Audio Frequency Range Reference: Bands, Hz Chart & Uses
Overview
Audio Frequency Range Reference. The Audio Frequency Range Reference turns the audible spectrum into something you can actually hear, not just read: click any band — Sub-Bass through Ultra-High — and you'll hear a representative tone while the page tells you which instruments, voices, and common problems live in that range. Below the map, a quick-reference panel shows exactly where a male voice, a female voice, a piano, and a cymbal's shimmer sit on the same 20Hz–20kHz scale. Run the binaural beats generator online whenever you need a fresh signal — it works offline once loaded.
This audio frequency range reference maps everything you can hear, from a 20 Hz rumble to a 20,000 Hz shimmer, onto seven named bands. Human hearing responds to pitch, and each band changes how a piece of music feels, which is why music production starts with knowing them. Use the chart below to find the band, its Hz limits and its typical character in seconds.
Audio Frequency Range Reference Chart for Seven Bands
The audio spectrum is the span of vibrations that people can hear, measured in hertz (Hz). The accepted audible frequency range runs from 20 Hz to 20 kHz (20,000 Hz), and engineers split the audio frequency ranges into seven frequency bands so they can talk about a mix precisely. These 7 frequency ranges cover all musical instruments, from tuba to piccolo, and every sound they make. Many guides also list a pre-band below 20 Hz, but nothing useful is reproduced there. Use the free use your phone as a microphone whenever you want a fast, repeatable way to confirm this.
| Band | Range | Character | Typical sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-bass | 20 to 60 Hz | Felt more than heard | Kick drum fundamentals, synth subs |
| Bass | 60 to 250 Hz | Fatness and warmth | Bass guitar, toms, low piano notes |
| Low mids | 250 to 500 Hz | Body, boxiness | Snare body, guitars, cello |
| Midrange | 500 Hz to 2 kHz | Prominence, honk | Horns, lead guitar, speech |
| High mids | 2 to 4 kHz | Attack, edge | Vocals, percussion transients |
| Presence | 4 to 6 kHz | Clarity, closeness | Snare crack, consonants |
| Brilliance | 6 to 20 kHz | Air, sparkle | Cymbals, hi-hats, breath |
Treat the edges as soft: one band blends into the next, and different audio spectrum chart sources shift a boundary by a few hundred hertz. Each octave doubles the pitch, so the top two bands cover the same musical distance as the lower five combined in hertz terms but fewer notes.
Bass Bands of the Audible Frequency Spectrum
The lowest two bands carry the power of a track. Because the ear is least sensitive below 100 Hz, this sound must be loud before you notice it, which is why people say it is more felt than heard. A bass guitar's lowest string sits near 41 Hz, and a kick drum's fundamentals usually land between 50 and 100 Hz. Use the no sound troubleshooting guide any time you need a quick answer instead of guessing.
Sub-Bass: 20 to 60 Hz
The sub-bass adds weight to dance music and film scores. Small speakers and headphones cannot reproduce much of this sub layer, and the Fletcher Munson curves, also known as the equal-loudness contour, show why it vanishes at low volume. Too much sub energy makes the sound muddy and eats headroom, while too little leaves the low-end weak. A high-pass filter on tracks that do not need it removes rumble, and monitor speakers with a real low-end response keep you honest.
Next up is the bass band itself, from 60 to 250 Hz. This is where the fundamentals of the rhythm section live: the kick drum and bass guitar must share it without masking each other. Frequencies around 60 to 150 Hz centre the bass, while 150 to 250 Hz adds warmth. A boost here makes sound fatter, but too much turns boomy, and cutting too deep leaves the mix thin. Distortion appears when signal below the speaker's physical limits is pushed anyway, so check the low end on more than one playback system.
Midrange Bands from 500 Hz to 2 kHz in the Audio Spectrum
The middle of the audio spectrum is where most instruments, vocals and speech sit, and the human voice is especially easy to judge here. A small error in this area is obvious to every listener, so work gently. The midrange determines how prominent a part is, and the low mids beneath it give body.
Low Mids: 250 to 500 Hz
Sometimes called the low midrange, this region holds the low-order harmonics of most instruments. Excess energy sounds boxy or muffled, and a mix that lacks it turns hollow. Many songs sound muddy because everything piles up here, which is why this is the bass presence range for most instruments. Scoop a little from guitars and pads, and add a touch of clarity to the bass by lifting around 300 Hz.
Above it, the midrange from 500 Hz to 2 kHz gives instruments their prominence. A boost near 1 kHz gives the sound a horn-like honking quality, and too much of it sounds tinny and nasal on vocals. Try cutting rather than boosting; a narrow EQ cut near 1 to 2 kHz can calm a nasal tone and make room for the vocals. The snare and guitar both rely on this band for punch and bite, so decide which one should lead before you touch the equalization.
Presence and Brilliance: Hearing Range Highs From 4 kHz to 6 kHz
The upper bands decide whether a mix feels close, bright and detailed. Human hearing is at its most sensitive between about 1 and 6 kHz, so small moves have large effects.
High Mids: 2 to 4 kHz
The upper midrange, or high mids, controls the attack of drums and the edge of vocals. Boosting around 3 kHz lets a part jump forward, yet too many of these frequencies sound harsh and tire the listener quickly. Cutting guitars at 3 kHz is a classic way to carve out room for a lead voice.
The presence band, 4 to 6 kHz, supplies clarity and definition. Lift it and the sound feels closer; cut it and they drift away, soft and transparent. It is also where most home stereos centre their treble control. Beyond it, take care with sibilance on vocals, which peaks between roughly 6 and 10 kHz.
Brilliance: 6 to 20 kHz
Everything in the brilliance band is harmonics. It provides the sparkle on cymbals and hi-hats and the air around a voice. A high shelf above 12 kHz can add polish to the sound, but it also exposes hiss and causes ear fatigue and listener fatigue when overdone. Test pure tones with a sine wave sweep: a 1 kHz sine wave sounds neutral, while a 10 kHz sine wave reveals how much treble your hearing, age and speakers allow.
Audible Range Limits: Infrasonic, Ultrasonic and Age
Sound below 20 Hz is called infrasonic and above 20 kHz ultrasonic. A pipe organ reaches into the infrasonic zone, and a dog hears well past 40 kHz, but most adults lose the top of the audio frequency spectrum as they age. Treat 20 kHz as a ceiling for young ears, not a promise. Wavelength shrinks as pitch rises, following
$$\lambda = \frac{v}{f}$$
where \(v\) is the speed of sound, about 343 m/s in air. At 20 Hz the wavelength is roughly 17 m; at 20 kHz it is under 2 cm. The frequency regions in between also differ by timbre: the fundamental of a flute and a piano can match, yet every harmonic above it differs, so the same note still sounds different.
Why Frequency Ranges Matter When You Mix
Knowing each band lets you diagnose a problem by ear before you reach for a plugin. A producer or mix engineer doing the mixing can then fix it with one move instead of five.
- Boomy or muddy: too much energy between 60 and 500 Hz.
- Thin: not enough bass or low-mid frequency content.
- Harsh or tiring: excess frequency energy in the high mids.
- Dull: a sound that lacks presence and air.
Pair the chart with daily ear training: sweep a narrow boost across a mix, name the band you hear, then check it with spectrum analysis. Each frequency range rewards practice, and every frequency range reference like this one becomes more useful once your ears agree with the numbers. Keep the equalization subtle, and always judge the final mix at a sensible volume.