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. The snare outline varies widely across the five tracks, from 170 to 369 Hz.
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 instrument frequency ranges and levels
Where the individual parts of a Hard Rock / Heavy Metal mix sit — sub, kick, snare, the supporting and prominent mid layers, air and splash — as REFFREY's PARTS mode outlines them from the references.
| REFFREY // Hard Rock / Heavy Metal Parts Breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Part | Peak position | Peak level |
| Foundations | ||
| SUB | 53–88 Hz | −29 to −23 dB |
| KICK | 41–88 Hz | −25 to −18 dB |
| SNARE | 170–369 Hz | −34 to −23 dB |
| Mids | ||
| SUPPORT | 293 Hz – 6 kHz | −49 to −43 dB |
| PROMINENCE | 305 Hz – 2.4 kHz | −27 to −23 dB |
| Highs | ||
| AIR | 6–22 kHz | −64 to −61 dB |
| SPLASH | 6–22 kHz | −50 to −42 dB |
Levels are peak spectrum levels with every track gain-matched to -14 LUFS, so they compare 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.
Compare your tracks to your favorite artists 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.