EQ Presets Guide: Understanding Your Audio

Preset Deep Dives

1. Flat

Purpose: Neutral baseline with no colouration

Best for: - Reference listening - Testing audio systems - Starting point for custom presets - Hearing audio as it was mixed

Band count: 10

What It Does

The Flat preset leaves all frequencies untouched at 0 dB. This gives you the most accurate representation of your audio source without any colouration or enhancement.

Use this when you want to hear music or content exactly as it was recorded and mixed, or when you need a neutral starting point for creating your own custom EQ curve.

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xychart-beta
    title "Flat EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [31, 63, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000, 16000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -1 --> 1
    line [0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]

Usage Tips

Best with: - High-quality source material - Reference monitoring - Audio production work - Comparing different audio systems

Avoid with: - N/A (flat is always a valid choice)

Common modifications: - Use as starting point for custom presets - Add small adjustments to taste (e.g., +2 dB at 8 kHz for more air)

2. Bass Boost

Purpose: Add deep, punchy bass without muddiness

Best for: - Hip-hop and rap - EDM and electronic music - Action movies and gaming - Bass-heavy genres - Speakers/headphones with good bass response

Band count: 12

What It Does

The Bass Boost preset enhances low frequencies to give your audio more impact and depth. It focuses on the “punch” frequencies (around 60-100 Hz) that you feel in your chest, while carefully controlling the low-midrange to prevent the sound from becoming muddy or boomy.

The curve uses a combination of low shelf filters and surgical parametric EQ to create tight, focused bass rather than a broad, muddy boost. A subtle cut in the low-mids (400 Hz) prevents bass buildup from bleeding into the midrange.

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xychart-beta
    title "Bass Boost EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [25, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 400, 630, 1000, 2500, 6300, 12000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 10
    line [4, 6, 8, 7, 4, 1, -1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Bass-capable speakers or headphones - Genres that rely on low-end impact - Movies and games with action sequences - Music that needs more “weight”

Avoid with: - Already bass-heavy content (risk of muddiness) - Small speakers that can’t reproduce low frequencies - Audiobooks or podcasts (vocals will sound boomy) - Bass-weak headphones (will sound thin, not punchy)

Common modifications: - Want less bass? Reduce bands 2-4 by 2-3 dB - Want deeper bass? Increase band 1 to +6 dB - Too muddy? Increase the cut at band 7 to -2 dB - Want more punch? Increase band 3 to +10 dB

3. Treble Boost

Purpose: Add brightness, clarity, and air without harshness

Best for: - Classical and orchestral music - Acoustic music - Podcasts and audiobooks - Older recordings that sound dull - Small speakers that lack treble

Band count: 10

What It Does

The Treble Boost preset enhances high frequencies to add brightness, clarity, and “air” to your audio. It focuses on the presence region (2-6 kHz) where clarity and definition live, while using a high shelf to add sparkle and space above 10 kHz.

The curve is carefully shaped to avoid harshness by using gradual transitions and avoiding excessive boost in the sibilance range (5-8 kHz). A subtle cut at 500 Hz reduces boxiness and prevents the boosted highs from sounding disconnected.

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    xyChart:
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        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Treble Boost EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [80, 200, 500, 1000, 1600, 2500, 4000, 6300, 10000, 16000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 7
    line [0, 0, -1, 0, 2, 4, 6, 5, 4, 3]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Classical and acoustic music - Podcasts and audiobooks - Older recordings that sound “dull” - Small speakers or earbuds - Music that needs more “life”

Avoid with: - Already bright or harsh content - Recordings with excessive sibilance - Low-quality MP3s (will reveal artifacts) - Bright headphones (risk of harshness)

Common modifications: - Too bright? Reduce bands 7-8 by 2-3 dB - Want more air? Increase band 10 to +5 dB - Too harsh? Reduce band 8 to +3 dB - Need more warmth? Increase band 2 to +2 dB

4. Vocal Presence

Purpose: Make vocals cut through clearly with enhanced intelligibility

Best for: - Podcasts and audiobooks - Voice calls and video conferencing - Vocal-heavy music - Dialogue in movies - Any content where speech clarity matters

Band count: 14

What It Does

The Vocal Presence preset is designed to make speech and vocals clear, present, and easy to understand. It uses a high-pass filter to remove low-frequency rumble, surgical cuts in the low-mids to reduce boominess, and precise boosts in the presence frequencies (1-4 kHz) where vocal clarity lives.

