Equalization – or EQ for short – on drums is pretty important. Arguably the two most important drums to focus on in a standard drum kit are the kick and the snare. In the video below, you’ll see some excellent tips on EQ settings for both of those drums.
Basically, you want to add some energy at 70 and 100 Hz for the kick, for that boomy bassy sound. This also leaves you room to boost your bass guitar at around 80 hz to help it not conflict with the kick. There are a few other settings he shows you as well.
For the snare, it starts out with boosting the highs from 5 KHz and up using a shelving EQ (lifts all the frequencies at the target frequency and above (or below for a low-end shelf) for added sizzle, crack and air. Then for some punch and presence, there is a boost at about 250 Hz.
They use Apple’s Logic Express (the baby brother of Logic Pro) for their demo, but the same tips are true for any mixing session or software you use, including Reaper.
Check out the video below:
EQ
The Art Of EQ
Done right, EQ can improve almost any track. It’s easy to get caught up in the science and numbers of the objective data, but is that all really necessary? Because so much of music quality and enjoyment is subjective, you should always trust your instincts. If something just doesn’t sound right, change it. If everything sounds great, but the EQ doesn’t look like anything you’ve done before, let it be!
You can read more here: http://therecordingrevolution.com/2013/02/18/the-non-technical-approach-to-eq/
EQ Bass With Harmonics
Getting the EQ for your bass line to sound just right can take patience. It’s not just about boosting the frequencies you want to hear more of and cutting the frequencies you want less of. Other tricks to EQ, like boosting the harmonic multiples of the frequency, can help with the overall sound of a track.
You can read the details about using harmonics with EQ here: http://www.audio-issues.com/music-mixing/eq-bass-harmonics/
How To Effectively Use EQ On Drums
Getting the EQ right for different parts of your mix takes a fair amount of trial and error, but knowing where to start can help shorten the process. Each part a drum set contributes its own important sound to your mix. Adjust the sound of the drums individually before verifying that the overall mix sounds great.
For some specific tips for using EQ on your drum track, read here: http://www.audio-issues.com/music-mixing/drum-eq-guide/
Neo GraphicEQ For Windows From Sound Magic
If your current EQ isn’t quite up for the job anymore, or you wish you were able to more finely tune certain frequencies, take a look at Neo GraphicEQ from Sound Magic. It’s not free, but at 49 EUR (about $65 USD) it packs a lot of value. Sound Magic is even confident enough in their product to offer a free demo version.
For more information and how to download, go here: http://rekkerd.org/sound-magic-releases-neo-graphiceq-effect-plugin/