Magic Frequencies for Mixing ELECTRIC GUITARS

Find out exactly where to boost and cut EQ when you're mixing electric guitar - and get bright, defined and up-front tones, without the harshness.
☛ Learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes with my FREE Mixing Cheatsheet: mixcheatsheet.com
Watch This Next: 4 magic frequencies for mixing BASS GUITAR • 4 Magic Frequencies fo...
Music I’ve Worked On: open.spotify.com/playlist/6I7...
Website: hardcoremusicstudio.com
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MY FAVORITE GEAR:
Computer / Interface:
Mac M1 Studio Max sweetwater.sjv.io/anOMOo
Avid Carbon sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQ6M6g
Apogee Duet 3 sweetwater.sjv.io/y2qXqb
Monitors / Headphones:
Avantone CLA-10a sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyMyZ
Audio Technica ATH-M50 sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMON
Microphones:
Shure SM57 sweetwater.sjv.io/daOMy7
AKG D112 sweetwater.sjv.io/Kj0MBy
Sennheiser e604 sweetwater.sjv.io/DKyvWa
Shure SM7b sweetwater.sjv.io/5g5vk3
AKG C451b sweetwater.sjv.io/jre9Rv
Shure SM81 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LnD
Audio Technica AT4050 sweetwater.sjv.io/JzKMqr
Preamps/Outboard:
API 3124 sweetwater.sjv.io/eK1LRD
EL8 Distressor sweetwater.sjv.io/XYmMd4
Favorite Plugins:
BSA Clipper blacksaltaudio.com/clipper
Escalator blacksaltaudio.com/escalator
Low Control blacksaltaudio.com/low-control
Waves SSL Bundle waves.alzt.net/dMd4q
Waves CLA Compressors waves.alzt.net/0va0P
Waves Platinum waves.alzt.net/jxz2M
Slate Trigger 2 sweetwater.sjv.io/MmAM53
SoundToys Rack sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyd
Auto-tune Pro sweetwater.sjv.io/OreMYr
Vocalign Project sweetwater.sjv.io/xkLgyA
Cranesong Phoenix II sweetwater.sjv.io/PyOMrz
Instruments / Amps:
Ludwig Black Beauty Snare sweetwater.sjv.io/1r9vDR
Gibson Les Paul sweetwater.sjv.io/B0nvz1
Evertune Guitars sweetwater.sjv.io/WqyM6P
Fender Jazz Bass sweetwater.sjv.io/nLX5R6
Sansamp Bass Driver DI sweetwater.sjv.io/OreM9Q
EVH 5150 sweetwater.sjv.io/4PGvr9
Mesa 2x12 cab sweetwater.sjv.io/75avGA

[@rome8180]

This is my favorite series on this channel.

[@kylegrossi8175]

Same. I like that he keeps the video clean and to the point. Jordan never over explains, drags on or uses his channel to test his comedy skills. So many other channels ( even outside of the audio production genre ) should take notes.

[@MrBikboi]

@@kylegrossi8175 Agreed these have been immensely helpful with developing my ear.

[@williamsoderlund1404]

Really enjoyed this series! Really helped me getting started and I especially waited for this one. Always struggled with electric guitar to sound the way I want in the mix.

[@mpsounddesign]

This series has been huge in helping me learn and improve my mixes.

[@Jackson-zh2xc]

That 3.5-4.5khz cut was night and day! Love this series. Thanks heaps for the tips… I’ve seen the mix cheat sheet but it helps seeing you run through them!

[@rauslitz2]

Hey, thank you for sharing these tipps and tricks with us! They helped me a lot, my mixes improved because of you! stay awesome!

[@ractorstudios]

When i started mixing i memorized your magic frequency chart. It helped alot. Im still using your snare sample as well for the extra punch.