This is the most surgical of all presets, using 14 bands with narrow bandwidths to precisely shape the frequency response for optimal speech intelligibility.

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    xyChart:
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        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Vocal Presence EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [50, 80, 125, 200, 315, 500, 800, 1250, 2000, 3150, 5000, 8000, 12000, 16000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -9 --> 7
    line [-8, -6, -4, -2, 0, 1, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 0]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Podcasts and audiobooks - Voice calls and video conferencing - Dialogue-heavy content - Vocal-heavy music - Any content where speech clarity is critical

Avoid with: - Bass-heavy music (will sound thin) - Electronic music (removes the “weight”) - Content with significant low-frequency effects - Music where bass instruments are important

Common modifications: - Too thin? Reduce the cuts at bands 2-3 - Need more warmth? Increase band 6 to +2 dB - Too harsh? Reduce band 9 to +4 dB - Sibilance issues? Reduce band 11 to +1 dB

5. Loudness

Purpose: Compensate for human hearing sensitivity at low volumes

Best for: - Night listening at low volumes - Quiet environments - Background music - Any low-volume listening scenario

Band count: 10

What It Does

The Loudness preset implements the classic “Fletcher-Munson” compensation curve. Human ears are less sensitive to bass and treble at low volumes, so this preset boosts both ends of the frequency spectrum to restore the perceived balance.

The result is a “smile curve” (boosted lows and highs) that makes low-volume listening sound more natural and full, rather than thin and mid-heavy.

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    xyChart:
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        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Loudness EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [32, 50, 80, 125, 200, 500, 1000, 2500, 6300, 12000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -1 --> 9
    line [6, 8, 6, 3, 1, 0, 0, 2, 4, 5]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Low-volume listening (night mode) - Quiet environments (office, library) - Background music - Small speakers at low volumes - Any scenario where you can’t turn up the volume

Avoid with: - Normal or loud volumes (will sound boomy and harsh) - Already bass-heavy or bright content - High-quality monitoring at normal volumes

Common modifications: - Too much bass? Reduce bands 2-3 by 2-3 dB - Too bright? Reduce band 10 to +3 dB - Need more presence? Increase band 8 to +3 dB - For very low volumes, increase all boosts by 2-3 dB

6. Acoustic

Purpose: Warm, natural sound for acoustic instruments and vocals

Best for: - Acoustic guitar and piano - Singer-songwriter music - Folk and country - Unplugged performances - Any acoustic or organic music

Band count: 11

What It Does

The Acoustic preset creates a warm, natural tone that enhances the organic character of acoustic instruments. It adds warmth in the low-mids, a subtle scoop in the midrange for clarity, and gentle presence in the upper-mids for definition.

The curve uses wide bandwidths and shelf filters to create smooth, musical transitions that sound natural rather than processed.

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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Acoustic EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [50, 80, 125, 200, 315, 500, 800, 1250, 2000, 3150, 8000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 4
    line [3, 2, 1, 0, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Acoustic guitar and piano - Singer-songwriter music - Folk, country, and Americana - Unplugged and live recordings - Any organic, natural music

Avoid with: - Electronic and synthesized music - Heavy rock and metal - Bass-heavy genres - Music that needs aggressive character

Common modifications: - Want more warmth? Increase band 1 to +5 dB - Too muddy? Increase the cut at band 5 to -2 dB - Need more clarity? Increase band 9 to +5 dB - Want more air? Increase band 11 to +3 dB

7. Rock

Purpose: Aggressive, punchy sound with scooped mids

Best for: - Classic rock and hard rock - Metal and heavy music - Alternative and punk - Any aggressive guitar-driven music

Band count: 12

What It Does

The Rock preset creates the classic “V-shaped” or “scooped mid” EQ curve that’s characteristic of rock and metal music. It boosts the lows for punch and weight, cuts the midrange for clarity and aggression, and boosts the highs for bite and edge.

