The spectrum map
Thinking in octaves
The ear hears the spectrum in octaves: the right unit to find your way.
Human hearing spans roughly 20 Hz to 20 kHz, about ten octaves. Each octave has its colour: around 60–120 Hz weight, around 250–500 Hz body (and "boxiness" when there is too much), around 1–2 kHz nasal presence, around 4–8 kHz definition and sibilance, above 10 kHz air.
These landmarks are tendencies, not borders: they depend on the source. But they give you a starting point to describe what you hear.
In the game, one band is boosted in pink noise. Compare with and without the correction, then ask yourself: is it rather muddy, rather nasal, rather hissy?
Listen for
- A low bump that thickens and blurs.
- A mid bump that sounds nasal or "telephone".
- A high bump that sounds hissy or harsh.
The classic mistake
Looking for the exact frequency too early: place the region first (low, mid, high), then refine.
Put it into practice
The mystery frequency · Discovery
The mystery frequencyThe lesson is complete when the level is passed (35/50).