Guitars generate noise in this range, but unless it's an extended-range instrument, you might find it interferes with the bass without actually adding to the sound. If you have access to multitracks of your band playing, it could be a valuable learning experience for you to look at things like bass and drum tracks through a meter or imager so you can see visually the space they take up versus your guitar parts.Īs always, however, don't be overwhelmed by the visual cues - your ears should always be your guide for what sounds good in a guitar tone, or either a live or studio full-band mix.ĥ0-60Hz: you might expect to hear the kick around this range, as well as bass and synths. The guitar has such a wide range that unless you're playing completely solo, how much bandwidth you have in each range will determine how impactful your playing is to the listener. It's worth remembering that where other instruments and elements sit is important. Okay, so those are the glossary terms, but what can we hear in the actual mix at which frequency, and why is it important? The characteristics of each frequency range As a result, we tend to assume most of the 'crunch' can be found at around 1.6kHz, since this setting of the tone knob 'reveals' that frequency by moving the notch. We tend to set the tone on our Triangle and Op Amp reissues at around 2 o'clock, making the notch in the 800Hz ballpark. The Big Muff usually has a notch at around 1kHz, although it moves as you change the tone control. It's notable that even some scooped Big Muffs like the Ram's Head can get 'crunchy', which tells us it's probably more to do with the character of the low mids and upper mids either side of the notch. Warmth: this is often a wide hump centred around the mids think the sound of the Ibanez Tube ScreamerĬrunch: a less compressed and more open distorted mid sound often gives a gravelly, 'crunchy' sound. Get a distorted Peavey 6505+ in a mix, and remove all the bass and low mids - all that will be left is the bite. It's around 100-150Hz, or with a very wide Q can be a wide hump from 60-80 all the way up to the low mids around 3-500Hz.īite: a rule of thumb for bite is around 2-10kHz, but crucially, you'll know it when you hear it.

Growl: this is the area that gives grind to guitar and basses, and particularly with distorted lower sounds, will need attention. This can not only make your mixes quieter, but also sound more muddy and less focussed. In the lower bass and sub-bass, these sounds can build up quickly, while not perceptibly adding an actual note for the listener.

Rumble: anything in the bass frequencies that's a lower octave resonance rather than a fundamental note.

Djent presets guitar rig 5