This curve mimics the natural EQ curve of high-gain guitar amplifiers and creates the aggressive, in-your-face sound that rock music is known for.

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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Rock EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [40, 80, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 1600, 2500, 4000, 6300, 10000, 14000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -5 --> 7
    line [4, 6, 4, 1, -2, -4, -3, 0, 3, 5, 4, 2]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Classic rock and hard rock - Metal and heavy music - Alternative and punk - Guitar-driven music - Aggressive, powerful content

Avoid with: - Jazz and classical - Acoustic music - Electronic music (use Electronic preset instead) - Music that needs warmth and smoothness

Common modifications: - Want more aggression? Increase the mid scoop to -6 dB - Too scooped? Reduce the cuts at bands 6-7 - Need more punch? Increase band 2 to +8 dB - Too harsh? Reduce band 10 to +3 dB

8. Electronic

Purpose: Tight bass and bright highs for modern electronic music

Best for: - EDM and techno - House and trance - Dubstep and bass music - Any electronic dance music

Band count: 13

What It Does

The Electronic preset is designed for modern electronic music, with very tight, focused bass and bright, present highs. It uses surgical EQ with narrow bandwidths to create the precise, controlled sound that electronic music demands.

The curve emphasizes the “drop” frequencies (50-80 Hz) for bass impact and the “presence” frequencies (3-5 kHz) for clarity and energy.

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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
---
xychart-beta
    title "Electronic EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [30, 50, 80, 125, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3150, 5000, 8000, 12000, 16000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 8
    line [4, 7, 5, 2, -1, -1, 0, 1, 3, 5, 4, 3, 2]

Usage Tips

Best with: - EDM and techno - House and trance - Dubstep and bass music - Electronic dance music - Club and festival music

Avoid with: - Acoustic music - Jazz and classical - Rock (use Rock preset instead) - Music that needs warmth and smoothness

Common modifications: - Want more bass? Increase band 2 to +9 dB - Too bright? Reduce band 10 to +3 dB - Need more sub? Increase band 1 to +6 dB - Bass too tight? Increase bandwidth at band 2 to 1.0

9. Jazz

Purpose: Warm, smooth sound for classic jazz

Best for: - Classic and modern jazz - Blues and soul - R&B and funk - Any music that needs warmth and smoothness

Band count: 10

What It Does

The Jazz preset creates a warm, smooth tone that’s perfect for jazz and related genres. It emphasizes the warm frequencies (125-500 Hz) while keeping the highs smooth and gentle rather than bright and harsh.

The curve uses wide bandwidths and subtle adjustments to create a natural, organic sound that enhances the warmth and richness of jazz recordings.

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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
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xychart-beta
    title "Jazz EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [63, 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3150, 5000, 8000, 12000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 3
    line [2, 2, 1, 2, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0, -1]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Classic and modern jazz - Blues and soul - R&B and funk - Any music that needs warmth - Vintage recordings

Avoid with: - Electronic music - Rock and metal - Music that needs brightness and edge - Modern pop and hip-hop

Common modifications: - Want more warmth? Increase band 4 to +4 dB - Too warm? Reduce bands 2-4 by 1 dB - Need more presence? Increase band 7 to +2 dB - Want vintage sound? Increase the cut at band 10 to -2 dB

10. Podcast

Purpose: Optimised for spoken word content

Best for: - Podcasts - Audiobooks - Voice calls and video conferencing - Any speech-only content

Band count: 12

What It Does

The Podcast preset is specifically designed for spoken word content. It uses an aggressive high-pass filter to remove rumble, surgical cuts in the low-mids to reduce boominess, precise boosts in the presence frequencies for clarity, and a subtle cut in the sibilance range to reduce harsh “s” sounds.

