Anyone using the Golden Ear CDs to improve their attention to musical detail? I’ve been using it for a few months now, and I LOVE it, seriously.
There’s something crazy-satisfying about hearing more and more nuance in music – like a secret superpower, but y’know, less crime fighting.
It also helps us understand the frequency range of different sounds, so we can make better editing decisions during mixdown and spot problems before they’re printed.
Those CDs are pricey though, so I’m sharing here what to listen for at different frequencies. Like I said, it’s satisfying. You like being satisfied, don’t’cha?
Glossary
Musicians and producers seem to speak their own language when they’re talking about what they hear, don’t they? So I’ve included a list of the terms I’m using below, along with a common definition. Sound good? Let’s go!
Airy: Spacious, like the instrument is in a large reflective space. A pleasing amount of reverb.
Boomy: Usually a result of excessive bass or resonance/reverb around 125 Hz.
Bright: Emphasizing the upper midrange, giving a harder, crisp sound.
Edgy: Too much upper harmonics, sounds harsh or raspy.
Muddy: Not clear. A general lack of detail, usually affecting the 200-350 Hz range.
Tinny: A narrow sound, with weak lows and peaky mids. Often sounds like it’s coming through a telephone or tin can.
Wooly: Weak high frequencies or boomy low frequencies. Sounds like a wool blanket has been drapped over the speakers.
The Frequency Ranges
Okay, let’s take a look at what is most noticeable at each of the ten octaves (at note C) audible to humans:
31 Hz –
This is the extreme lower-end of human hearing. Generally you’re only picking up a rumble at this frequency from the kick and bass.
63 Hz –
The bottom of the kick and bass is much more noticeable here, and can easy overwhelm the bottom of the mix if boosted too much. There may be some tonal “knock” from the kick as well, and even some electric guitar.
125 Hz –
The knock of the kick usually appears here, and the bass is even more present. You may also hear the bottom of other instruments, like the piano, guitar, vocals, and some brass.
Keep in mind that the bottom of an instrument’s range is usually where it sounds the loudest and most boomy.
250 Hz –
A lot of instruments have their fundamental frequencies around here, so it can easily get muddy if those frequencies aren’t rolled off enough. The organ, toms, and vocal “body” are particularly noticeable.
500 Hz –
The saxophone, piano, and organ are all very present in this range, and cutting here tends to bring out the bass more. Bass synths can also have a lot of presence.
Speaking of “presence”, there is often a kind of lower-frequency resonance in this range – cutting here often results in a drier, more distant sound.
1 kHz –
The twang or sawing of stings and the slap of the snare tend to show up here, as does the midrange for many instruments like the organ and synthesizer.
Overboosting in this range creates a tinny effect with vocals.
2 kHz –
Harmonics for higher-pitched instruments increasingly come through at this point, including the piano, flute, synth, and guitar twang or growl. Upper transients in the kick and bass may also appear.
This range is often distinguished by a sense of “hardness” in the vocals, guitar, and piano.
4 kHz –
Boosting this range enhances vocal sibilance and clarity. Upper-range percussive harmonics increasingly come through, especially the snare and cymbal.
Synths, pads, brass and organs sound noticeably brighter when boosted here as well, while cutting too much gives a more wooly quality to the mix.
8 kHz –
At or near the top-end for most instruments, the sparkle or sizzle from the snare, hi hat, cymbal and shakers are all especially present. You might hear the top-end of brighter pads and synths as well.
Boost here to increase a sense of airiness, but careful: Too much can make the sound edgy instead.
16 kHz –
This is the highest octave in the audible range. At this point, very little is heard, except for the topmost sizzle in shakers, cymbals, hi hats, and synths.
Boosting here can add more airiness, but can easily cause listener fatigue if overdone.
And there you have it! Keep in mind that everyone’s ears are slightly different, so what I hear might differ from what you notice at these frequency ranges.
For those of you using Ableton Live who want to practice: I recently put together a patch that randomly boosts and cuts different frequency ranges for any song you like! Going to release a video on my YouTube channel soon so you can make your own. Cheers!
Credits:
Band Members Playing On Stage’ by David Yu from Pexels
‘Bare Feet Coming out of Bed Sheets’ by Anna Shvets from Pexels
‘Man in White Dress Shirt and Black Pants Standing Beside Red Car’ by cottonbro from Pexels
‘Portrait of a Man Looking at the Camera While Holding the Microphone of His Headset’ by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels