- Audio Mixing Mastering
EQ Cheat Sheet by Grammy Engineers
These tips can be helpful as a place to start your search, but are not gospel by any means.

1. Bass Guitar
50 – 80 Hz: Bottom
700 Hz: Attack
2.5 kHz: Snap
2. Kick Drum
50 – 60 Hz: Bottom
400 Hz: Hollowness
3 – 5 kHz: Beater attack
3. Snare
120 – 240 Hz: Fatness
900 Hz: Point/Attack
5 kHz: Crispness
10 kHz: Snap
4. Rack Toms
240 – 500 Hz: Fullness/Body
5 – 7 kHz: Attack
5. Floor Toms
80 Hz: Fullness/Boom
5 kHz: Attack
6. Hi-Hat and Cymbals
200 Hz: Clang
6 – 10 kHz: Sparkle/Sizzle
7. Electric Guitar
80 Hz and below: Muddiness
240 – 500 Hz: Fullness
1.5 – 2.5 kHz: Presence
3 – 8 kHz: Brilliance
8. Acoustic Guitar
80 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Body
2 – 5 kHz: Presence
9. Organ
80 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Body
2 – 5 kHz: Presence
10. Piano
80 Hz: Fullnes
s2.5 kHz: “Hony Tonk”
3 – 5 kHz: Presence
11. Horns
120 Hz: Fullness
500 Hz: Honk
5 kHz: Piercing
12. Vocals
120 Hz: Fullness
240 Hz: Boominess
4 – 7 kHz: Sibilance
5 kHz: Presence
10 – 15 kHz: Air
13. Strings
240 Hz: Fullness
7 – 10 kHz: Scratchiness
14. Conga/Percussion
200 Hz: Ring
5 kHz: Slap