4 Tips on How to Control High Frequencies in Your Mix

In many cases, high-frequency content is responsible for the clarity and definition of a sound. In the following four tips, we will review some common mistakes and some alternative solutions that will help you properly make your high-frequency content sound.  

1. Low Pass Filters and Subtractive EQ

A common thing that leads to a harsh mix is the clash of multiple sounds in the upper-frequency range. Careful selection of frequencies that need to be removed and those that need to stay can dramatically improve the whole image of the sound. You should apply filtering if you are working on a track with many cymbals, vocals with many sibilants, or acoustic guitars played on high octaves. Another thing that might be useful is a spectrum analyzer like SPAN by Voxengo. It precisely shows the areas of the entire mix or individual tracks with too much going on. Therefore, it suggests what needs to be taken care of.  

2. Alternatives for Taming Sibilants When Working With Vocals

• Try using volume automation for better control of vocal sibilants. Sometimes, a simple de-esser effect is not good enough, and a visual representation of what's going on will be highly beneficial.
• Using a multiband compressor gives you more control over vocal sibilants than using a simple de-esser. These effects function similarly to de-essers, but they usually offer more control parameters.

3. Control the Color of Your Reverb Effects

If you leave too much of the high-frequency content on your reverb effects, your track will sound too artificial or, let's say, digital. Many of the modern reverb effects contain embedded EQ. It would be best if you tried using these. On the other hand, if you have a favorite EQ, place it in the plugin chain after the reverb. Also, use filtering if necessary.

4. Use of Exciters

These effects can sometimes achieve results that equalizers and compressors can't. But remember that they must be added last if all of the surgical precision editing you have done before seems insufficient.