Best EQ Settings for Podcast

Editing podcasts is incomplete without EQ. EQ or equalizer is a plugin in a digital audio workstation (DAW) that modifies the audio’s frequency response.

Typically, EQ is the fundamental tool to get a professional sounding voice. It is also one of the first tools you will use when you start editing a podcast.

With the right EQ settings for podcasts, the audio quality of the human voice automatically becomes better. The podcast sounds natural, warm, and pleasant to the ears. Plus, equalizing a podcast audio enhances its clarity. It also reduces unwanted noise, distortion, hiss, and hum in the audio. 

Moreover, when you equalize a podcast audio, you can harmonize all the audio elements and also shape the mood of the podcast. As a result, your podcast has the desired sound effects without losing the authenticity of the human voice.

Since the EQ settings are so important for a podcast, I thought to cover the best equalizer settings for podcasts in this read. Let’s begin the journey.

EQ Settings for Fine Quality Podcast Sound

The best equalization settings for podcasts vary a lot. They depend on your recording’s unique audio characteristics. Other factors that influence the EQ settings include the audio editing software you are using, your electronic equipment, and the kind of sound results you want.

Some general guidelines to ensure your podcast sounds good to the human ear include the following:

High Pass Filter (HPF) Setting in Audio Editing Software 

• Set the high-pass filter aka low cut between 80 Hz and 100 Hz. This removes any background noise and low-frequency rumble in the podcast that can distract the listeners.

Importance of the Low Cut

The HPF is an important EQ tool that improves the audio’s clarity and quality. 

• It reduces the low frequencies of the content which gets rid of any unwanted noise from mic handling, traffic and air conditioners.

• Moreover, when there is an excessive buildup of low-frequency bands in a podcast, the sound becomes muddy. By applying HPF, you eliminate this muddiness which increases the crispiness of the human voice. 

• Consequently, HPS also creates separation between multiple audio tracks in podcast interviews which enhances the focus on individual sounds. This helps the listeners hear the podcast clearly, and focus on it better.

Presence Boost Setting

• Boost all the presence frequencies between 1 kHZ and 4 kHZ to improve their intelligibility as well as clarity. Just a slight boost in this particular range makes the voices sound more accurate and authentic.

Importance of the Presence Boost

Presence boost is a frequency adjustment in the EQ plugins. It improves the midrange frequencies that are related to the presence, articulation and clarity of the recording.

• Typically, you apply this boost to certain frequencies falling in the 1 kHZ and 6 kHz range. The precise frequency range varies on the audio signal’s characteristics, and the tonal balance you want.

• Presence not only improves the vocal articulation and clarity. It also brings out the minute details and subtle nuances in the human voice. You are then able to hear every expression and word in the audio very distinctly.

• When the presence boost is properly applied, it makes different voices stand out in the podcast. The podcast gets a more professional sound, and easily captivates the listener’s attention as well.

Roll-Off the High Frequencies Setting

• Roll off all the high frequencies lying above the 10 kHz range. This reduces the high-frequency noise and sibilance in the podcasts which makes them sound more pleasing to the ears.

Importance of the High Frequency Roll-Off

Roll-off in equalization settings refers to attenuating the frequencies lying above a certain point in a sound wave. This point is also known as the cutoff point. You can determine it by assessing that particular frequency at which the roll-off starts.

You can apply roll-off to high as well as low frequencies. However, when it comes to reducing the high-frequency noise, it is important to apply it to the high frequencies.

• Rolling off the sounds lying in the high frequency ranges reduces the sibilance to a great extent. Sibilance refers to the hissing and sharp sounds you get from consonants such as ‘ch’, ‘s’, and ‘sh.’ As a result, the dialogue sounds more natural, and becomes smoother.

• In addition, rolling-off also minimizes the high frequency noise. This includes the microphone’s self noise, electronic interference, and room ambiance. The audio signal then becomes more focused and cleaner.

• When you roll off the different frequencies in the high range, you balance the audio’s tonal characteristics. The audio becomes more harmonious which makes the podcast sound pleasant.

• Sibilant and harsh audios are annoying to listen to. When you cut frequencies with sibilance, you make the podcast sound softer to the ears. This enhances the listeners’ comfort making them listen to your podcast for longer durations.

Dynamic Range Compression Setting in the Digital Audio Workstation

• Apply a little compression on the audio to smooth out its loudness. This setting makes the volume level consistent throughout the podcast. So it becomes easier on the ears.

