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Music Notes: The Art, Science, and Technique of Music – November Edition

By Staff on November 5, 2025

Peak Music Studios – November Edition – by Peak Music Studios.

“Why does my mix sound like a wet blanket even when everything’s plugged in right?” It’s a question every musician, sound tech, and weekend rocker has asked at some point. You’ve got the gear, the grit, and the groove, but somehow, it still sounds like everyone’s playing from inside a cardboard box.

Welcome to the mysterious world of EQ, where four little knobs hold the power to make your band sound like a show or a train wreck. Most midrange mixers give you four EQ controls per channel: Low, Low-Mid, High-Mid, and High. They look innocent enough, but twist them wrong and you’ll unleash the sonic equivalent of a chili cook-off gone wrong.

Let’s decode them.

The Low Knob: The Mud Monster

This one usually lives around 80–120 Hz—the land of bass guitars, kick drums, and other things that rattle windows. Too much low-end, and everything turns to soup. Too little, and your mix feels weak.

Vocals: Roll it off a bit. Nobody came to hear your lungs.
Guitar: Cut it. Guitars don’t belong in the sub-basement.
Bass: Boost slightly for warmth and weight.
Backing track with drums: Keep it flat or add a touch if the kick’s shy.

If your sound system is fighting the room (hello, boomy bar stages), cut lows everywhere except the bass. Instantly, clarity returns, and you’ll look like you actually meant to do that.

The Low-Mid Knob: The Muddle Zone

Ah, 250–500 Hz, the no-person’s-land where everything fights for attention. This is the “why does it sound like there’s a blanket over the speakers?” frequency range.

Vocals: Cut gently to clear up boxiness.
Guitar: Flat or a small trim if it feels cloudy.
Bass: A tiny boost here gives punch, but too much makes mud.
Backing track: Small cut; let the live instruments breathe.

Most new engineers boost here because it sounds “full.” But fullness is often just … muddiness wearing nice shoes.

The High-Mid Knob: The Truth Teller

Now we’re in the 2–4 kHz range, the land of clarity and presence, the part of the mix that says, “Hey, listen to me!” It’s also where mistakes shout the loudest.

Vocals: Boost a little to bring words forward.
Guitar: Small boost for bite and pick definition.
Bass: Add a touch if you want it to “speak.”
Backing track: Gentle lift for snare snap and energy.

Go easy. Too much, and you’ll have that vintage “AM radio at full blast” vibe. Your audience will start looking for earplugs instead of encore buttons.

The High Knob: The Fairy Dust

This one sparkles around 8–12 kHz, the realm of air, shimmer, and the magic that makes things sound expensive. Use it wisely.

Vocals: Light lift for openness.
Guitar: Slight boost if it’s dull; leave it flat if it’s already bright.
Bass: Leave it alone. Bass doesn’t need glitter.
Backing track: Boost for cymbals, reverb tails, and that studio-polished feel.

Remember: “more treble” is rarely the fix for a dull mix. It’s usually “less mud.” The Fairy Dust can’t fix a swamp.

Panning and Perspective

Keep your vocals and bass center because that’s the spine of your sound. Guitars can go left and right; that’s your width. Drums and backing tracks? Spread them naturally across the stereo field, leaving your voice front and center. Think of your mix like a photograph: vocals in focus, instruments framing the picture, and effects adding depth.

If everything’s up the middle, your mix will sound like a traffic jam. Spread it out, and suddenly your audience can hear every part.

The Science and the Soul

EQ is part art, part science. A small twist of a knob changes how frequencies interact. Cutting 3 dB at 300 Hz can be the difference between clarity and chaos. Our brains love separation; neuroscientist Daniel Levitin reminds us that music isn’t just sound, it’s organized sound. EQ is how we organize that sonic space.

And like any art, it takes practice. You’ll make mistakes. You’ll over-boost something and wonder why it sounds like angry bees. Then one day, you’ll twist the right knob at the right time, and the mix will bloom. That’s the moment you know you’re not guessing anymore, you’re sculpting.

The Bottom Line

Four knobs. Infinite possibilities. The Low keeps your feet on the ground, the Low-Mid clears the fog, the High-Mid brings the truth, and the High adds the magic.

So next time your mix sounds off, don’t panic. Just remember: every cut you make gives another instrument space to shine. EQ isn’t about volume. It’s about balance. And if you mess it up? Twist it back and call it “creative exploration.” We’ve all done it. See you in the studio.

This Month in Music History

November 1, 1969: Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

November 5, 1956: Nat King Cole became the first African-American performer to host a national TV variety show.

November 8, 1971: Led Zeppelin released Led Zeppelin IV, featuring “Stairway to Heaven.”

November 18, 1993: Nirvana recorded their iconic “MTV Unplugged in New York” performance.

November 22, 1963: The Beatles released “With the Beatles” in the U.K., which was the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

November 24, 1991: Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen, died of complications from AIDS, just one day after publicly revealing his diagnosis.

November 25, 1976: The Band held their farewell concert, The Last Waltz, featuring Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Eric Clapton.

November 28, 1992: Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” began its 14-week run at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

November 29, 2001: George Harrison died at age 58.

November 30, 1982: Michael Jackson released “Thriller,” which became the best-selling album of all time.

Weird But True

“Jingle Bells” wasn’t originally a Christmas song. It was written for Thanksgiving.
The song was composed by James Lord Pierpont in 1857. It was titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” for a Sunday school performance on Thanksgiving. Over time, it became a Christmas song thanks to its snowy imagery and catchy hook.