Illustration: Filip Fröhlich
Are you a music producer who’s ecstatic about the idea of composing and recording, but exhausted at the thought of mixing?
Being a producer demands versatility and focus across the distinct phases of modern music-making. One psychoacoustic concept that spooks many of us within this journey is frequency masking—but it doesn’t have to.
In this article, we break down what frequency masking is, when and why it happens, and how to fix it. Feel free to use the table of contents below to quickly navigate to a particular section.
What you’ll learn:
Let’s get started!
What is frequency masking?
Frequency masking is a psychoacoustic phenomenon that occurs when two or more distinct sounds occupy similar frequency ranges in such a way that causes one sound to affect our perception of the other.
It’s not necessarily a technical mistake to kick yourself about, but rather a natural limitation of human hearing; the distinct sounds are literally competing for our attention. The result can be a frustrating muddiness in which none of the tracks actually cut through the mix, which can be fatiguing to listen to.
Fortunately, we can try to address this in the mixing phase with intentional decisions in arrangement and EQ. Let’s explore how to master this and ensure our mixing process is intentional, as opposed to endless trial and error.
Why frequency masking happens in a mix
But first, there are a few common reasons that we can identify for frequency masking, which can occur across both recording and mixing.
1. Too many sounds are competing with each other in the arrangement
If multiple instruments in your arrangement occupy a shared frequency range, set to similar registers and voicings, they’ll naturally compete for attention. Even the best processing tools have their limits if an arrangement is simply too dense.
To hear this through your own work, go back to a MIDI-heavy track which you’ve written in the past. Quickly “Save As” with a new name, and switch all of your MIDI tracks to a single instrument with a consistent timbre such as a lead, pad, or bass. In playback, you’ll quickly hear just how much of your intention is lost; perhaps a better way to put it is that there’s a lot that you’ll quickly stop hearing.
While it’s unlikely that any of us would arrange a song in this way, it’s not uncommon to use just a few too many tracks with the same category of instrument. It adds up, and sometimes it isn’t easy to fix, leaving you with a flat-sounding bounce that doesn’t speak to the listener as the core idea spoke to you.
2. You’re muddying things up in the mixing phase
As we apply various effects during the mixing phase, we can also unintentionally introduce frequency masking here if we’re not careful.
For example, you might notice that a reverb or delay that you really liked on its own causes frequency masking when listening to the entire project. Remember that time-based effects spread sound energy across a wider frequency and time spectrum, so if you’re using these on a ton of tracks, you might need to attenuate or edit in the mixing phase.
While frequency masking will inevitably occur from a wide range of production decisions, what’s important is how we notice and then respond to it.
How to identify frequency masking
Up to this point, we’ve strictly viewed frequency masking as a problem. We’ll outline how to address it if that’s true, but to be clear, your style might actually be one that leans into the phenomenon. For example, shoegaze, lo-fi, and other genres with heavily distorted instruments can actually rely on frequency masking as an aesthetic element.
What’s key is control; when your masking supports the emotional goal of the song, it works. When you notice it unintentionally hinders your creative vision, it becomes an issue to address.
In the case of the latter, A/B testing is your best friend. Make sure to listen to your instruments in the context of sections and the entire mix as much as you listen to them in solo. Particularly pay attention to pairs like kicks and basses, pads and strings, snares and synth stabs, rhythm and lead guitars, etc. that are the most susceptible to frequency masking.
You can also use spectral analyzer plugins to help visualize the overlaps, especially when your ears are fatigued from listening to the same sounds for so long. And lastly, you can listen to your mix critically against your inspirations. Find some reference tracks that represent some part of what your track is trying to achieve, and try to pick out what’s working and what’s not in each one. While this might be a bit more advanced, requiring you to have a clear sense of how to take action based on what you notice, it’s also something that can’t be mastered without repeated practice.
How to fix frequency masking
Once you notice an instance of frequency masking, there are several practical ways to reduce or eliminate it. Like so much of music production, the best results usually come from combining multiple approaches rather than relying on a single fix.
With that said, here are some approaches you can mix and match from:
- EQ carving: An excellent tool for visual learners, this approach cuts unnecessary frequencies from competing instruments, clarifying and giving space for identity to each one.
- Panning and volume: Sometimes, the answer is simpler than you think; subtle adjustments in volume and panning can often be all that’s needed to create sufficient sonic space.
- Arrangement: You can also revisit your arrangement decisions once you’ve encountered masking. Make sure that each timbre and texture you’ve chosen serves a clear purpose in your song. If you’re having trouble letting go of a certain preset, it could just be more reason to use that as a song starter in your next track!
- Sidechain compression: Allowing you to duck one sound in response to another, this often misunderstood technique can be used to create dynamic movement and space in your mix. You can even just use this on one particular frequency range, like the pesky lows.
Remember that the most effective mixes don’t eliminate masking entirely, but instead guide the listener’s focus. Through this approach, we can allow the most important elements to shine while letting others support, tastefully challenge, and enhance them.
Plugins for solving frequency masking
We’ve mentioned a number of tool categories that you can use to attenuate masking—below, we share a few specific plugins that are worth checking out as starting points. Many of these are available via rent-to-own, meaning you can try them for free to see if they work for your needs, and then pay smaller monthly installments towards ownership if they do.
Conclusion
Frequency masking can be frustrating, but we can find comfort in the fact that it’s almost always addressable. And in addition to all of the arrangement, processing, and A/B testing tricks, taking care of your ears can also help. Take regular breaks from producing and mixing to reset your senses, build a practice of regular ear training, and be sure to protect them with earplugs at shows. Above all, trust your ears and keep practicing, and you’ll be a pro at identifying and addressing frequency masking in no time.
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February 13, 2026