[@tasteapiana]

It helps to know what frequencies an instrument produces as each instrument will have ranges or individual notes that are weaker or stronger than is typical. For instance, though we use A-440 to tune the 5th string of a guitar that open string does NOT sound a 440hz note, it sounds at 220hz. A-440 on a guitar sounds at the 5th fret of the 1st string. It's like the differences in typical male and female voices, the strongest aspects of males can be at 400hz-750hz and females at 650hz-950hz (everything else is mostly environmental or phenomena of general speech patterns). It helps to know those things. I've seen non-musicians struggle for years until they had memorized not tips and tricks but the nuts and bolts of the actual frequency ranges of the instruments they tend to work with. Even that isn't enough, though, because there WILL be guitars where the pick attack isn't bothersome or beneficial at 5k, rather somewhere between 3.8k and 4.5k. There will be harmonics on certain electric guitars that squeal and whistle up into the 7k-9k range and acoustics with massive issues well above that. That's all before one learns what to cut from a 6 string standard tuned guitar to make it SIT in a mix with a 4 or 5 string electric bass guitar. Without a knowledge of the instruments and what exactly they are putting out - expect long aggravating sessions and/or crushing feedback from whoever reviews your work. I, myself, have gravitated away from traditional voicings of instruments as I no longer believe in norms. I know they exist and are expected but, for instance, in the track you have in this video I wouldn't want to produce another Green Day clone that gets ''accepted'' because it fits a rut in the psyche of pre-Millennials. I would carve that bitch up so that the listener has to guess what is bass and what is guitar, just a wall of strings hits them that is guttural, more like earlier Foo Fighters mixes. Or, I might just chop all guitars at 325hz, leaving a hole from 240hz up to 325hz and notch them at 2.5k (depending upon how the bass responds at those points). If there is a problem then insert a synth or samples via frequency dependent gate. Be artistic, make it pleasing not boring via cramming it into ''expected''. After all, music is supposed to take us away, or PUT US SOMEWHERE SPECIFIC, not just leave us where it found us.

[@audiobunny1767]

Thanks Jordan, your videos have been super helpful and enjoyable to learn from and apply. Hopefully I'll have enough coin to partake in your production course in the near future.

[@shyboy2112]

I'm glad I found this channel, excellent content! A "Magic frequencies" video about synths would also be great! Thanks for the great tips.

[@coreyhanrahan4541]

Thanks a ton, I'm currently working on some guitar and bass tracks and this really made them sound sweet!!

[@sunkmanitu8368]

wouah ! What i learned in 9 minutes ! your video is a very good help for those who are in pain with sitting their guitars in a mix. I'm running to start my daw and apply all these nice advices ! Thanks a lot :)

[@francpavez7396]

ooooh great!!, I was waiting for this video, greetings from Chile 💪

[@defmu3825]

Feels good when you open your own project and the decisions you made for the guitars got confirmed in that video;)

[@michaelbasseyworld6052]

Thank You for these videos. They are very helpful

[@MGCaverly]

Very helpful presentation. Many thanks!

[@edsohovocals]

Another gem. Thanks.

[@thisisflojo]

Thanks, this really help beginners like me to grasp th concept of how to clean and boost the frequency of your instrument and learn to use your ear to mixing instead of using your eyes.

[@BrainDeadTX]

Thank you for the cheat sheet!

[@bryanunderwood]

These magic frequency videos have been so amazing! Can we get one on drum overheads and drum rooms?

[@naughtydonkeyguitars]

I knew a super talented guy named Mike in London, Ontario like 17 years ago that showed me the demo of this song. Glad he finally made it into a record.

[@cmenacez8748]

Love these videos very helpful. It would be awesome to see you run through EQ ing / compressing a full track so we could see how all the instruments EQ setting would relate to one another in physical practice. Or maybe you already have and I haven’t found it? Subscribed today thanks for the good stuff!

[@whitebidenz1069]

Thank you so much for this tutorial 9min but impacted!

