Apply high-pass filtering on lower pads before a bridge
Problem: muddy low end during transitions
Using a high-pass filter on the lower pad before a bridge helps prevent the bass from overpowering the transition. This allows the percussive elements to shine through and creates a clearer space for the upcoming…
Use a high-pass filter on the last half of a bar before a bridge
Problem: lack of dynamic movement in transitions
Applying a high-pass filter on the last half of a bar before a bridge helps create a sense of anticipation and movement. This is especially effective in trance and house, where the use of high-pass filters can help…
Use a high-pass filter at 30Hz on the master track
Problem: unnecessary low-end frequencies affecting mastering
Historically, vinyl records couldn't handle frequencies below 30Hz, and modern mastering avoids them to prevent issues with limiters and playback systems. While inaudible to humans, these frequencies can cause physical…
High-pass sidechain input at 800Hz to avoid low-end muddiness
Problem: muddy low end from sidechain compression
To prevent low-end muddiness in sidechain compression, high-pass the sidechain input at 800Hz. This ensures that only the higher frequencies of the trigger (like a kick drum) are used for compression, avoiding…
Use high-pass and low-end boosts together to tighten and enhance low end
Problem: muddy low end, lack of definition
Applying a high-pass filter at 70Hz while boosting the low end below 16Hz creates a tighter, more defined low-frequency response. This technique allows the low end to remain present while removing unnecessary sub-bass…
High-pass kick mics at 27Hz to eliminate subsonic rumble
Problem: subsonic rumble, speaker vibration
Applying a high-pass filter at 27Hz removes unwanted subsonic frequencies that can't be heard but cause physical vibrations in speakers and mix confusion. This keeps the kick focused on its essential low-mid punch while…
Use a high-pass filter on vocals to remove sub-bass rumble
Problem: vocal muddiness from low-end rumble
The speaker used the R-EQ plugin as a high-pass filter on vocals to eliminate unwanted low-frequency content below 80Hz. This prevents muddiness and ensures vocals sit clearly in the mix. The technique is especially…
High-pass reverb sends for Abbey Road-style clarity
Problem: muddy, undefined reverb tails
High-pass filtering reverb sends (e.g., on a verb lexicon) removes low-frequency muddiness, making the reverb sound cleaner and more defined. This mimics the clarity of Abbey Road's analog reverb units. The technique is…
Mistake: Overusing high-pass filters on every track
Problem: unnatural low-end removal, loss of warmth
Applying high-pass filters universally can remove natural low-end content and phase coherence from sounds. It's better to use them only when there's a specific problem like rumble or low-end clutter. For example, a vocal…
High-pass filter at 240Hz to remove mud from low end
Problem: muddy low end
A high-pass filter at 240Hz is applied to clean up the low end by removing unnecessary sub-bass frequencies that contribute to muddiness. This allows the kick and bass to sit more clearly in the mix without competing for…
Apply high-pass filter at 120Hz on rhythm guitars to remove low-end rumble
Problem: guitar sounds boxy and muddied
A high-pass filter at 120Hz removes unnecessary low-frequency content that can muddy the mix. This is especially important for rhythm guitars in dense arrangements where bass and kick already occupy the low end. The…
Apply high-pass filter at 120Hz on guitar tracks
Problem: muddy guitar low end, frequency masking
Removing sub-bass frequencies below 120Hz prevents muddiness and allows other instruments to occupy the lower frequency range. This is especially important for guitars to avoid clashing with bass or kick drums. The…
Apply high-pass filter to mandolin at 420Hz
Problem: muddy mandolin, low-end clutter
The mandolin's low-end below 420Hz was causing muddiness in the mix. High-pass filtering removes unnecessary low frequencies while preserving the instrument's natural brightness. This is especially important in rock and…
Apply high-pass filter at 70Hz on backing vocals
Problem: muddy vocals, low-end clutter
Removing sub-bass frequencies below 70Hz on backing vocals prevents them from clashing with the low-end of the mix. This keeps the vocals clear and focused while avoiding muddiness. The high-pass filter is applied…
High-pass filter kick and bass for sub clarity
Apply a high-pass filter to the kick and bass to isolate low frequencies, ensuring they blend well with other elements.
Use a high-frequency limiter on the master bus for brightness control
Problem: excessive high-end harshness
Applying a high-frequency limiter (like an acceleration limiter) on the master bus helps manage excessive brightness without affecting the overall dynamic range. This technique prevents harshness while maintaining…
High-pass filter sidechained sub-bass
High-pass filter the sub-bass at 100Hz to remove top end and prevent clicking sounds when sidechaining.
Remove sub-bass frequencies from tracks to avoid conflicts
High-pass filter bass sounds below 80-90 Hz to prevent overlap with a dedicated sub bass track. This allows for louder mixes and masters.
High-pass filter to remove low-end clutter
Problem: low-end masking
Cutting around 60Hz removes competing low frequencies from the noise, preventing muddiness with other bass elements. This ensures clarity in the low end while preserving the noise's character. The cut is subtle to…
Use a high-pass filter on the bass to remove sub-bass clutter
Problem: sub-bass clutter, unclear kick
Applying a high-pass filter (around 40-60Hz) on the bass removes unnecessary sub-bass frequencies that can muddy the mix. This allows the kick's fundamental frequency (typically 60-120Hz) to sit more clearly. The…
High-pass filter sub-bass to clear muddiness
Apply a high-pass filter on the sub-bass to reduce unnecessary low frequencies, helping it blend better with higher layers.
Automate high boost and low cut for dynamics
High-passing and low-cutting dynamically adds excitement and clarity to the sound.
High-pass clap for mid-frequency clearance
Apply high-pass filtering to the clap sound to clear space and avoid cluttering the mix.
