Fundamental frequencies in the instruments

Fundamental frequencies and harmonics are essential components of sound that significantly affect timbre and tonal quality. Understanding how they interact and how they can be manipulated through equalization is vital for any producer or sound engineer. This knowledge allows precise adjustments to be made that improve the clarity, presence and character of individual elements in a mix, resulting in a more professional and balanced musical production.

        To begin equalizing correctly, we must have an understanding of the concept of fundamental frequencies. Each instrument has a dominant frequency range. Knowing this range, we will be able to know the place each instrument has in the mix and therefore we will equalize to highlight those dominant or fundamental frequencies. If we take away an instrument's fundamental frequencies, it is likely to sound flat and boring.

        The primary objective is to prevent some instruments from overlapping others with their frequencies, and through EQ we can give each instrument its place in the mix. For example: when we see that a guitar has too many bass frequencies, these frequencies can overlap the bass frequencies, creating an excess of bass and an overloaded mix. We will then remove the bass frequencies from the guitar without affecting its fundamental frequencies.

            Before recording

   An important tip is to choose which instruments to use. We will therefore choose instruments that can adapt to others in the frequency range, without their fundamentals competing too much against each other.

            Si no existe opción de elegir o quitar instrumentos, podemos arreglar entonces el sonido en la mezcla, quitando las frecuencias que compiten unas contra otras.

Become an expert in equalization with the recommended book “ EQ in Music Production” (click on the image to go to the link):

Here we see a graph of the fundamental frequencies of each instrument: use it as a guide and orientation, keep in mind that in the mixing process there are no fixed laws, you can always experiment and change parameters as your creativity or the particular song you are working on dictates.