Play Cymbals frequencies
Pick a band to boost it on the loop. Cut and Solo use the same frequency.
Cymbals
Where a cymbals usually needs help
Cymbals are not 'the highs'. A ride has a note in the mids, and a crash that is only 10 kHz sounds like noise.
Find the ping of the ride, the wash of the crash, and the harsh slice that makes people turn the chorus down.
| Frequency | Job | What you are hearing |
|---|---|---|
| 200 Hz | Gong wash | Low wash under crashes. High-pass if the toms already own it. |
| 800 Hz | Ride note | The bell and the bow's pitch. Keep this if the groove depends on it. |
| 4000 Hz | Harsh slice | The painful part of a bright crash. Cut before you touch air. |
| 8000 Hz | Shimmer | Sustain of the cymbal. Nice in verses, too much in choruses. |
| 12000 Hz | Air | The very top. A shelf shared with the vocal air. Pick one owner. |
These are starting points for this instrument, not a preset. The numbers differ from the kick drum page because the problems differ. Playback is a peaking filter around +9 dB or −10 dB, or a solo, as described in the methodology.
Other instruments
Hear it in a chart. Train it in the app.
The frequency trainer uses drums, bass, guitars and mixes so the bands on this page show up in daily practice.
Download on theApp Store- EQ & compressionDaily drills on drums, bass, guitars and full mixes.
- Intervals & chordsPiano training that uses the same note names as these pages.
- Studio toolsMetronome, tone generator and tap tempo live in the app too.
Explore the cluster
Keep training & testing
FAQ
Cymbals EQ questions
What frequency is most important on a cymbals?
Start with the fundamental or the mud, not the air. On this page that means reading the first rows of the table and soloing them before you touch a high shelf.
Will these exact numbers fit my recording?
No. Microphones, tunings and arrangements move the resonances. Use the labels to know what you are hunting, then sweep a few semitones either side.
How loud should I listen?
Keep soloed bands at a conversation level. These pages can generate steady tones and noise, which fatigue your ears faster than music. If anything rings or feels uncomfortable, stop and turn the volume down.