Audio equalization — Troubleshooting

Worked example

If the result sounds thin, tinny or harsh, the treble boost is too much for that source, so go back to Balanced.

Switch from More detail or Voice clarity back to Balanced, or lower the whole file volume first and try again.

If it sounds boomy or the loudest parts crackle after More bass, the 6 dB at 100 Hz has pushed the peaks into clipping. Run the Volume tool at about 70% first, which is roughly -3 dB, and then apply the preset to the quieter file.

When you hear no change at all, check that the preset is not Balanced, which is deliberately transparent, and compare at matched levels. A 4 dB lift at one frequency is audible on speech but easy to miss on dense music.

If the voice is still muffled, the source likely lacks the high frequencies needed for clarity, for example a call recorded at narrow bandwidth. EQ cannot create them, so record again closer to the microphone or accept the limit.

A processing failure with a message about conversion or media tools is usually a browser memory or loading issue, not the preset. Reload, retry with a shorter portion of the file, and keep the original untouched. In every case keep the original file untouched, so that you can always return to the unprocessed sound and try a different preset from the start.

Voice or music source

Frequency-adjusted export

Switch back to Balanced and compare any time a result sounds odd; it separates EQ problems from problems already in the recording.