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How to EQ a Kick Drum

Dec 25, 2019

A kick drum generally needs 3 things to help it sit properly in the mix; sub, low-mid beef and attack. We dive into 3 steps you can take to EQ a kick drum appropriately for your mix.

How to EQ a Kick Drum

A kick drum generally needs 3 things to help it sit properly in the mix; sub, low-mid beef and attack. We dive into 3 steps you can take to tune a kick drum appropriately for your mix.

1. Add Sub Thump

To get the feeling that the kick drum is thumping in your chest and packing in serious punch, you will need to accentuate its fundamental frequency which usually lies between 40hz and 100hz. Using Waves Q10 EQ, scan this range with a bell curve filter to find the sweet spot, then boost with a focused Q.

2. Give the Kick Low-Mid Beef

The kick may sound deep but lack a beefy, full flavor. Its fundamental frequency may be present but be lacking in harmonics. Insert Waves Renaissance Bass on the kick drum, tune the frequency slider to the fundamental and adjust the intensity to taste.

3. Introduce Attack

At this point the kick should be sounding rich and heavy, but it may lack the attack to help it pop out of the mix. Insert Waves Scheps 73 on the kick drum and tweak the mid-range frequency knob in context of the mix. A boost somewhere between 1k-8k should bring out the attack needed for it to be heard.

Want more quick mix fixes? Get tips on fixing a thin snare drum here.

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