[@john-a5472]

I've been using your cheatsheet as a guide for about a month. I was wondering if you do a video like this for acoustic guitars. Thanks

[@Burbah]

Thank you for these easily applicable useful tips. Just wanted to mention that the 5K and 8K boosts were demonstrated here as high shelf boosts and not just a peak at the specific frequency.

[@nxvh9062]

good shout, shelfing high boosts always works better because you don't get weird pitchy high harmonics

[@otp9210]

i love this series

[@mrcvaldivia]

thank you, very helpful

[@filippesta8953]

You are a life saver ✌

[@Badalabandabad]

Hey man, love your videos! I got a question about these tips: I know this is a starting point and it helps a ton, but how do you merge these frequencies with the snare, if they are boosting in the same ranges? How do you find the middle ground between the snare and guitar frequencies? I know a lot comes from listening to them with the whole audio together, but do you go back and forth with those two tracks? Thanks!

[@GCrozariol]

This shows well why we should avoid at all costs not to mix in solo. I really don't like too much how it sounds in solo, but in the context it makes total sense to bump these 1k, 2.5 and 6k frequencies!

[@TutorednoobXD]

I saw a video of Chris Lord Alge , who said the vocal track solo’d may sound overly compressed or not that good , but when you mix it with everything else it works.

[@GCrozariol]

@@TutorednoobXD I over compress my vocals most of the time, and it works like a charm. I go distressor 4:1, SSL 4:1, then 76. It compress the hell out of it but it sounds amazing within the mix haha

[@TutorednoobXD]

@@GCrozariol haha nice that’s a great combination . Need to try the 4:1 back to back ratio and I definitely gotta pick up the distressor now. Cool

[@stevenneufeld3791]

amazing!!

[@GustafWestin]

I use your cheat sheet on a regular basis 🎉

[@iciaussi2454]

i love this song

[@MrJinusean90]

Hey thx for your videos. There is a thing to know about the ssl channel plugin. This waves SSL plugin are emulated from an old SSL E console and the EQ curve for the filters working not right on these consoles. Thats the reason why you have to locut up to 200hz to thin out the lo rumble of the guitar. It means the number of the filterbutton 200hz are in reality at around 150hz. You can check this with a noise generator. But you do it right, because you trust your ears ;-) But its important to know i think. Ah the numbers of the other frequencie bands also are not exactly right.

[@wladdaimpala88]

I usually dial in guitars fairly bright and with plenty of midrange, and find that 2.5k needs attenuating way more often than 3-4k. Especially since people often listen on very small speakers today, that 2.5k noise can be super harsh up close.

[@jeffbridges6110]

Do you have a magic video for cymbals/overheads? That would be great.

[@xsonicassassinx]

the 800hz in this guitar mix is SCREAMING. needs some decongestant

[@dietmarreinsch8702]

Hey, where can I listen to the whole song?

[@josephmurr1977]

I'm curious if there is any benefit to making these boosts and/or cuts elsewhere in the chain for bass or electric guitar such as before or after the preamp using pedals or rackmount eq's.

[@SomedayTomorrow369]

Hey just wanna say a big thanks for all your helpful videos , and I’ve now decided to upload my first song and would love your feedback, keep up the great work 👍🏼👍🏼

[@user-om1dv9lp9x]

Please show equalization method for acoustic guitars. I tried to mix as written here, but frequencies are different.

[@MrNoireclipse]

There's still a crazy hollow frequency that pops way out of the mix on those distorted guitars. Most guitar speakers have a peak around 2.2K that needs taming.

[@FAPMTCProductions]

Nice 👍

[@tim_schols7984]

ACOUSTIC GUITAR NEEEEXT!!!!

[@slash196]

I'll never forget a guitar mixing tip from Andrew Schepps, he said that 2.5k is "where the notes are". On the one hand that's not really an accurate statement, but it somehow has that effect anyway.