This is the most speech-optimised preset, focusing entirely on intelligibility and clarity.

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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
---
xychart-beta
    title "Podcast EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [60, 100, 180, 300, 600, 1000, 2000, 4000, 6000, 8000, 10000, 14000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -11 --> 6
    line [-10, -6, -3, 0, 1, 3, 5, 4, -1, 0, 1, 0]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Podcasts and audiobooks - Voice calls and video conferencing - Speech-only content - Dialogue in videos - Any content where speech clarity is critical

Avoid with: - Music (will sound thin) - Content with significant low-frequency effects - Bass-heavy content - Music where instruments matter

Common modifications: - Too thin? Reduce the cuts at bands 1-2 - Sibilance issues? Increase the cut at band 9 to -2 dB - Need more warmth? Increase band 5 to +2 dB - Too harsh? Reduce band 7 to +3 dB

11. Classical

Purpose: Neutral, refined sound for orchestral music

Best for: - Orchestral and symphonic music - Chamber music - Solo classical instruments - Opera and choral music

Band count: 9

What It Does

The Classical preset provides a very neutral, refined response that’s perfect for classical music. It makes only the subtlest adjustments—a touch of warmth in the lows and a gentle smoothness in the highs—to enhance the natural beauty of acoustic instruments without colouring the sound.

This is the most neutral preset after Flat, designed to preserve the authentic character of classical recordings.

---
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    xyChart:
        width: 600
        height: 300
---
xychart-beta
    title "Classical EQ Curve"
    x-axis "Frequency (Hz)" [50, 125, 315, 800, 2000, 5000, 8000, 12000, 16000]
    y-axis "Gain (dB)" -2 --> 2
    line [1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, -1]

Usage Tips

Best with: - Orchestral and symphonic music - Chamber music and solo instruments - Opera and choral music - Any acoustic classical recording - High-quality audio systems

Avoid with: - Bass-heavy genres - Electronic music - Rock and pop - Music that needs enhancement

Common modifications: - Want more warmth? Increase band 1 to +2 dB - Too bright? Increase the cut at band 9 to -2 dB - Need more presence? Increase band 6 to +2 dB - For very neutral sound, use Flat preset instead

Frequency Range Reference

Instrument Frequency Chart

Frequency Range Quick Guide

Glossary of Audio Terms

Bandwidth: The range of frequencies affected by an EQ band, measured in octaves. Narrow bandwidth (0.7-0.9) = precise, surgical control. Wide bandwidth (1.1-1.5) = smooth, musical sound.

Boominess: Excessive low-mid frequencies (200-400 Hz) that make sound muddy and unclear. Often caused by room acoustics or excessive bass boost.

Boxiness: A hollow, “boxy” sound caused by excessive frequencies around 400-800 Hz. Common in small rooms or poorly recorded audio.

Clipping: Digital distortion that occurs when audio levels exceed 0 dB. Prevented by reducing input gain when boosting frequencies.

Complementary EQ: Technique where boosts in one frequency range are balanced by cuts in another. Used to prevent frequency buildup.

Fletcher-Munson Curve: Scientific principle that human ears are less sensitive to bass and treble at low volumes. The “Loudness” preset compensates for this.

Fundamental Frequency: The lowest frequency of a sound, which determines its pitch. For example, A4 on a piano has a fundamental of 440 Hz.

Harmonics: Frequencies above the fundamental that give instruments their unique tone. Also called overtones.

High-Pass Filter: EQ that removes frequencies below a cutoff point. Used to clean up rumble and low-frequency noise. Also called “low-cut.”

High Shelf: EQ that boosts or cuts all frequencies above a certain point, with a gradual transition. Used for broad treble adjustments.

