An audio frequency chart divides the audible spectrum into practical bands, from deep sub-bass to high-frequency brilliance. The commonly cited human hearing range is 20 Hz to 20 kHz, but age and hearing health affect an individual’s limits.
Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz), while 1 kilohertz (kHz) equals 1,000 Hz. For a closer look at the outer limits, see the guide to the human hearing frequency range.
Audio Frequency Chart: What Are the Main Frequency Ranges?
The main audio frequency ranges are sub-bass, bass, low mids, midrange, upper mids, presence, and brilliance. Their boundaries are working conventions rather than fixed scientific divisions, so another chart may place a crossover slightly higher or lower.
| Frequency band | Approximate range | Common perception | Sources and details often heard here | Possible problem when excessive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20–60 Hz | Depth, vibration, weight | Synth bass, kick-drum lows, room rumble | Rumble or lost headroom |
| Bass | 60–250 Hz | Fullness, punch, warmth | Bass guitar, kick body, low vocal fundamentals | Boominess or muddiness |
| Low mids | 250–500 Hz | Body, warmth, thickness | Voice body, guitars, piano, lower strings | Boxiness or congestion |
| Midrange | 500 Hz–2 kHz | Definition, intelligibility | Speech, vocals, guitars, piano | Nasal or honky tone |
| Upper mids | 2–4 kHz | Attack, clarity, bite | Vocal intelligibility, guitar attack, snare crack | Harshness or listening fatigue |
| Presence | 4–6 kHz | Detail, closeness, articulation | Consonants, pick attack, percussion detail | Edginess or piercing tone |
| Brilliance | 6–20 kHz | Brightness, sparkle, air | Cymbals, breath, sibilance, upper harmonics | Hiss or sharp sibilance |
Why do frequency-band boundaries differ?
Terms such as low mids and presence describe listening zones, not physical barriers. A source does not change character because one chart labels it bass while another calls it low midrange.
The spectrum is continuous, and an equalizer may use broad bands or narrow filters within it. The relationship between wave cycles and physical wavelength is explained in the guide to frequency and wavelength.
What is the difference between hertz and kilohertz?
Hertz and kilohertz measure the same property at different scales: 5 kHz is 5,000 Hz. Charts use kilohertz above 1,000 Hz for easier scanning.
What Does Each Audio Frequency Range Sound Like?
Low frequencies tend to create weight, middle frequencies carry much of a sound’s identity and intelligibility, and high frequencies contribute detail and air. Words such as warm or harsh describe perception rather than measured properties.
Sub-bass and bass: 20–250 Hz
Sub-bass from roughly 20–60 Hz is often felt as much as heard. Small speakers may reproduce little of this deep bass and low kick energy.
The 60–250 Hz bass region supplies punch and body. Boosting the entire band can make a mix boomy, while barely audible low-frequency energy can consume headroom.
Low mids and midrange: 250 Hz–2 kHz
The 250–500 Hz area gives voices and instruments body. Too little can sound thin; too much can produce mud or boxiness.
From about 500 Hz to 2 kHz, the ear receives much of the information needed to recognize speech and instrumental character. To understand why frequency corresponds to perceived musical height, compare pitch and frequency.
Upper mids, presence, and brilliance: 2–20 kHz
The 2–4 kHz upper-mid region adds attack and vocal clarity. Excess energy can feel aggressive because human hearing is sensitive here.
Presence around 4–6 kHz brings consonants, pick noise, and percussion forward. Above 6 kHz, cymbal sheen, vocal breath, sibilance, and “air” become prominent.
Where Do Vocals and Musical Instruments Sit in the Frequency Spectrum?
A voice or instrument usually spans several frequency bands. Its fundamental frequency determines the note you perceive, while harmonics—whole-number multiples of the fundamental—and transient details extend higher and shape its tone.
| Source | Approximate fundamental area | Broader content may include |
| Adult singing voice | Roughly 80 Hz–1.1 kHz, depending on voice and note | Breath, consonants, resonance, and harmonics above 10 kHz |
| Four-string bass guitar | About 41–392 Hz in standard practical use | Attack and harmonics through several kilohertz |
| Six-string guitar | About 82 Hz–1.2 kHz across its common note range | Pick attack and harmonics well above the fundamentals |
| Piano | About 27.5 Hz–4.19 kHz from A0 to C8 | Hammer attack and harmonics beyond the highest fundamental |
| Kick drum | No single fixed note range | Sub-bass thump, bass body, and upper-mid beater attack |
| Cymbals | Broad, inharmonic spectrum | Strong upper-frequency energy and transients |
These figures are references, not instructions to remove content outside a listed range. The musical-note frequency chart maps named notes to fundamentals across octaves.
