An audio frequency chart is a map, not an EQ prescription. Use it to narrow a listening problem to a broad region, then confirm the exact peak or buildup in the recording itself. This chart covers the conventional full-band reference from 20 Hz to 20 kHz and separates broad EQ bands from voice and instrument energy.
Interactive reference · no upload
Find the frequency region
Approximate regions · scroll sideways for the full chart.
Keep system volume low. Not calibrated SPL or a hearing test. Press Play for a two-second reference tone.
How to read an audio frequency chart
Frequency is the number of cycles per second, measured in hertz. The scale is logarithmic because equal musical intervals are frequency ratios: moving from 100 Hz to 200 Hz is one octave, and so is moving from 5 kHz to 10 kHz. A linear chart would squeeze most of the useful low and midrange detail into the left edge.
The seven bands in this tool are working conventions, not physical borders. For example, iZotope’s Tonal Balance Control explanation groups the spectrum into four regions. Our 200–500 Hz “Muddy” search overlaps two of our EQ bands; that is intentional. A problem range does not have to follow a band boundary.
The seven broad EQ frequency bands
| Band | Starting range | What it often contributes | Too much can sound like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20–60 Hz | Deep weight, room or handling rumble | Rumble, wasted headroom |
| Bass | 60–250 Hz | Kick and bass weight, warmth, vocal body | Boom, woolliness |
| Low mids | 250–500 Hz | Body and density | Mud, boxiness |
| Mids | 500 Hz–2 kHz | Definition, note identity, speech detail | Honk, nasal or telephone tone |
| Upper mids | 2–4 kHz | Presence, attack and intelligibility | Harshness, fatigue |
| Presence | 4–8 kHz | Consonants, edge and close detail | Sibilance, brittleness |
| Brilliance | 8–20 kHz | Air, sheen and very fine transients | Hiss or brittle top end |
“Muddy” might mean one resonant track near 280 Hz, several parts masking each other, or a room problem. Solo can help you locate a source; judge the correction in the mix. For consonant harshness, iZotope’s vocal-editing guide suggests looking around 5–10 kHz, while this tool gives a wider 4–10 kHz starting window. Neither is a preset for every voice.
Fundamental, harmonics and spectral energy are different
For a periodic sound, the fundamental frequency is the repetition rate of the complete waveform. Harmonics occur at whole-number multiples of that rate; the fundamental need not be the strongest audible component. The UNSW explanation of spectra and harmonics separates those components from the overall shape of the spectrum. A recorded instrument can also contain breath, bow or impact noise that does not follow a harmonic series.
A bass note can have a low fundamental while much of its audible definition sits higher. A small speaker may reproduce harmonics that let you identify the pitch even when it delivers little of the fundamental. The tallest spectral peak is therefore not automatically the perceived note. For exact note-to-hertz values, use the musical note frequency table; this page is an EQ-region reference.
Voice frequency: pitch is not speech bandwidth
Voice charts often mix three different ideas: vocal-fold pitch, the wider set of harmonics and formants in the acoustic signal, and the pass-band used to transmit speech. They are not interchangeable. ITU-T speech and audio coding material describes conventional narrowband speech coding as typically 300–3,400 Hz and wideband coding as typically 50–7,000 Hz; those are transmission categories, not the complete natural output range of every speaker.
The source overlays are approximate editing regions, not measured instrument limits or complete playing ranges. “Lower voice” and “Higher voice” are examples, not gender categories: singers can move outside both boxes. A five-string bass or a detuned guitar can extend below the marked starting region. Use the recording to separate body, clarity and consonant noise; a coloured bar cannot tell you what is missing.
Equal level does not mean equal loudness
A 60 Hz tone and a 1 kHz tone at the same digital amplitude won't necessarily seem equally loud. ISO 226:2023 specifies equal-loudness combinations for pure tones under defined listening conditions, with data from 20 Hz to 12.5 kHz. The chart therefore describes where a sound sits in frequency; perceived loudness is a separate matter.
The browser tone is only a short reference, so start with system volume low. It isn't calibrated sound pressure, a hearing test or permission to raise the level until every frequency seems equally loud. CDC/NIOSH noise guidance also makes clear that hearing risk depends on both level and exposure duration.
How to use the chart without over-EQing
- Name the symptom first. “The vocal is difficult to understand” is more useful than “I should boost 3 kHz.”
- Check the arrangement and level. Masking, balance and microphone position can create the problem before EQ does.
- Use the chart to choose a search region. Do not cut the whole highlighted band automatically.
- Measure the actual signal. Open the Audio Spectrum Analyzer for a file, microphone or test tone.
- Make a small change and compare in context. Bypass the EQ at matched loudness and keep the change only if the mix improves.
If the problem is a fixed electrical tone rather than broad tonal balance, use the hiss and hum removal workflow. If you need an exact continuous frequency or sweep, the dedicated Online Tone Generator gives you finer control than the short reference button here.
Chart, analyzer, tone generator or note table?
| You need to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Map a listening term, band, voice or instrument to a broad region | This Audio Frequency Chart |
| Measure peaks in a real file or microphone signal | Audio Spectrum Analyzer |
| Hear a precise tone or run a controlled sweep | Online Tone Generator |
| Convert a musical note, MIDI number and frequency | Musical Note Frequency Chart |
| Identify one sustained live note | Pitch Detector |
Audio frequency chart FAQ
What is the audio frequency range?
For a general full-band audio reference, this chart uses 20 Hz to 20 kHz. That is a conventional system range, not a promise that every person can hear every frequency or that every microphone, speaker and recording reproduces the full span.
What frequency range is bass?
This chart treats 20–60 Hz as sub-bass and roughly 60–250 Hz as bass. The boundary is a working convention. Bass instruments also produce upper harmonics and attack detail above 250 Hz, so their useful energy does not end at the bass-band border.
What frequency range sounds muddy?
Mud is often associated with excess or masking in the low mids, roughly 200–500 Hz, but it is not one universal frequency. Use the range to search, then listen to the full mix and inspect the real signal before cutting.
Where is vocal sibilance?
The tool uses 4–10 kHz as a broad search region for vocal sibilance, not a fixed boundary. The exact centre changes with the speaker, consonant, microphone and processing, so a de-esser or dynamic EQ should be tuned to the recording rather than copied from a chart.
Can I use this chart as an EQ preset?
No. It is a search map. A fixed preset cannot know the source, arrangement, room, microphone or the problem you are trying to solve. Use the chart to choose a region, verify it by ear and measurement, then make the smallest useful change.