[@fantomie7569]

If I Remember correctly he was actually saying about 1.4 k

[@largeuselessness]

i never try to boost any freq between 800hz and 3000hz.... i call these freqs "danger zone" but i think if use it before amp as a preEQ just after clean DI, might get some clarity in another way

[@josealbertoum5149]

I very much needed this. I find guitars the hardest instrument to mix. Too many important frequencies

[@davejohnsonmusic]

For me it's drums and bass, being that you have so many different tracks within one instrument. Guitars are the easiest for me. If the right amp sims have been chosen for the track, they shouldn't be difficult to mix. I spend the most time with the rhythm section. When that's clicking, everything else tends to fall into place.

[@josealbertoum5149]

@@davejohnsonmusic wow that's funny haha I'm totally the other way around. It may be that I do mostly hip hop

[@greggillilan8383]

what band is this? sounds sick!!!

[@matthewheatley1958]

can you please do a video similar to this for mixing clean guitars?

[@matthewheatley1958]

as soon as i commented that he started talking about clean guitars LMAAOOOOO

[@constantinranis]

Very helpful series , but oh man , my ears are so sensitive to that area between 3,5-4,5 K area I can't stop unhear it,not only on my mixes , also on some of my favorite albums.. and because of that I'm not sure if I make right decisions when I clean that area .. sometimes I think I cut too much , same with the honky areas around 700-1,5 K

[@SunsetPunk]

I want to give you my most sincere thank you. This made me go about getting my guitartone in a different way and I finally after years of struggling and being very close, reached the sound I was after. Thank you 🥹

[@denniskielton2447]

Allllright I must kn ow, why are you using the LMF knob to boost a higher frequency than the HMF knob? Does it matter (as in are you doing that intentionally for a purpose, like maybe the green knob is more musical at that frequency or behaves a bit different) or does it not really matter, you're just using the knobs "in order?" Because I've noticed that the green knob has a wider range than the blue, with the same amount of twist you can go from from 3kHz-7kHz with the green knob, but only from 1kHz-2.5kHz with the blue knob. So is there a specific reason you're boosting a lower frequency with the HMF green knob and a higher one with the LMF blue knob, or does it just not really matter as long as you're boosting the correct frequency?

[@greghillmusic]

Are you doing this on one guitar with the plugins linked? I'm not sure how to do that in Logic. Or is it on a bus?

[@robertg3856]

🔥🔥🔥

[@SoundcastStudios]

song name?

[@karasuoficial8558]

Magic frequency for 7 strings and droped guitars pls =D

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

☛ Grab your free Mixing Cheatsheet to learn the go-to starting points for EQ and compression in heavy mixes: www.mixcheatsheet.com

[@efrenhei4902]

it does not work

[@joshuadelaughter7968]

I noticed the piano is missing from this series and your cheat sheet. Some advice on how to EQ that would be really helpful as it covers such a wide frequency range, so I'm never really sure what to do with it, other than an HPF so it doesn't fight with the bass.

[@ManchesterMusic]

Are you using a green-screen?

[@gethrashIN]

LETS GOOO

[@KuhKronus]

I think the real “magic” is just knowing what frequencies adjust certain characteristic of the guitar. That way you know how to get where you wanna be

[@GreyManFaustus]

Please do acoustic guitars, I still suck at those.

[@lespaulsilver182]

what is the name of this song?

[@NONE2NONE]

The thing I hate about the notch technique is when you use it and stream across the different frequencies, everything sounds terrible. So I end up notching everything down and then all the harmonics are gone

[@JoeyFTL]

Is this mix of this song out somewhere? This version sounds bonkers but I can only find versions that sound far inferior

[@hardcoremusicstudio]

No, only my mix from like 2007 is out. A little while ago i loaded it up and partially re-mixed it for fun!

[@JoeyFTL]

@@hardcoremusicstudio sounds absolutely killer man. Is there any hope of uploading it somewhere in full? Also wonder whatever happened to the band. They sound quite solid here.

[@ajay_c21]

@@JoeyFTL name of song and band please!

[@JoeyFTL]

@@ajay_c21 it's Failsafes by Play Oliver

[@ajay_c21]

@@JoeyFTL thankyou sir!

