Does the quality of your music sound bad? Utilize the best equalizer settings to take control of your music and customize it to your tastes as audio engineers would. Most songs are composed to sound pleasant to any listener on any device. This is clear because it would be challenging to balance a song using everyone’s preferences. However, it also implies that some songs may fall flat in listeners’ ears with particular musical preferences. You want your audio quality to be as close as ideal as possible if you’ve invested in high-quality audio equipment. If the music is what is preventing you from doing this, how can you?
An equalizer might be exactly what you need, then. Take complete control of your audio by painstakingly enhancing the portions you want to hear and muting the portions you don’t. Unsure of the definitions of these terms? Continue reading as we go over all you need to know about equalizers and how to utilize them to their full potential.
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What’s an Equalizer (EQ)?
An equalizer is a type of processor that lets you change or improve the sound quality by boosting or lowering specific frequency ranges. It typically operates between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, which are the frequencies that people can theoretically hear, however in practice our range may be limited by aging and other causes.
Since the majority of audio today is consumed digitally, equalizers have been integrated into most devices like computers, smartphones, and other electronic devices to allow you to adjust your audio settings and get the most out of your speakers. Decades ago, equalizers were controlled by a physical console where you could tune up and down levers to adjust your settings. Equalizers are also present in the majority of stereo audio systems, Blu-ray players, Smart TVs, car stereos, etc.
What are frequency ranges?
There are various frequency spectrum present in every audio recording. The low-frequency range, or bass, the mid-frequency range, or the range of human voices, and lastly the high-frequency range, or treble, can all be used to study these frequencies. For instance, you can use your equalization to raise the low-end frequencies to add extra bass to a song.
Frequencies between 20 Hz and 20 000 Hz are audible to human ears. So the equalizers’ foundation is this band. Every frequency between these boundaries has a unique energy and emotion for people, as was previously mentioned.
In terms of “audio,” frequency refers to how often a wave repeats itself over the course of a period of time. To put it simply, you will hear waves in the bass or sub-bass region if there is a low-frequency sound. Higher frequency sounds demand fewer power requirements and smaller speakers than lower frequency sounds. Because of this, your surround sound system always has small speakers around it but a massive bass speaker to add some punch.
The frequencies are broken down as follows:
Super low frequencies on the EQ range from 20 Hz to 60 Hz. You need a subwoofer or a strong set of headphones to hear these frequencies, which are only reproduced by the sub-bass and kick drums.
Low frequencies between 60 and 200 Hz require a bass or lower drums to be reproduced.
Low mid-range frequencies range from 200 Hz to 600 Hz. You can hear this range of frequencies if you play the lower register of various musical instruments, such as guitars or pianos.
Mid-range frequencies vary from 600 Hz to 3,000 Hz. Vocal sounds fall within this range, which is the range that we are accustomed to hearing. The majority of instruments, including pianos and guitars, are performed in this range.
Upper mid-range frequencies span from 3,000 Hz to 8,000 Hz. This is performed on instruments with a higher range, like violins or guitars. If done effectively, music can be enjoyable, but frequently it can also be incredibly irritating.
8,000 Hz and above: Although theoretically we are capable of hearing up to 20,000 Hz, most people’s hearing is limited owing to aging and other causes. To replicate these high-frequency sounds, we need treble.
Best Equalizer Settings for Music
Adjusting the frequencies where the majority of an instrument’s instruments and vocals are present is the secret to attaining the greatest EQ settings for any musical genre. And, of course, concentrating more on enhancing their audible quality. For instance, if you enjoy bass or dance music, turn up the lows to your preferred level and turn down the highs to emphasize the bass.
And to retain clarity, keep the mid-ranges the same or barely modify them. For fans of high-pitched music, such as the classical genre, on the other hand, you should slightly reduce the bass and mid-ranges to improve clarity and use a low-pass filter to keep the highs in check.
Best Equalizer Settings for Pop
For pop music emphasizing the mid-range frequencies can be good as the crucial elements of the genre are the vocals.
