Overview
EQ is the most powerful tool in vocal processing — and the most abused. This guide gives you specific frequency targets and the reasoning behind them, so you can make decisions by ear rather than guessing. The golden rule: always cut before you boost, and cut with a narrow Q, boost with a wide one.
What You Need
- Any parametric EQ plugin (FabFilter Pro-Q 3, TDR Nova free, or your DAW's built-in EQ)
- A vocal recording on a separate track
- Headphones or studio monitors for accurate listening
Steps
High-pass filter: remove everything below 80Hz
No vocal fundamental lives below 80Hz — it's all rumble, air conditioning, mic handling noise, and floor vibration. Apply a 12dB/octave high-pass filter at 80Hz (some engineers go to 100Hz for a cleaner result). This frees up headroom and reduces muddiness before you've done anything else. Do this on every vocal, every time.
Cut muddiness at 200–400Hz
This is the "boxy" region. Room resonances, proximity effect, and certain condenser mics all pile up energy here. Boost a narrow bell, sweep it around 200–450Hz until you hear it get unpleasantly boxy, then cut 3–6dB at that frequency. The result is a voice that sounds cleaner and sits better in a mix. This cut is almost always needed on home recordings.
Add warmth at 150–200Hz carefully
If the voice sounds thin after the mud cut, a gentle +2dB wide shelf at 150–200Hz restores body without reintroducing boxiness. Use a wide Q (0.5–0.7) for this — you're adding a colour, not a correction. Don't do this if the voice already sounds full.
Cut harshness at 1–3kHz
The 1–3kHz range is where ear fatigue lives. Over-compressed voices, certain condenser mics, and sibilance often have a peak here that makes them tiring to listen to. Sweep a narrow bell until you find the harsh peak, then cut 2–4dB. A narrow dynamic EQ (one that only cuts when the signal gets loud) works better here than a static cut.
Boost presence at 3–5kHz
The 3–5kHz range is the presence zone — it adds intelligibility, forward energy, and the sense that the voice is "in the room." A gentle +2–3dB wide boost here makes a voice cut through a mix without needing to raise the fader. Don't overdo it — above 4dB it starts sounding harsh again.
Add air at 10–16kHz
A gentle high-shelf boost above 10kHz adds air — the sense of space and openness that makes a recording sound professional rather than demo-quality. Use a wide shelf, +2–4dB. This works best on condenser microphones that have natural high-frequency response. On dynamic mics, this range may be absent anyway.
Pro Tips
- EQ in context — always make your adjustments with the full mix playing, not soloed. What sounds thin in solo sounds right in a mix.
- Use our EQ Frequency Reference to hear what different frequency bands sound like and diagnose common problems.
- A de-esser is not a substitute for a well-placed sibilance cut — use it after EQ, not instead of it.