[@Zorgon897]

5:48 avenged sevenfold’s afterlife

[@cf5914]

These EQ tips are good, but the real trick is to apply these moves to things in the center and not as much in the L and R so you can get a "bokeh" effect.

[@nuttavut2528]

🧡

[@Saroar__]

How to clean vocal

[@robertstevens1766]

phase meter

[@TomWillemsGuitars]

I usually cut everything above 8 to 10 kHz

[@StratMatt777]

Wake me up when September ends

[@joesmith5617]

This series transformed my mixes from muddy pieces of shit to clear punchy mixes

[@neilevan7870]

always bass roll off the rhythms to make room for the bass guitar.

[@Ultra7165]

Cindy Lauper Time after Time same notes

[@Jazzguitar00]

Jordan, you are great but those lead guitars were not playing in octaves. 😂😂😂

[@snowandcoal]

There was nastiness also in 2.5k

[@vadsmixinglab11]

Maybe I'm biased but as soon as you pulled up the 2.5Khz I immediately heard that unbearable nastiness of it

[@franckydookie648]

I always thought 1k region were bad

[@davejohnsonmusic]

1-2k brings out that 4/12 cab sound. 1k is essential on bass guitar. I'll also cut that out of cymbals/OH's. 1k is also good to automate on the kick on choruses, just a dB.

[@Kemalbasnr]

My guitars sound like shitty soda can now they sound like beast 👹

[@lovef0rfire]

8k but you go to 6k? Did I see that wrong?

[@jetphone1974]

5 k no way. Tinnitus fertilizer.

[@user-uo2me6jv5x]

ничё не услышал... 🤔

[@josehmecozzi6417]

No no no

[@MaisonLexBeatz]

Am I the only one who doesn't like the tone of these guitars?

[@sqlb3rn]

probably

[@sqlb3rn]

@@DerSilvano right on

[@taylolz]

Kinda tinny. Sounds like a small speaker

[@HughManatea]

Do you think it sounds too tinny soloed ? Or tinny within the context of the mix? Sometimes the tone we want to hear is not what is best for the overall recording.

[@uxartmusicvideo-andphotogr2043]

It's not how guitar itself sounds rather how guitar sounds in mix.

[@BobBob-tt3fe]

First.

[@justinknapp6183]

You hardly even cut any frequencies man, you know how is pros cut frequencies first.

[@rafibloomberg7829]

Guitars are all mids y'all

[@Jayrawk]

Waves plugins are flat and boring. They lack harmonics and depth. Also, waves is a terrible company who tried to screw over their whole customer base and only backtracked to save themselves from the huge backlash. I’d love to hear what your mixes would sound like on actual hardware.

[@rom4486]

Title should be , how I Mix 💩💩 recorded guitars to make them sounds ok in the mix .

[@mtl18]

this could be a comment on any mixing tutorial video- i just happened to put it on yours. What is with the head bopping? EVERY audio engineer who makes a video starts bopping his head when the music starrts. Sorry, but it is annoying to watch after the 1000th time seeing it.

[@shawnmorgan7839]

It makes no sence to use an anlogue eq to demonstrate this because noobs have no idea what youre doing.

[@TrueFallacy]

This is consistent with what I learned in an EQ course, harshness “can” exist in the 4K range, use your ears, solo the band in Pro Q or standard Pro Tools EQ, listen for “whistling” or “annoying frequency buildup”, reset back to unity on all bands to recalibrate your ears > then cut with a bell curve 3dB-6dB, or until harshness/whistling is gone, and you’re left with buttery-ness. 🧈

[@angelbeast8863]

I always cut 3.5K. Nasty noise there

[@ridgieman]

Love this series of videos, especially the kick and bass magic frequencies. Will you do a video on similar distorted guitars mixed with strings (orchestra) I have song where the strings and guitars are equally important in the chorus, but I can't get the balance/ competing frequencies/ placement in the 3d sound field right.