Best Equalizer settings for Acoustic music
This is a fantastic method to set up your equalizer if you appreciate listening experience to acoustic versions of songs or simply enjoy the love of instruments without a lot of bass or digitally altered sounds:
You will be slightly boosting the bass, mid, and higher midrange frequencies, which is the ideal way to enhance vocals and the sound of the majority of acoustic instruments without going crazy.
Best equalizer settings for Electronic music
You can test a setting like this one and adjust it to your preferences since, if you love electronic music, you know how crucial the bass is and that, since it frequently doesn’t focus on vocals, you want to get the most out of digital sounds in the high ranges.
Best Equalizer Settings for Bass
Although bass is not a genre in and of itself, many individuals are interested in finding the ideal bass settings by utilizing EQ settings. It’s crucial to understand that the bass ranges from 20 Hz to 60 Hz in the sub-bass range and from 60 Hz to 250 Hz in the mid-bass range.
The sub-bass or mid-bass dominance of headphones or speakers makes it possible to adjust settings using EQ settings to suit your tastes. To have a better sub-bass performance, just increase the frequencies from (20 Hz to 60 Hz). In the same way, turn up the 60 Hz to 250 Hz range if you want mid-bass performance.
It is important to use caution when raising frequencies in either of these ranges because doing so can cancel out higher-frequency sounds and make the sound “boomier.” But when done properly, EQing the bass frequencies may be a potent tool that elevates a pair of headphones or speakers to a new level. See our article on enhancing the bass on a computer as well.
Best equalizer settings for Latin music
The focus of Latin music is on the bass and treble, with strong vocals that typically don’t need to be amplified more.
Best equalizer settings for Piano and Classical music
The majority of the sounds made by Chopin, Beethoven, and other composers of classical music are produced by instruments like the piano, violins, acoustic guitars, or an entire orchestra. A wide range of frequencies are typically used in classical and keyboard music. So it can sound better by slightly raising the bottom ends of all the various bands.
Best equalizer settings for Rock music
One of the most popular musical genres is rock, which emphasizes both low- and high-frequency sounds produced by instruments like electric guitars, etc. Enjoy your Rock music while experimenting with these EQ settings (classical Rock curve), which essentially boost everything but the mid frequencies. All of the frequency ranges are well utilized in rock music. It touches practically every band with kick drums, bass guitars, and higher-end electric guitar sounds. Every dial, excluding the mid-ranges, can be tried out with a modest boost.
Best Equalizer Settings for Podcasts and Audiobooks
Your podcasts and audiobooks will sound their finest if you concentrate on EQ adjustment to enhance human voice. Given that people talk differently according on their gender, age, and tone variances, it can occasionally be challenging.
According to our research, you should aim for 125 Hz for adult male speakers, 200 Hz for adult female speakers, and between 250 Hz and 400 Hz for kids of any gender. Here’s a pro tip: you should drown out the other frequencies as much as you can rather than immediately raising the frequencies stated.
Best Equalizer Settings for Gaming
It shouldn’t be as difficult to find the ideal equalization settings for gaming as it is to select the right gaming headsets. Here, you only need to think about the game’s genre and any sound upgrades that would enhance the gameplay. The sound that makes you feel like you are a part of the action and are conscious of the game’s setting and mood is the main focus for the majority of games.
Fighting games ask you to constantly be on the lookout for enemies, whereas most story-based games want you to be extra aware of your surroundings. While an increase on the low frequencies improved story-based plays, we discovered that a boost of frequencies between 2000 and 4000 Hz achieved the sound goals for the majority of combat games. See below for our advice on the optimal equalizer settings for gaming.
Best Equalizer Settings for Movies
Heavy bass sound effects in movies cannot be separated, but you can adjust the EQ to enhance singers and music while reducing the likelihood of speaker rattling. However, some people prefer the movie’s sound exactly as it is with some minor clarity adjustments. In that instance, amplify the lows while somewhat reducing the highs and midranges. The lows and highs should be gradually increased for best results until the EQ curve resembles a smile.
Consider significantly reducing the lows and highs and progressively increasing the mids until you are comfortable with the quality if the discourse becomes muddled. A word of caution: to reduce the risk of distortion or damaging your speakers, make any adjustments as gradually and slowly as you can.