Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Frequency Spectrum vs. Pink Noise
Five Hard Rock / Heavy Metal records measured against pink noise, every track gain-matched to -14 LUFS:
- Judas Priest “Panic Attack”
- Avenged Sevenfold “Nobody”
- Mastodon “Pushing the Tides”
- Shinedown “Safe And Sound”
- Ghost “It's A Sin”
Hard rock and heavy metal sit close to pink through the low end (sub on it, bass +4 dB) and push the midrange and high mids up 3–4 dB instead. The air is the most cut of the rock sets at nearly 8 dB under pink.
Hard Rock / Heavy Metal frequency spectrum vs. other genres
The same pink-noise comparison for two related genres and three very different ones.
Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Mixing Guide: instrument frequency ranges and levels
The kick sits at 41–88 Hz and the sub at 53–88 Hz. The snare outline varies widely across the five tracks, from 170 to 369 Hz.
| REFFREY // Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Parts Breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Level vs loudest | Peak frequency |
| Foundations | ||
| SUB | −6 to −2 dB | 53–88 Hz |
| KICK | 0 dB | 41–88 Hz |
| SNARE | −15 to 0 dB | 170–369 Hz |
| Mids | ||
| SUPPORT | −26 to −24 dB | 293 Hz – 6 kHz |
| PROMINENCE | −5 to 0 dB | 305 Hz – 2.4 kHz |
| Highs | ||
| AIR | −44 to −37 dB | 6–22 kHz |
| SPLASH | −25 to −20 dB | 6–22 kHz |
How loud each part peaks compared with the song’s loudest part (0 dB). Not a fader setting. Each range covers all five tracks, every one gain-matched to -14 LUFS, so the balance compares across tracks and across genres.
Hard Rock / Heavy Metal parts vs. other genres
Where Hard Rock / Heavy Metal’s sub, kick, snare and mid layers sit next to five other genres.
Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Full Reference Stack: Peak, Average, and Stereo Width curves
Average (filled) and peak (dashed) spectra of every reference, with the stereo width strip below. Width is the side-to-mid level per frequency, averaged over the analyzed section: 0 dB means the sides are as loud as the centre, MONO means there is no difference between left and right at all.
Reference tracks and sections analyzed
The 5 Hard Rock / Heavy Metal tracks behind this RefMap and the section of each that was analyzed. This is the Hard Rock / Heavy Metal set that ships inside REFFREY.
- Judas PriestPanic Attack
- Avenged SevenfoldNobody
- MastodonPushing the Tides
- ShinedownSafe And Sound
- GhostIt's A Sin
Captured September 2026 from the REFFREY default set “Hard Rock / Heavy Metal”. Analysis only — no audio is included.
Mix like the Pros with REFFREY
This Hard Rock / Heavy Metal set ships inside REFFREY. Load it, drop your mix on top, and DIFF and PARTS show exactly where yours differs — in real time from your DAW.