Frequency Recognition Trainer
Level 1 · Open Level 2 · Free account
What it teaches
Identify boosted frequency bands in pink noise across the audible spectrum.
How it works
- Press Start activity — sound plays only after you press it. Headphones at a moderate volume work best.
- Each round plays a short burst of pink noise with ONE frequency band boosted by 9 dB.
- Choose which of the four bands you think was boosted. Use Replay sound as often as you like before answering.
- You get ten rounds. Your score appears at the end — save it with a free account if you want to track progress.
The theory
Engineers hear in frequency bands. This trainer plays pink noise with a single band boosted by 9 dB; your job is to name the band. Each octave band has a character: 250 Hz is weight and warmth, 500 Hz is body, 1 kHz is presence and honk, 2 kHz is edge, 4 kHz is bite and definition, 8 kHz is air and sparkle. Learning these landmarks is the foundation of every EQ decision you will ever make on a desk.
Answer explanations
- 250 Hz
- Weight and warmth. Too much reads as boomy or muddy; too little sounds thin.
- 500 Hz
- Body. The "cardboard" zone — a boost here reads as boxy; a cut opens space.
- 1 kHz
- Presence and honk. Speech intelligibility lives around here.
- 2 kHz
- Edge and attack. Boosting pushes a source forward in the mix; too much gets nasal.
- 4 kHz
- Bite and definition. The ear is most sensitive here — small boosts feel loud.
- 8 kHz
- Air and sparkle. Cymbals, breath, room sheen — the top octave polish.
No audio / accessibility
Text version: a written walkthrough of the six frequency landmarks (250 Hz to 8 kHz) with described listening examples and a self-test checklist.
The activity
This is a listening activity: it plays pink noise through your browser and asks you to name the boosted frequency band. It needs JavaScript and audio — the theory notes on this page cover the same ground in text.
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