Oct 10 • 🔊 FOH
🥁 How to EQ Drums in a Church Mix (The Real-World Guide)
Drums are one of the hardest instruments to EQ in a church setting.Every room’s different. Every drummer’s different. Every kit sounds like it came from a different planet.
But the truth is — if you understand what you’re listening for and why you’re cutting or boosting, EQing drums gets a lot easier.
Let’s break it down piece by piece 👇
🥁 KICK DRUM
The goal: tight, punchy, and not boomy.
Start with these moves:
- High-pass filter under 40 Hz — removes unnecessary sub rumble that muddies the room.
- Boost around 60–80 Hz for low-end thump (but carefully — too much and it eats your mix).
- Cut around 250–400 Hz to get rid of boxiness.
- Add a small boost at 3–5 kHz for beater attack and clarity.
Pro tip:If your room has subwoofers near the stage, avoid over-boosting the lows — your mix will sound fine in headphones but way too heavy in the sanctuary.
🥁 SNARE DRUM
The goal: crisp and present, but not harsh.
Start here:
- High-pass up to 80–100 Hz — clean up low-end rumble.
- Cut around 400–600 Hz to remove “cardboard” tone.
- Add a small lift around 2–5 kHz for stick definition.
- Air around 10 kHz if it sounds dull.
Pro tip:If your snare sounds “honky” or nasal, notch out 800 Hz slightly.And if the bottom snare mic is too bright, low-pass it around 8 kHz to tame the buzz.
🥁 TOMS
The goal: clear, round, and natural.
EQ starting points:
- High-pass around 60–100 Hz (higher for smaller toms).
- Cut around 400–600 Hz to remove the boxy tone.
- Add around 5–7 kHz for stick attack.
- Slight boost at 100–150 Hz for fullness.
Pro tip:Don’t EQ toms in solo mode. Always listen in the context of the kit — what sounds huge soloed often muddies everything together.
🥁 HI-HATS & OVERHEADS
The goal: clear, natural shimmer — not harsh noise.
EQ moves:
- HPF option 1: high pass the lows at up to 300-600Hz (if you just want the shimmer of the cymbals/hh)
- HPF option 2: high pass to around 100-150Hz so you can have the fundamental tone of the snare in the overheads, then you do more cuts at around 300-800Hz to clean up the boxy sound
- Boost lightly around 8–12 kHz for brightness.
Pro tip: Both overhead mics need to be at the same distance from the snare drum, so they're in phase.
🎚️ BIG TAKEAWAY
EQing drums isn’t about rules — it’s about removing what’s in the way and letting each piece speak where it belongs.
Before you reach for the EQ, make sure:
✅ The drums are ALWAYS tuned
✅ The mic placement is CORRECT.
✅ You’re not fighting bad stage acoustics—get a drum enclosure.
A perfectly tuned kit in a good room will need 80% less EQ — *BELIEVE ME*
💬 Question for you: What part of your drum kit gives you the most trouble every Sunday — the kick, snare, or cymbals?
— Nate
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🥁 How to EQ Drums in a Church Mix (The Real-World Guide)
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