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EQ
,→Frequency Range Breakdown
Most amps feature some form of EQ, with it more than likely acting on the signal after any pre-amp distortion. (The big exception is the Mesa/Boogie Mark series, which feature pre-distortion EQ knobs and a post-distortion 5-band graphic EQ.) Modern amps commonly come equipped with Bass, Midrange, Treble, and Presence controls, while older amps typically have a subset of those. Some amps simply have a Tone control, used to change the frequency emphasis from dark to bright. And some have a Mids control that actually sweeps the midrange center frequency, drastically altering how the other controls behave. Some amps' circuitry causes the EQ controls to "interact" with each other, meaning their behavior slightly changes depending on the settings of the other controls. It's always best to do a little research on the particular amp you are tweaking to understand these types of things before you end up tweaking in circles.
* '''Bass''' - 60 - 350 HZHz* '''Mids''' - 350 - 1,800 HZHz* '''Treb''' - 1,800 - 5,000 HZHz* '''Pres''' - 3,000 - 10,000 HZHz
The popular Mesa/Boogie Mark EQ uses the frequencies: 80, 240, 750, 2200, 5500.
| 850 - 1,400 || Cold Djent
|-
| 1,400 - 2,600 || Hot Djent/Presence|rowspan="3"|Treble/Presence
|-
| 2,600 - 5,000 || Fizz
With these things in mind, you can still scoop some mids and get a killer tone that still works in a mix. You just have to be a bit conservative on how much mids you cut. Its best to get crafty and use a parametric EQ to cut exactly at the frequency you want to dial back, making the cut as narrow and shallow as possible. You only want to reduce the emphasis of those frequencies, not kill them completely.
Also, if you find you have to really scoop the mids to get some unwanted "honk" out of the tone, you may be able to offset this by boosting the midrange on each side of this cut. For instance, if you are cutting 750 HZHz, you can boost at 375 HZ Hz and 1,500 HZ Hz to keep the midrange as a whole in balance with the bass and treble.
== Common EQ Techniques ==
* '''Scooped Mids''' - some metal players like to cut mids around 600-900 HZ Hz to remove the vintage-sounding "honk" from the tone. This can make the tone sound meaner and more modern, but it is also regarded as a trap that bedroom players commonly make. The core of the guitar tone is midrange while the other frequencies tend to clash with other instruments in a mix. Also, at high volumes, the human ear is more sensitive to low and high frequencies, making a "mean" tone at bedroom volume sound harsh and droning at gig-level volumes. You can still scoop some mids to get a modern tone that sounds good in a band situation, but you can't overdo it.* '''Low Pass''' - A low-pass filter is commonly used to filter most frequencies past 8 or 9 kHZkHz, which for a guitar tone are rather noisy and harsh.* '''High Pass''' - A high-pass filter is commonly used to filter most frequencies below 60-150 HZHz, which for a guitar tone are generally loose and droning and interfere with the bass player.* '''Presence Boost''' - a boost around 1,500 or 2,000 HZ Hz can help a guitar tone cut through the mix, particularly for solos.
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