What Is an Equalizer (EQ)? A Producer's Guide

From a balanced mix to the client

That map is exactly the kind of detail that makes a mix translate from your speakers to everyone else's — but a clean mix only counts once it leaves your room and reaches the person waiting on it. Check it's landing at the right level on the way out, then get it to them somewhere they can actually hear it:

The main types of EQ

• Parametric EQ — full control over frequency, gain, and Q (how wide the band is). The mixing workhorse.
• Graphic EQ — a row of fixed-frequency sliders. Fast and visual, less precise.
• Shelving EQ — lifts or cuts everything above (high shelf) or below (low shelf) a point. Great for broad tone moves.
• High-pass & low-pass filters — remove everything below or above a cutoff. A high-pass filter is the fastest way to kill rumble.
• Bell / peak — boost or cut around a center frequency; the shape most parametric bands use.
• Notch — a very narrow, deep cut to kill one problem frequency like mains hum or a ringing resonance.

Subtractive vs additive EQ

The habit that separates clean mixes from muddy ones: cut before you boost. Removing a problem frequency tends to sound more natural than piling gain on top of it, and it keeps headroom in check. The classic move is to sweep a narrow boost across a track until the annoying resonance jumps out, then flip that boost into a cut. Boost broadly and gently for tone; cut narrowly and surgically for problems.

How to use EQ in a mix

1. High-pass the non-bass tracks. Roll off the lows on vocals, guitars, and synths so they're not fighting the kick and bass for the low end.
2. Hunt down the mud. Most boxiness lives between 200 and 500 Hz; a gentle cut there clears space fast.
3. Carve, don't pile. When two sounds clash, cut one where the other needs room instead of boosting both.
4. Add presence and air. A lift around 2–5 kHz brings a vocal forward; a high shelf above 10 kHz adds sparkle.
5. EQ in context, never in solo. A track that sounds great alone can disappear in the mix — judge it against everything else.
6. Make small moves and reference. A few dB is a lot. Compare against a track you trust so you don't over-cook it.

Common EQ mistakes

• Boosting everything — if every track is lifted at 5 kHz, nothing stands out and the mix turns harsh.
• EQing in solo — decisions that ignore the rest of the mix rarely survive contact with it.
• Razor-thin boosts — narrow boosts ring and sound unnatural; save the narrow settings for cuts.
• Skipping the high-pass — letting every track keep its sub energy is the fastest route to a muddy low end.
• Mixing with your eyes — the analyzer is a guide, not the judge. Trust your ears.