Enchant Mix Map

Frequency & mixing map

where every source sits in the spectrum ← All tools

Best on a bigger screen

Mix Map spreads voices and instruments across a wide frequency spectrum, with drag to set HPF and LPF filters and side by side masking analysis. That needs room to work, so the interactive map is switched off on phones.

Open it on a laptop or desktop to map your sources.

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Pick a voice or instrument from the left to map it on the spectrum.
Select two or more to analyse masking between them.

The frequency and mixing guide behind Mix Map

Mix Map is a free, interactive frequency chart that shows where every voice and instrument sits across the audible spectrum, from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Pick any source to see its fundamental, harmonics and usable range, recommended high-pass and low-pass filters, compression starting points, and where it masks other sources. Below is the plain-English reference the tool is built on, written by the working AV engineers at Enchant Entertainment.

How to use Mix Map

Pick a voice or instrument. Choose any source from the list on the left, from male and female voices to 50 common instruments. It is mapped onto the spectrum instantly.
Read the bands on the spectrum. Each source shows its fundamental range, its harmonics and its full usable range, so you can see exactly where it lives between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.
Set the high-pass and low-pass filters. Drag the HPF and LPF handles, or type exact frequencies, and Mix Map warns you if a filter is set somewhere that thins the tone.
Add a second source to check masking. Select two or more sources and Mix Map shades where they overlap, scores how much they clash and shows which one owns each part of the range.
Use the starting points. Read the compression and problem-frequency starting points for each source, then click any problem to highlight that exact band on the graph.

The audible spectrum, band by band

Every mixing decision comes down to giving each source room in one of these bands. This is what lives where, and what each range controls.

Sub-bass20-60 Hz

Felt more than heard. Weight and rumble from kick, sub and synth bass. High-pass almost everything else out of here.

Bass60-250 Hz

The foundation of the mix: kick, bass and the lowest notes of guitars and keys. Too much and the mix turns boomy.

Low-mids250-500 Hz

Warmth and body live here, but so does mud. A small cut on the busiest instruments usually clears a cluttered low-mid.

Mids500 Hz-2 kHz

Where most instruments and the body of the voice sit. The honk and box zone. Carving here is how you make room for each source.

High-mids2-6 kHz

Presence, attack and intelligibility. The ear is most sensitive here, so a little goes a long way and too much turns harsh.

Brilliance and air6-20 kHz

Sheen, cymbal shimmer and breath. Sibilance sits around 5-9 kHz, so lift air carefully or use a de-esser.

Instrument and vocal frequency chart

A quick reference for where common sources sit. Fundamentals are the lowest notes a source produces; the character column is where its presence, attack or air lives.

Source	Fundamental	Character lives at	Quick tip
Kick drum	40-100 Hz	beater click 2-4 kHz	Carve 300-500 Hz to remove boxiness, lift the click for cut.
Snare drum	100-250 Hz	crack 3-5 kHz	Body sits at 150-250 Hz, snap up top, air around 8 kHz.
Bass guitar	40-400 Hz	growl 700 Hz-2 kHz	Decide whether the bass or the kick owns the sub, then carve the other.
Electric guitar	80-1300 Hz	presence 2-5 kHz	Dip 2-4 kHz where it masks the vocal.
Acoustic guitar	80-1200 Hz	sparkle 5-10 kHz	Cut boxy 200-400 Hz, lift the air for a recorded sheen.
Piano	28-4200 Hz	presence 2-5 kHz	Very wide range; carve mids to leave room for vocals.
Male vocal	100-520 Hz	presence 2-5 kHz	High-pass around 80-100 Hz, lift presence for intelligibility.
Female vocal	170-1000 Hz	presence 3-6 kHz	High-pass around 100-120 Hz, de-ess 5-9 kHz.
Violin	196-3500 Hz	brilliance 6-10 kHz	Tame harshness at 2-4 kHz when it gets scratchy.
Cello	65-700 Hz	bite 1-4 kHz	Shares low-mids with bass and male voice, so carve to taste.
Trumpet	165-1000 Hz	bite 1.5-4 kHz	Cut 3-5 kHz if it blares.
Saxophone	140-1000 Hz	honk 1-2 kHz	Tame the nasal honk near 1 kHz, keep air at 8 kHz.
Flute	250-2500 Hz	breath 5-8 kHz	Gentle high-pass, keep the air and breath.
Hi-hat and cymbals	low body, energy 300 Hz+	shimmer 8-16 kHz	High-pass 300-500 Hz to clear mud and spill.
Synth bass	30-250 Hz	character varies widely	Sidechain to the kick so the two do not mask.
Synth pad	wide	mids 250 Hz-4 kHz	Carve a hole around the vocal so the pad sits behind it.

