A Beginner’s Guide To Using EQ’s In The Mix

EQ’s- those little dials in the centre of the mixer. Whilst they can seem overwhelming when you start out as a DJ, they really don’t need to be and by the end of this guide, you will have greater knowledge and be able to use the EQ’s with greater confidence, enhancing your DJ mixes.

What those 3 dials do….

The majority of DJ mixers come with a 3 band EQ (some high end models have 4 but unless you are playing some of the biggest venues and festivals in the world, its unlikely you’ll come across these). The bottom dial is always the low end frequencies or the bass. The middle dial controls (you guessed it) the mid-range frequencies. Typically a lot of melodies and vocals sit here. Finally the top dial will control your high-end frequencies, so think hi-hats and that crispy detail in the sound.

Turning the dial to right/ clockwise boosts the frequency whist turning it to the left/ anti-clockwise cuts out the frequency, even potentially removing it completely in its left most position.

So how should you use them?

When it comes to mixing and adjusting EQ’s, there is no scientific right or wrong way. You really need to focus on how things sound and concentrate on how the sound either improves or worsens when adjusting EQ’s in the mix. Here are some top tips which you can try today to help you to improve your sound and ultimately improve your mixes.

Bass

This is probably the EQ that is adjusted the most by DJs and if you are playing tracks with strong bass/ heavy kicks, then rarely will it sound good if they are both in the mix together. If you don’t remove any low frequency when 2 tracks are playing simultaneously it will sound muddy as the frequencies fight each other.

When mixing have the bass of track 1 or track 2 playing but not together. The majority of DJ’s will ‘bass swap’ during the mix from the outgoing track into the incoming track.

Mids

Most of the melodies and vocals sit in this range. If things start to sound crowded in the mix and you are already adjusting the bass, then the chances are, that you need to make some adjustments to the mid range. Reducing the mids on tracks when playing together can provide a bit of space in the mix overall letting each track breathe.

Top Tip- it’s best to avoid vocals over vocals entirely. It rarely sounds good when overlapping vocals and will confuse your dance floor. Adjusting the mid EQ can help but typically won’t remove a vocal entirely like when using STEMs.

Highs

Typically the EQ which is probably used the least and rarely needs boosting. If you add highs into the mix, it will increase the crispness of the sound however it is a fine balance as too many high frequencies in the mix will make the sound too harsh and not pleasant to the ear.

A little goes a long way with high frequencies for sure!