Play Toms frequencies
Pick a band to boost it on the loop. Cut and Solo use the same frequency.
Toms
Where a toms usually needs help
Toms boom in small rooms because their note and a room mode land in the same place, usually 80–200 Hz.
Find each tom's note and keep it. Cut the octave above the note if the drum sounds like a box being kicked.
| Frequency | Job | What you are hearing |
|---|---|---|
| 90 Hz | Floor note | The pitch of a floor tom. Do not high-pass this off. |
| 160 Hz | Rack note | Where rack toms speak. Boost the note, not a wide low shelf. |
| 400 Hz | Cardboard | The ring that makes toms sound small. A narrow cut. |
| 3000 Hz | Attack | Stick definition so fills do not turn to mush. |
| 6000 Hz | Rattle | Hardware and overtones. Usually a cut. |
These are starting points for this instrument, not a preset. The numbers differ from the overheads 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
Toms EQ questions
What frequency is most important on a toms?
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.