· By Bas Lefeber
EQ is where most vocal mixes are won or lost. Get it right and the vocal sits perfectly in the track. Get it wrong and it either sounds muddy, harsh, thin, or buried. This cheat sheet breaks down every frequency range that matters for vocals, what to cut, what to boost, and how to adapt for different genres. The Vocal Frequency Ranges Frequency What Lives Here Action Why 20-80 Hz Rumble, handling noise Cut (high-pass filter) Nothing useful here. Cut it to clean up low-end mud. 80-200 Hz Body, warmth, chest resonance Careful Too much = muddy. Too little =...