Notes and frequencies
The frequency of each low note, or the note behind a frequency, to tune a kick, an 808 or a sub.
This frequency lands right on A1. The reference A, A4, vibrates at 440 hertz: each octave down halves the frequency, and each half step up multiplies it by about 1.0595.
- Infrasoundunder 20 Hz
- Sub20 to 60 Hz
- Bass60 to 250 Hz
- Low mids250 to 500 Hz
- Mids500 to 2,000 Hz
- High mids2,000 to 4,000 Hz
- Highs4,000 to 20,000 Hz
Sub. You feel the sub in your body more than you hear it. This is where the fundamental of the kick and the 808 lives, and phones and small speakers reproduce it poorly.
Low notes, from kick to sub
| Note | C0 to B0 | C1 to B1 | C2 to B2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | |||
| A♯ | |||
| A | |||
| G♯ | |||
| G | |||
| F♯ | |||
| F | |||
| E | |||
| D♯ | |||
| D | |||
| C♯ | |||
| C |
Frequencies are in hertz, with A at 440 hertz and equal temperament. Click a cell to hear the note as an 808. Octave names follow the DAW chosen at the top of the page: middle C is called C4.
To tune a kick or an 808, find its loudest frequency in a spectrum analyzer and type it into the “Frequency” field: you will see which note it is closest to, and by how many cents to correct it.
Used in: Sound, Pitch and the Octave, Tuning Your 808 and Sub Bass, Note Frequencies: Tuning Kicks and Samples