What is the ideal EQ for a kick drum?
The ideal kick drum EQ settings depend on what your kick sounds like and the kind of track you’re working on. But there are a few basic steps you can follow to EQ kick drums in a consistent, methodical way. Most kick drums are made up of a few discrete frequency areas. By paying attention to each of these areas in turn, you can make sensitive EQ decisions that will improve how your kick sounds – whether you’re working on a pounding club track or delicate sound design.
Start with the lowest frequencies. Kick drums tend to have a loud “boomy” element in the 40–100 Hz range. This is what gives the kick its power. If your kick has unwanted sub bass frequencies below this point, you can use a high-pass filter to remove them.
Proceed with caution here. The bass frequencies are what make your kick drum sound heavy, and if you cut too much then the kick will lose its power. Start by identifying the fundamental frequency of the kick – its dominant low frequency. You can do this by temporarily applying a narrow Q bell filter with a strong boost and sweeping it around the bass frequencies until you find the loudest one. Once you have identified the fundamental frequency, set your high-pass filter comfortably below this point, so you can be sure you’re not cutting out anything important.
Now for the fundamental frequency itself. Boosting this frequency range with a gentle bell filter will make the kick sound heavier. But make sure it’s balanced with the rest of the track – particularly other low end elements such as the bass. A too-bassy kick will make your track sound muddy and muffled.
Next, look at the low midrange. The zone from around 100–600 Hz is what gives a kick drum its body and character. But too much in the midrange can make the kick sound dull and claustrophobic. Consider a gentle EQ cut in this zone to improve the clarity of your kick. Live-sounding “rock” kicks often benefit from a cut at around 300 Hz to reduce boxiness.
Finally, the upper midrange. Most kicks have a clicky “attack” in this range, somewhere around 1–4 kHz. Boosting with EQ can make your kick sound clearer and more punchy. Or, if your kick is too sharp, cut this range to soften it.
Not every kick drum will require EQ in all of these frequency zones. But by paying attention to each zone in turn, you can make methodical EQing decisions and consistently improve your kick drum sound.