How to EQ a Kick Drum for Any Genre

A kick drum needs low-end weight, midrange punch and enough top click to translate on small speakers. EQ is how you balance those roles without making the kick fight the bass.

Kick frequency map

• 30–50 Hz: deepest sub. Powerful, but easy to overdo.
• 50–90 Hz: body and fundamental punch.
• 120–300 Hz: boxiness and mud. Cut carefully if the kick feels cloudy.
• 700 Hz–1.5 kHz: knock and midrange character.
• 2–5 kHz: click and small-speaker presence.

Genre starting points

• House: tight 55–80 Hz body, controlled low mids, clear click.
• Trap: deeper sub tail, less top click unless the 808 needs space.
• Techno: harder mid punch, shorter low-end tail, more attack.
• Pop: cleaner low end and enough 2–4 kHz to be heard on phones.

EQ with the bass, not alone

A solo kick can sound huge and still fail in the mix. Play the bass at the same time and decide which one owns the deepest low end. If the bass is sub-heavy, the kick may need more punch and click instead of more 40 Hz.

A simple kick EQ workflow

1. High-pass only if there is useless rumble below the kick.
2. Find the fundamental and avoid cutting it too much.
3. Cut a little 150–300 Hz if the kick sounds boxy.
4. Boost attack only if it disappears on small speakers.
5. Check the kick and bass through the master limiter before committing.