In today’s video, I want to teach you how to EQ a kick drum in 3 simple and easy to use steps!
I always start with my kick drum in the mix. Why? Because it’s the focal point of the drum kit and 9 times out 10 my entire mix. Watch the video below:
How To EQ A Kick Drum – The 3 Points
So now that you’ve watched the video you under the 3 major points of EQ in a kick drum and most any drum. By thinking about and visualizing your sounds in this way you’ll have a much easier time approaching EQ.
- The Body (60hz-100hz) – This is a great starting point to find the body and beef of the kick drum. This will hit you in the chest and provide a massive amount of low end. The next step to keep in mind for the future will be to mix it so that the bass and kick drum relationship works together.
- The Room (400hz-600hz) – The room tone can also be referred to as the boxiness of the drum. This is where the majority of your “clean up” comes from. This frequency in particular almost sounds like when you blow into a straw or cup your hands around your mouth. These frequencies give us more perceived loudness but are nasty in tone. I find that by removing this area from a kick drum it cleans up almost instantly.
- The Snap (16k-20k) – This is also known as the top end and the snap of the drum. This gives us more of a transient feel and adds a clickiness to the bass drum. Often times, this can even draw more attention to the energy of the kick because you’re more aware of its presence now. I have even noticed in full mixes that I perceive the kick drum to be more present in the bottom end just because the listener is more aware of the kick drum in the mix now.
What’s Next?
Well now that you’ve EQ’d the kick drum its time to move on to the rest of the drums. By following these simple EQ steps you can really start to get a clean and massive drum sound! Even if you are limited by a stock EQ you’ll find the results to be overwhelming drastic from your raw sounds! This is my best approach in how to eq a kick drum and any percussive instrument!
Want To Step Up Your Mixing Game?
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