Use a high-pass filter on the snare tail for clarity
Problem: snare tail muddies the low end
Apply a high-pass filter to the snare's tail to remove low-frequency muddiness. This ensures the tail doesn't clash with the kick or bass. The technique is essential in genres like techno where low-end clarity is…
High-pass filter for sub-bass clarity
Remove everything below 100Hz to clean up the low end and avoid phase issues.
Use a high-pass filter on non-bass elements
High-pass filtering non-bass elements helps clear up low-end mud and prevents phase cancellation issues.
Avoid overusing high-frequency elements
Problem: cluttered high end
Overusing high-frequency elements can lead to a cluttered and harsh mix. It is important to balance the frequency spectrum by using high-pass filters and EQ to ensure that high-frequency elements do not overpower the…
Use a top kick with high-pass above 100Hz in breaks
Problem: low-end energy lost in breaks, muddy transitions
A top kick removes the sub-bass of the kick while retaining its rhythmic high-end. This keeps the dance floor moving during breaks while reserving low-end energy for the drop. The 100Hz cutoff is a common starting point…
EQ out low end from synths to avoid clashing with kick/bass
Problem: muddy low end, competing frequencies
Calvin applies a high-pass filter at 80Hz on the plucky synth to prevent frequency overlap with the kick and bass. This creates space in the low end while maintaining the synth's presence in the mid-range. The technique…
High-pass EQ can be safe for transients if slope is gentle
Problem: Fear of high-pass EQ damaging transients
Testing 6dB, 12dB, 24dB, and 96dB high-pass slopes on drum transients showed that only the 96dB slope caused noticeable transient loss. Gentle slopes (6-24dB) preserved punch while removing subsonic noise. This…
Mistake: Assuming all high-pass cuts harm transients
Problem: Overcautious EQ usage
The video debunks the myth that high-pass EQ always damages transients. Only aggressive slopes (like 96dB) on relevant frequencies cause issues. Producers often avoid high-pass EQ unnecessarily, leading to muddier mixes…
Concept: High-pass EQ is a tool, not a rule
Problem: Rigid EQ practices
The video reframes high-pass EQ as a flexible tool rather than a rigid technique. Its effectiveness depends on context — slope, frequency range, and source material. This challenges the 'always cut below 100Hz' dogma and…
Frequency content determines high-pass impact
Problem: Unintended high-pass EQ damage
Cutting 100Hz on a hi-hat with a 96dB slope had no audible effect because the hi-hat has no energy below 200Hz. This shows that high-pass EQ's impact depends on the sound's frequency content — cutting frequencies outside…
Linear phase EQs preserve transient timing
Problem: Phase distortion from high-pass EQ
Testing a linear phase high-pass EQ on a hi-hat showed no timing issues despite the 96dB slope. This contrasts with minimum phase EQs, which can cause phase shifts that alter transient timing. Linear phase is safer for…
Remove high-end to eliminate click
Filter out the high end of a sine wave sound to remove clicks and artifacts.
High-pass filter synth riff below 120Hz
Remove low frequencies to avoid mud in the mix and keep clarity.
Use a high-pass filter on mid bass to avoid clashing with sub
Problem: clashing sub and mid bass
Applying a high-pass filter to the mid bass ensures that it doesn't clash with the sub bass. This technique helps maintain clarity in the low end by removing overlapping frequencies. It's a common practice in melodic…
Apply high-pass filtering to high-hats to remove unnecessary low-end
Problem: muddy high-hat frequencies
Cutting low frequencies on high-hats with a high-pass filter removes muddiness and clarifies the upper register. This prevents high-hats from clashing with other elements like snares or bass. The speaker emphasizes this…
Roll off sub-bass below 120Hz for small speaker compatibility
Problem: sub-bass inaudible on small speakers
Sub-bass frequencies below 120Hz are inaudible on most consumer speakers and phones. Cutting this range with a high-pass filter ensures the track translates well on all systems. This is a mastering technique crucial for…
Roll off unnecessary high-end frequencies
Problem: cluttered high end, lack of focus
The speaker mentions that high-end frequencies above 10kHz are often unnecessary and can be rolled off. This helps the mix focus on the important frequency ranges and avoids unnecessary information that can clutter the…
Use a high-pass filter on non-sub-bass elements to avoid muddiness
Problem: muddy or unclear low end
Any bass sound that doesn't need sub-bass energy (like a synth bass) should have a high-pass filter at 30-40Hz to prevent muddying the low end. This keeps the mix clear and allows the true sub-bass elements to sit…
Brick-wall EQ other instruments to free up bass frequencies
Problem: bass masked by chords/pads
The speaker shows how to apply a steep high-pass filter (e.g., 80Hz) to chords and pads to remove low-end content that conflicts with the bass. This creates space for the bass to sit clearly without competing. The…
Use a high-pass filter on vocals to remove sub-bass frequencies below 100Hz
Problem: muddy vocals, low-end clutter
Vocals typically don't contain meaningful sub-bass content below 100Hz, so applying a high-pass filter here removes unnecessary low-end rumble and clutter. This makes the vocal track cleaner and more focused, especially…
Use high-pass filters to remove unnecessary low end
Problem: muddy low end, competing frequencies
Applying a high-pass filter to remove low-end frequencies from non-bass elements (like crashes, hi-hats, and mid-range instruments) helps prevent muddiness and allows the bass and kick to occupy their own frequency…
Apply high-pass filters to all instruments except kick, bass, and sometimes snare
Problem: muddy low end, unclear sub-bass
Most instruments don't need low-frequency content below 120-140Hz, as it doesn't contribute to the mix and can muddy the low end. By applying a high-pass filter to these instruments, you remove unnecessary low-end…