3.7 Height (Frequency)
The frequency range of instruments and their harmonics spans a range of approx 20 Hz to 16,000 Hz (and above).
Kind: concept (reamix-section) Chapter: 3 Spatial Mixing Source: ReaMix (October 2009)
The frequency range of instruments and their harmonics spans a range of approx 20 Hz to 16,000 Hz (and above). This determines another spatial dimension of our mix, which we can think of as being height. The role and importance this dimension can play in adding colour to your mix is too often overlooked.
This is the aspect of mixing that people are often talking about when they refer to acoustic space.
We’ll begin this section with an overview of the Frequency Spectrum, and how it is made up. This information should form a solid reference point when it comes to looking at the techniques and methods that we use to create a wonderful magical illusion with our mixes. That illusion is to use just two speakers to generate a sound that is rich and spatial in all its dimensions.
There’s no universal agreement on where the exact boundaries lie between one area of the frequency spectrum and the next. Treat this chart therefore only as a general guide, not something that you must learn by heart and recite!