Audio Equalization

sound · music technology · frequencies

What EQ does. Equalization lets you turn certain tones up or down in music. You can make bass louder, treble quieter, or anything in between to change how a song sounds.

Inside an equalizer. An equalizer is a device or tool that has controls for different frequency bands, kind of like separate volume knobs for low, middle, and high sounds.

Real world uses. DJs use equalizers at concerts to match music to different rooms, sound engineers use them in recording studios, and even your headphones might have simple EQ settings.

Frequency bands. Sound travels in waves at different speeds, called frequencies. Bass notes are low frequencies and high notes are high frequencies, and EQ lets you control each one separately.

Making it personal. Different people like different EQ settings, so you might boost the bass for dance music but boost the treble for classical music to hear all the instruments clearly.