Fundamental frequencies versus harmonics
If a singer produces A3, the fundamental is 220 Hz. Harmonics can occur near 440 Hz, 660 Hz, 880 Hz, and higher multiples, helping distinguish the voice from a guitar playing A3.
An instrument may therefore sound bright even when its fundamental is low. Pitch describes perceived height, while harmonic balance contributes to timbre, or tone color. Explore the distinction in pitch versus timbre.
Why do two instruments mask each other?
Masking occurs when overlapping energy makes one sound harder to hear. A vocal and guitar can compete in the midrange because their harmonics occupy similar areas. Arrangement, panning, or level changes may help before EQ is needed.
How Do You Read an Audio Frequency Chart for EQ?
Use an audio frequency chart to identify a likely area, then listen before changing it. EQ adjusts selected frequencies in decibels; no setting works universally for every voice or instrument.
Locate the issue before cutting or boosting
Describe what you hear—rumble, boom, mud, boxiness, harshness, sibilance, or dullness—then use the chart to find a starting region. Sweep a narrow band temporarily to locate a resonance, then make a smaller adjustment while listening in context.
Avoid treating a chart as a preset. A “mud cut” may remove useful warmth from another recording. Microphone position, room, performance, and arrangement change the result.
Common terms on an EQ chart
Rumble usually points below about 60 Hz, while boom often sits in the bass region. Mud and boxiness are commonly associated with low mids. Harshness may occur in the upper mids or presence range, sibilance often appears in the upper frequencies, and air generally refers to the top end.
These labels overlap. A bright consonant may contain energy across a broad region rather than at one exact frequency.
How Are Frequency, Pitch, and Loudness Different?
Frequency is the number of wave cycles per second, pitch is perceived highness or lowness, and loudness is perceived sound level. Raising frequency generally raises pitch but does not automatically increase loudness.
Amplitude relates to signal level and is commonly expressed in decibels. Because the ear is not equally sensitive at every frequency, a low tone and midrange tone at the same measured level may not seem equally loud.
Each octave doubles the frequency: A4 is 440 Hz under the common concert reference, A5 is 880 Hz, and A3 is 220 Hz. The guide to hertz in music connects measurements to notes, while the frequency range of musical notes places them within the spectrum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the seven main audio frequency ranges?
The seven commonly used ranges are sub-bass, bass, low mids, midrange, upper mids, presence, and brilliance. Their approximate boundaries are 20–60 Hz, 60–250 Hz, 250–500 Hz, 500 Hz–2 kHz, 2–4 kHz, 4–6 kHz, and 6–20 kHz.
Which frequencies are bass, mids, and treble?
A broad three-part division often treats 20–250 Hz as bass, 250 Hz–4 kHz as mids, and 4–20 kHz as treble. Exact boundaries vary because these labels are practical conventions rather than universal standards.
What frequency range contains most human speech?
Human speech contains useful energy from roughly 80 Hz to several kilohertz, with fundamentals in the lower portion and consonant detail extending higher. A narrower band can preserve intelligibility but does not represent natural speech’s full spectrum.
Why do audio frequency charts show different boundaries?
Audio frequency charts use descriptive working zones, and no physical wall separates bass from low mids or presence from brilliance. Authors and engineers choose slightly different boundaries based on whether they are discussing hearing, recording, mixing, instruments, or equipment.
Is frequency the same as pitch?
No. Frequency is a physical measurement in hertz, while pitch is the auditory perception of how high or low a sound seems. They are closely related, but harmonics, context, and human hearing can influence perceived pitch.
What is the difference between a fundamental frequency and a harmonic?
The fundamental is usually the lowest repeating frequency and establishes the perceived musical note. Harmonics occur at whole-number multiples of the fundamental and help create the source’s distinctive tone.
Vincent is a pitch detection and vocal analysis writer at OnlinePitchDetector. He focuses on pitch recognition, vocal frequency analysis, singing tools, and real-time audio testing for singers, musicians, producers, and beginners.