Play Strings frequencies
Pick a band to boost it on the loop. Cut and Solo use the same frequency.
Strings
Where a strings usually needs help
String sections turn harsh in the bow noise and muddy when cellos and violas sit on the same notes as the vocal.
High-pass the section if it is a pad, cut bow grit, and leave the body that makes it sound like wood rather than a synth.
| Frequency | Job | What you are hearing |
|---|---|---|
| 120 Hz | Cello sub | Keep it if the strings are the bass. Cut it if a bass guitar is. |
| 300 Hz | Section mud | Where a big pad piles up under a vocal. |
| 800 Hz | Warmth | The wood. Do not scoop this just to sound 'modern'. |
| 3000 Hz | Bow | Rosiny edge. The first place a string bus gets fatiguing. |
| 10000 Hz | Air | Hall and bow hair. A shelf, used last. |
These are starting points for this instrument, not a preset. The numbers differ from the male vocal 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
Strings EQ questions
What frequency is most important on a strings?
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.