve this. Visually, this will look more like a needle.

Trust your ear!

Sound is a very personal experience. And we mean that both mentally and physically. I’ll never be into mumble-rap, and your ear will never be exactly the same as mine. Moral of the story is that things sound different to each person, so everything from here on out, regarding how to EQ, is just a guideline to help find what works best for you.

What Does an Equalizer Do?

An equalizer will adjust audio output so that certain frequencies are emphasized over others. Most do this through the use of linear filters. How those filters function varies based on the equalizer’s interface.

Here are some popular types of equalizers:

Parametric equalizer or parametric EQ. This has three controls. The first determines what specific frequencies you want to boost or cut: you zero in on a frequency somewhere between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz, which you can then boost or decrease. The second, which is sometimes called the Q, determines the sharpness of the bandwidth (meaning “are you zeroing in tightly on one specific frequency, or are you targeting a wider bandwidth surrounding that frequency?”). And the third is the level control—by how much do you want to boost or reduce a frequency? Parametric EQs usually exist in the form of digital software.

Graphic equalizer or graphic EQ. This is found across a wider range of devices—home sound systems, personal stereos, amps, pedals, mixing boards—but it’s not as precise as a parametric EQ. In a graphic EQ, the audio spectrum is divided up for you, and each band is assigned a specific fader or knob. You can then go through each fader/knob, and boost it, lower it, or leave it alone. Some graphic EQs only have three bands, usually labeled “treble,” “mid,” and “bass.” Some graphic EQs have five bands—this is popular on home stereos. Some graphic EQs have upwards of 30 frequency bands.

High-pass filters and low-pass filters. These are very simple, and they do what the name implies. A high-pass filter (sometimes referred to as “hi-pass filter”) allows high frequencies to pass through unencumbered while blocking out low frequencies. A low-pass filter does the opposite: low frequencies pass through while high frequencies are blocked.

Frequencies and Decibels

Achieving the perfect EQ setting boils down to frequencies measured in hertz (Hz) and how loud they’re amplified (measured in dB). The most important distinction in setting an EQ recognizes the need to add in or subtract specific frequencies. Follow the guide below for insight on where instruments sit on the sonic spectrum:

• 20Hz: This point is the absolute lower frequencies of the EQ. Bass instruments and kick drums begin here but can only be heard with a subwoofer.

• 50Hz: A second bass region. More user-friendly with most speakers. Bass and drums still dominating this zone.

• 100Hz: Start to hear more bass in your mix. Drums and lower tone instruments enter.

• 200Hz: This is where your “woofing” sound of bass and drums enters. Lower sounding guitars and pianos are present.

• 500Hz: Midrange frequencies of horns, bass, and vocals.

• 1kHz: Guitars, piano, and snare drums live in this frequency range.

• 2kHz: Influential in vocal sounds. Timbre sounds less “nasally” when cut.

• 5kHz: Range for electric guitars (distorted and clean).

• 10kHz: Drumming cymbals and the higher ranges of synths and pianos live here.

• 20kHz: Humans can hear just above this frequency, so this region handles extremely high-frequency tones.

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How to Get Your Perfect Sound With EQ Settings

Getting the perfect EQ (Equalizer) settings for any application begins with moving frequencies in and out. In other words, play with the dials to discover which frequencies you enjoy hearing the most.

Setting the EQ is not always about adding more of a frequency in. Some of the best tricks derive from finding the frequencies you don’t like and slowly fading them out. Pushing too many frequencies forward may create a muffled sound that seems like your tracks are clipping and becoming distorted.

If you’re new to EQ, try selecting a preset and moving from there. Learning where instruments sit in the frequency range will ultimately help you set up your EQ for the best listening experience.

For Your Use!!!

Some apps/software come with a built-in preset, these are great for learning how to EQ. The resources are there, use them! What I usually do is pick a preset I like and then make minor adjustments to that, instead of starting from scratch every single time. Some apps, like Neutralizer for Android, make it super personal by letting you do a hearing test beforehand to see which frequencies matter the most to your ears. For desktop, there’s also Voicemeeter by VB-Audio and True-Fi by Sonarworks. There’s nothing wrong with using a preset, but if you want to dig deeper, beyond just learning how to EQ, keep these tips in mind and you’ll be fine.