What is frequency masking, and how to fix it

Masking is when two sources share the same part of the spectrum so strongly that one hides the other. It is the single biggest reason a busy mix sounds cluttered even when every channel sounds fine on its own. The classic clashes are the kick and bass fighting under 100 Hz, a vocal and electric guitar both pushing 2-4 kHz, two guitars stacked in the mids, and a snare cutting across the vocal. Mix Map shades these overlaps for any two sources and scores how much they clash. The four ways to fix masking are: carve a small EQ dip in the less important source where they overlap, use sidechain compression so one ducks under the other, pan them apart, or change the arrangement so they do not play in the same register at the same time.

Common problem frequencies

When something sounds wrong, it is usually one of these ranges. Reach for a narrow cut here first.

Rumble and pops below 40 HzStage rumble and mic pops. High-pass it out of everything that has no real sub.
Boom 60-120 HzToo much weight. Tighten with a small cut or a faster bass envelope.
Mud 200-400 HzLow-mids of many sources stacking up. The first place to look when a mix sounds cluttered.
Boxy 300-600 HzCardboard or cupped tone, common in untreated rooms and close mics.
Nasal honk 800 Hz-1.5 kHzHonky, telephone-like tone on voices, guitars and brass.
Harsh 2-5 kHzFatiguing edge. The ear is most sensitive here, so cut gently.
Sibilance 5-9 kHzHard S and T sounds on vocals. Use a de-esser or a dynamic cut.
Brittle and fizz 10 kHz and upThin, glassy top. Pull back the air or roll off a touch.

Frequency and mixing FAQ

What is the frequency range of human hearing?

A healthy young adult hears roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz. The low end is felt as much as heard and the top end drops with age. Almost all musical energy and every bit of speech intelligibility sits between about 80 Hz and 8 kHz.

Where does the human voice sit in the frequency spectrum?

Sung and spoken voices have fundamentals from about 85 Hz on a low male voice up to around 1 kHz on a high female or child voice. The harmonics and consonants that carry intelligibility reach up to 12-16 kHz, and the clarity or presence of a voice lives around 2-5 kHz.

What is frequency masking?

Masking is when two sources share the same part of the spectrum so strongly that one hides the other. A bass guitar and a kick drum both sitting at 60-100 Hz, or a vocal and a guitar both at 2-4 kHz, fight for the same space and the mix loses clarity. Mix Map shades these overlaps and scores how much two sources clash.

What frequencies make a mix sound muddy?

Muddiness usually builds up between 200 Hz and 400 Hz, where the low-mids of many instruments stack on top of each other. Boxiness sits a little higher, around 300-600 Hz. A gentle cut in those ranges on the busiest instruments normally clears it.

How do I stop the kick and bass clashing?

Decide which one owns the sub below about 80 Hz and which owns the punch from 80-150 Hz, then carve a small dip in the other so they interlock. Sidechain compression or careful EQ keeps them from masking each other.

What is a high-pass filter and when should I use one?

A high-pass filter removes everything below a set frequency. Use it to clear rumble, handling noise and stage spill from sources that have no real low end, such as vocals, hi-hats and guitars, so the kick and bass own the bottom of the mix.

Is Mix Map free to use?

Yes. Mix Map is completely free, with no login and nothing to install. It runs entirely in your browser.

Does Mix Map work on a phone?

The interactive spectrum is built for a desktop or laptop screen, where there is room to read the bands and drag the filters. This written guide is readable on any device, and you can open the full tool on a larger screen.

Hire the gear, run by our crew

Mix Map is built by Enchant Entertainment, a Kwinana-based sound, lighting and event production company serving Perth and regional WA since 2018. If you are planning a live event, we hire and operate the gear that makes these frequencies behave:

PA system hire Perth for clean, even coverage at any scale.
Line array hire Perth for festivals and large rooms.
Stage lighting hire Perth and lighting design.
Full event production across Perth and WA.

More free tools: sound coverage planner, room to PA recommender, dB and watts converter, and the full AV calculator set.

Planning a real event in Perth or WA?

Mix Map is built by Enchant Entertainment. We design, supply and operate sound, lighting and vision for festivals, corporate events, weddings and live shows.

Visit enchantent.com.au →

Mix Map by Enchant Entertainment, a visual reference for where sources sit in the frequency spectrum, with commonly-cited filter and compression starting points and masking analysis.

Frequency ranges and settings are typical, commonly-cited starting points for guidance and learning, not absolute rules. Every source, room, mic and arrangement differs; always trust your ears. The clarity score and masking severity are indicative heuristics, not measurements of your actual audio.