If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably been through a phase of wanting to perfect how your snares sound in the mix. And if you’re anything like me, you might have struggled with getting your snares to sound the way you want at some stage. Maybe you still do.
For me, it was all about getting a snare sound with lots of pop and crack. I even remember joking with engineers on Twitter about “crack hunting”. It became a hashtag and then it became a business for an engineer called Mike. He made a site where he sold ‘Crack Hunting’ t-shirts. It was all a bit of fun but it goes to show you how obsessed we can all become with getting great snare drum sounds.
So, to get a “cracking” snare, I used to focus on the classic 5kHz to 10kHz range and put a healthy boost somewhere in that region, depending on the snare and the song.
But my snares were still lacking impact. Why?
Well, that words says it all… Impact!
The terms we use to describe what we’re trying to achieve in music are so important. Yet, they’re often overlooked. Saying something like, “I want my snare to have more body“, is great! But acting on that statement is the only thing that fixes the issue.
So, how do you act on it?
Every descriptive mixing term you use has a relative frequency range
When we’re talking about snare drum impact, body and fullness, it’s worth thinking about how those terms translate into EQ terms.
A snare is a drum. Drums create big, loud noises. It’s not all about pop and crack. If you focus only on a popping, cracking snare drum, you’ll be left with a weak, feeble and thin sound.
To get that impact, body and fullness on your snare drum, the frequency range you want to be looking at is 100Hz – 200Hz. That’s the sweet spot. Your snare Rice Krispies (snap, crackle and pop) lie higher in the 5 – 10 kHz frequency range.
Don’t fall into the same trap that I did and neglect the low end of your snares. They’re drums too… just like your kick drum. And where’s the first place you look to boost on your kick drum? That’s right… the low end.
So the next time you’re about to EQ your snare drum, or any drum for that matter, think about the terms you associate with what’s sounding good and what’s sounding a little off.
Once you translate those terms into frequency ranges, your EQ choices will be very simple and easy to implement.
Now, I’d love to know…
How do you approach snare drum EQ? Do you use some of the terms I’ve mentioned?
Leave a comment below!
professional sounding mix every time...
Yes. Around 184 is a good starting point for snare body. Every snare is different, not just because it is a different drum but also in a different room and with a different mic, (although many are an SM57) so hunt around for the body without the ring. I treat my snare EQ in two stages. First, I obtain the overall snare sound I want, then I’ll follow up with a corrective EQ, such as the Waves REQ, to carve out any unwanted ring. Same with toms, broadly speaking.
For cutting through, I’ll start at 8kHz and move down (rarely up) until I find the top end of the snare. In a very dense mix, I’ll often boost 12dB on the high end to get the snare to really cut. Some saturation (Decapitator etc.) will also help the snare be heard.
When I have both components of the snare’s voice I will then refine by cleaning up around the lower end and supporting the top end.
Use your ears and you will hear how the snare makes itself heard in the mix.
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of compression to shape the overall snare sound you are aiming for. It really is a combination of EQ, compression and often, some saturation/distortion.
I hope that helps.
Thanks so much for this Robin. Some very valuable advice, that I’m sure will really help others. I especially like your tip of combining tasteful EQ with compression and saturation/distortion to get the overall snare sound you’re looking for.