• Set the threshold to target the extremely loud parts of your podcast audio. These include the parts where the volume suddenly increases or the peak points in the speech.

• Keep the attack time moderate to ensure the different dynamics of spoken words stay natural. Typically, a moderate attack time ranges between 10 milliseconds to about 30 milliseconds. The attack time refers to how efficiently the compressor corresponds to audio signals exceeding the threshold. Shorter attack times generate faster compression. On the other hand, long attack times let the transient peaks go uncompressed.
• Keep the release time moderate. Usually, a moderate release time lies between 50 milliseconds to around 200 milliseconds. The release time helps control the compression when an audio signal goes below the threshold. A moderate release time maintains the natural sound of the audio.

Importance of the Dynamic Range Compression

Dynamic range compression refers to a technique that processes the audio signal. It reduces the amplitude of the very loud sounds and increases that of the softer sounds. 

You can apply dynamic range compression with a dedicated compressor plugin or a compressor.

• Dynamic range compression keeps the volume levels consistent throughout the audio.

• The volume stays moderate and bearable between the softest and loudest parts of the podcast. As a result, listeners do not need to frequently adjust their volume levels.

• Reducing an audio signal’s dynamic range makes the quieter parts of the speech more audible as well.

• Transient peaks often cause distortion in the audio signal. By applying dynamic compression, you get rid of that which keeps the podcast clean and clear.

• Managing the podcast’s dynamic range creates a more entertaining and engrossing listening experience for your audience. They find it easy to focus on your content, and not constantly get distracted by the abrupt changes in the audio’s volume.

De-Essing Setting

• Use a de-esser tool to further decrease the sibilance. You will notice the sharp ‘sh’ and ‘s’ sounds becoming softer in the speech.

Importance of the De-Essing Setting

De-essing is an audio processing technique to reduce the sibilant sounds. You use a de-esser to target the sibilance frequencies and control them. You’ll find it in your digital audio workstation when experimenting with EQ.

• De-essing removes all the extra sibilance from the audio. Spoken words become clearer and easier to understand.

• Listener fatigue is a common problem experienced by podcast listeners. This is when they become annoyed by the sharp sounds in a podcast audio. By de-essing your podcast, you ensure it is free of harsh sounds. As a result, you prevent listener fatigue in your audience.

• The podcast sound becomes more polished, professional, and aesthetically pleasing. It feels softer to the ears and can also create an ASMR experience.

Low-Mid Frequency Reduction Setting

• Reduce the low mid frequencies lying in the 150 Hz to 300 Hz range. This further reduces the muddy or boomy sounds that are often the product of the proximity effect when you use the mic too close to the mouth.

Importance of the Low-Mid Frequency Reduction Setting

When it comes to podcast EQ, the low-mid frequency reduction refers to attenuating the frequencies lying in the 150 Hz to 300 Hz range. 

You selectively target the frequencies that make the audio sound boomy or muddy. This particularly happens when the mic is too close to the speaker’s mouth.

• The low-mid frequency reduction helps remove all the low to mid-range frequencies that make the person’s voice muffled and unclear.

• When you target the problem frequencies, you eliminate the boomy sounds. This also helps highlight the spoken word better making it easier to understand.

• By balancing the lower frequencies and the mid-range ones, you get a more natural sound which makes the podcast more professional.

More Tips to Enhance the Podcast Sound

In addition to applying the EQ settings discussed above for your podcast audio, there are a few more things you can do to enhance the sound quality.

• Different recording setups have different acoustics. The acoustics of a professional studio will be different from those of a home studio. If your particular recording space doesn’t have the desired acoustics, apply corrective equalization to the audio. You may need to do it in certain parts of the audio where the room resonance feels too loud or harsh.
• Listen carefully to the entire audio, and then make any required changes to it. Perhaps you need to boost or cut certain parts. Maybe you need to apply a notch filter to a certain range of frequencies.
• While making the additional changes, keep them very subtle. Go for a few points, listen to the audio, and then make adjustments as per your need.

The goal is to have a clear, natural, and pleasant sound. So be very cautious when tinkering with the podcast eq settings.

Get Started Then…

I have discussed the appropriate podcast EQ settings in quite detail with you. Experiment with the fundamental guidelines first, and make subtle changes to your podcast.

If you are new to editing podcasts, it will take you a little time to get the hang of the EQ settings. Don’t forget that practice does make you perfect. So keep tinkering till you get that beautiful-sounding podcast your audience craves for.

Frequently Asked Questions