Low Shelf: EQ that boosts or cuts all frequencies below a certain point, with a gradual transition. Used for broad bass adjustments.

Mud: Boomy, unclear sound typically caused by excessive buildup in the 200-400 Hz range. The most common EQ problem.

Nasal: A honking, “nose-like” quality caused by excessive frequencies around 800-1500 Hz.

Octave: A doubling of frequency. For example, 100 Hz to 200 Hz is one octave. Bandwidth is measured in octaves.

Parametric EQ: The most versatile EQ type, allowing control of frequency, gain, and bandwidth independently.

Presence: The quality that makes sounds “cut through” a mix. Typically associated with frequencies around 2-4 kHz for vocals.

Q Factor: Technical measure of bandwidth. Higher Q = narrower bandwidth. Q = centre frequency ÷ bandwidth (in Hz).

Resonance: A peak in frequency response, often unwanted. Can cause harshness or “ringing” in audio.

Sibilance: Harsh “s” and “sh” sounds in vocals, typically around 5-8 kHz. Can be reduced with careful EQ.

Shelf EQ: EQ that creates gradual transitions above (high shelf) or below (low shelf) a frequency point. More natural-sounding than parametric for broad adjustments.

Surgical EQ: Precise, narrow-bandwidth EQ used to target specific problem frequencies. Opposite of “broad” or “musical” EQ.

Warmth: A pleasant, full sound associated with boosted low-mids (100-300 Hz). Opposite of “thin” or “bright.”

Customization Tips

Common Adjustments

“I want more bass” - Start with Bass Boost preset - Increase bands 2-4 (40-100 Hz) by 2-3 dB - If muddy, increase cut at band 7 (400 Hz) to -2 dB

“I want more clarity” - Start with Treble Boost or Vocal Presence preset - Increase bands around 2-4 kHz by 2-3 dB - If harsh, reduce boost at 5-8 kHz

“The sound is too muddy” - Cut frequencies around 200-400 Hz by 2-4 dB - Use narrow bandwidth (0.8-0.9) for surgical control - Consider high-pass filter at 80-100 Hz

“The sound is too harsh” - Cut frequencies around 4-6 kHz by 2-3 dB - Use narrow bandwidth (0.8) to target harshness - Check for sibilance at 5-8 kHz

“Vocals aren’t clear enough” - Start with Vocal Presence or Podcast preset - Boost around 2-3 kHz by 2-4 dB - Cut low-mids (200-400 Hz) by 2-3 dB - Add high-pass filter at 80-100 Hz

“I want more warmth” - Boost frequencies around 100-300 Hz by 2-3 dB - Use wide bandwidth (1.2-1.4) for natural sound - Start with Jazz or Acoustic preset

When to Modify vs. Create New

Modify existing preset when: - You like the overall character but want small tweaks - The preset is 80% right for your needs - You’re making temporary adjustments for specific content

Create new preset when: - No existing preset matches your needs - You want a completely different character - You’re building a signature sound for regular use

Best Practices

1. Start subtle: Make small adjustments (1-2 dB) first
2. Use bypass: Compare with the original sound frequently
3. Trust your ears: If it sounds good, it is good
4. Consider the source: Different content needs different EQ
5. Avoid solo: EQ in context of the full mix, not isolated
6. Less is more: Small, precise adjustments often work better than large, broad ones

Conclusion

The 11 factory presets in Equaliser are designed to cover a wide range of listening scenarios and musical genres. Each preset is carefully crafted using audio engineering principles to achieve its specific goal.

Remember: - Flat is your neutral reference point - Bass/Treble Boost for general tonal shaping - Vocal Presence/Podcast for speech clarity - Loudness for low-volume listening - Genre presets (Rock, Electronic, Jazz, Classical, Acoustic) for specific music styles

Don’t be afraid to modify presets to suit your personal taste or specific content. The best EQ is the one that sounds good to your ears in your listening environment.

Happy listening!

Document version: 1.0 Last updated: March 2026