It is a rather common tendency that synths sound too bright and sharp. So in order to achieve round and full-body, you should apply a gentle boost somewhere around 100-300 Hz. Regarding saw synths, you should boost them only if you’re sure that it is absolutely necessary. Again, to eliminate muddiness from lead synths, you should apply a high-pass filter around 300-600 Hz. If talking about pluck synths, their range of muddiness is a bit wider than that, and to eliminate these unpleasant frequencies, you have to set up a high-pass filter around 180 Hz to 1 kHz. So in order to make the synth sound less boomy and muddy, you can apply a small cut with a very wide Q somewhere around 200-400 Hz. It’s a well-known fact that the mid-range is the place where all instruments tend to sound rather muddy, synths aren’t an exception. Because leaving those frequencies intact will make atmospheric synthesizers heavy and deep, and by cutting, they will become lighter and more breathable. But with atmospheric synthesizers, you have to choose whether you need low frequencies or not. The same can be done regarding lead synth and synth pads. Saw synths are likely to be muddy most of the time, that is why it’s a great idea to use a high-pass filter to cut all of the unnecessary rumble that lives below 100 Hz. You should tread carefully regarding highs and either cut or boost based on the type of synth that you’re using in the mix. To eliminate any extra brightness and sharpness, you would apply a precise cut around 1-2 kHz with a very narrow Q. Depending on the type of synth, you will get rid of the muddiness that lives somewhere around 180 Hz – 1 kHz. So, it’s a generally good idea to apply a high-pass filter to cut anything under 100 Hz. Each one of them has its own frequency content, therefore needs to be cut and boosted at different frequency ranges. You probably know that there are many types of synths. Aside from applying EQ, there are a few other ways to make synths sound better, alongside with tweaking, usage of compressor, reverb, and choosing between analog and digital synths.

In this article, we hope to provide you with a satisfactory explanation of how to EQ synths in your mixes.īroadly speaking, the way you would EQ your synth would be based on several factors, including your musical idea, genre, and choice of synths.

Mixing synth pads