01
Ear — training for EQ
The skill behind every good mix: hearing where a sound needs work. A band is boosted or cut on a beat or pink noise — compare it with the flat sound and name the frequency.
Sound
Level
Find the…
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Press Play sound, then New question. One band is boosted — flip between Flat and EQ'd to hear what changed, then pick the frequency.
02
The bands
What lives in each part of the spectrum, what too much sounds like, and how to practise.
| Band | Range | What lives there | Boost too much → |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub | 20–60 Hz | 808 and kick sub, rumble you feel | Muddy, speaker-shaking, eats headroom |
| Bass | 60–200 Hz | Kick body, bass notes, warmth | Boomy, bloated |
| Low mids | 200–500 Hz | Body of guitars, keys, vocals, snare | Muddy, boxy, "cardboard" |
| Mids | 500 Hz–2 kHz | The core of most instruments | Honky, nasal, telephone-like |
| Upper mids | 2–6 kHz | Presence, attack, vocal clarity, snare crack | Harsh, piercing, tiring |
| Highs | 6–12 kHz | Hats, cymbals, sibilance, crispness | Sizzly, spitty "S" sounds |
| Air | 12–20 kHz | Sparkle, shine, room sound | Brittle, hissy |
1
Five minutes a day
Short, regular sessions beat long ones. Do a round of Easy, then one level up. Your best streak is saved for each level.
2
Always A/B
Flip between Flat and EQ'd before answering. Your ear hears differences far better than absolute frequencies.
3
Cuts are harder — practise them
A missing band is subtler than an extra one, and real mixing is mostly cutting. Switch to Cut once Boost feels easy.
4
Use good headphones or speakers
Laptop and phone speakers can't reproduce the sub and bass bands — anything below about 150 Hz will be hard to hear on them.