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50,000 Mixes Analysed – These Are the 4 Most Common Mixing Mistakes

With more than 50,000 analyses of their students’ mixes, the tutors at HOFA-College have extensive practical experience in assessing the first steps of aspiring audio engineers.
The mix analyses are an essential part of the audio engineering course at HOFA-College. At the HOFA Online Campus, learners get access to multitracks of various music genres, which they mix independently in their DAW. They can then upload their finished mix and receive detailed written feedback with many tips and a possible solution.

In the following blog post, we’ll show you the four most common mixing mistakes made by aspiring audio engineers so that you can avoid them in your mixes and productions.

1. Unbalanced sound levels

Although one tends to forget this with experience, setting the levels of the individual audio tracks is an essential part of the mixing process and crucial to whether a mix works or not. Many mixes have an unbalanced sound, which is due to inconsistent level settings of the individual elements in the mix.
For example, an unbalanced low end is often caused by inappropriate volumes of bass drum and bass. Often, the kick drum and bass are not loud enough to provide a solid rhythmic and tonal foundation to the mix – or either kick drum or bass are too loud, causing an overemphasis of the low frequencies.
Imbalances in the frequency response of the mix are also often a consequence of an unclear hierarchy of leading and accompanying elements in the mix. Finding an appropriate volume for the lead vocals in the mix, for example, is a particular challenge. Quite often, the lead vocal is mixed too loud, probably to ensure its leading position in the mix. However, this isolates it from the music and makes it stand out too much in the mix. The opposite scenario is vocals that are buried in the mix and have a hard time taking the lead because they are competing with instruments that are the same volume or even louder than the vocals. With melodic instruments, establishing a clear hierarchy can avoid frequency overlaps in the mid-frequencies – and thus masking – and also help to create some space for the vocals.
A lack of hierarchies in the mix often results from the desire to make all instruments equally loud so that each instrument is equally audible. Frequently, the drum kit is not balanced and cannot form a coherent unit. Often, the bass drum and/or snare drum are too quiet and cannot cut through the mix properly, resulting in a mix that lacks a rhythmic grounding. Sometimes the hihat and cymbals are too loud, which leads to an overemphasis in the high-frequency range and a rather ‘sharp’ sound.

Setting the levels in the DAW mixer

Our tips:

  • Reference mixes from the same or similar genres can help you develop a feel for the volume of vocals and instruments, the balance of the various drum elements, or the level of low-end content in a particular genre.
  • For a balanced and defined low end, kick drum and bass should play a similarly important role in many cases.
  • To avoid masking of different instruments and to create space for the vocals, a clear hierarchy of the different elements is essential.

2. Unbalanced frequency response

The second major obstacle to a balanced mix is misjudging the desired sound of the individual elements. This applies in particular to the fundamental range of instruments and vocals, as well as to high frequencies. We often hear inappropriate processing that either results in too much attenuation or insufficient control of the fundamental range. The first mistake – over-reduction, often caused by heavy EQing or excessive use of low-cut filters – often results in an unnatural and thin sound. Percussive elements such as the kick and snare drum, as well as vocals, lose their punch and impact if their fundamental range is reduced too much.
In the low end – especially with the kick and bass – reducing the fundamentals too much results in a thin overall sound. This strategy of ‘cleaning up’ in the low mid and bass range often aims to avoid the notorious ‘muddy mids’ that are often warned about in online communities and mixing tutorials. While this is basically right, you should avoid both a muddy sound due to overemphasis and a thin sound due to excessive reduction to achieve a balanced mix.

Our tips:

  • A careful use of EQ can avoid an overemphasis in the lower mids without reducing the fundamentals too much – dynamic equalizers are particularly useful tools here.
  • If there are several instruments playing in a similar frequency range, it can be useful to spread them across the stereo panorama to avoid frequency overlaps. For a defined low end, you can define specific ranges in the low frequencies that are reserved for a particular element.
Using a dynamic equalizer can help to control critical frequency ranges without reducing them too much. (Plugin: HOFA SYSTEM EQ-Dynamic)

As for the high frequencies, we often hear vocals that are too bright and thus additionally too sibilant. This could mainly result from the desire to ensure speech intelligibility and place them in front of the mix.
A strong treble boost might also be necessary as an adjustment to other elements that are already too bright, such as lead instruments. Certain elements of the drums are also candidates for introducing too much energy in the high frequencies into the mix, for example the hihat or cymbals. Sometimes, to counteract this effect, the high frequencies of individual drum elements are cut too much, resulting in the kick and snare losing definition and their ability to cut through the mix, or an overall “dull” sounding mix that lacks high frequency energy.

Our advice:
In many genres, vocal tracks should be the brightest element in the mix. The brightness of the other elements in the mix should therefore be adjusted in relation to the vocal sound. To open up the sound of individual elements in the mix, it is better to use a broadband high-frequency boost rather than boosting specific frequencies, for example, with a high-shelf filter starting at 1 or 2 kHz.

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3. Undefined depth

One of the most complex tasks for anyone aiming to create a convincing soundstage is designing the space in which each element of the mix is placed. Creating a coherent and natural sounding depth in the mix requires the combination of several elements that complement each other well, resulting in a well-crafted space.
For example, we often hear reverbs or rooms that are too small and thus too close to the direct signal, resulting in a rather indirect sound. In many cases, reverbs are also too bright, thus not separated enough from the direct signal and rather in the foreground of the mix instead of further in the back.
In addition, reverbs are frequently either too loud, leading to a diffuse sound, or not loud enough, causing the elements in question to lose their connection to the other elements in the mix and therefore seem somewhat isolated, resulting in a rather “dry” and direct overall sound.
Since the vocals are frequently the most important element in a given mix, special attention is naturally paid to the vocal reverb. However, this can lead to a choice of reverb that does not blend as well with the space in which the other elements in the mix live, leading to an inhomogeneous spatial impression. Creating additional depth with delays is also not easily accomplished. These are often too loud and too bright and therefore audible as a distinct effect rather than creating a sense of depth through subtle use.

Our tips:

  • Reverbs and delays used to create depth don’t have to be very audible but should be used rather subtly. To create a homogeneous space and convincing depth in the mix that also allows for a suitable connection of the individual elements, try to choose a reverb that simulates a natural acoustic environment.
  • Use special reverb effects (e.g. spring reverbs, special environments) with caution and rather as an effect to highlight a special instrument or part than to simulate an acoustic environment.
  • As far as vocal reverbs are concerned: use a reverb with longer decay times that opens nicely behind the singer and that blends with the other reverbs used in the mix. High-cutting reverbs and delays allows for a separation from the effected signal and places them further back in the mix, creating depth.
For lead vocals, you can often use reverbs with a longer reverb time that open up behind the vocals. (Plugin: HOFA IQ-Series Reverb V2)
A delay's high frequencies are often dampened to separate the effect signal sonically from the direct signal and place it further back in the mix, creating spatial depth. (Plugin: HOFA Colour Delay)

4. Mistakes in the processing of dynamics

Processing audio signals with tools such as compressors or limiters is another task that has a fairly steep learning curve. The effects of these tools are not easy for the untrained ear to hear. Often, the purpose and extent of dynamic control required for a particular element in the mix are misjudged by ‘newbies’.
On the one hand, we encounter an excessive use of dynamic tools with unsuitable control times, which leads to a significant reduction in dynamics and often to unwanted side effects.
On the other hand, insufficient dynamic control can lead to volume fluctuations, for example in vocals, causing the affected signals to either disappear in certain parts of the mix or stand out too much. Drums often fail to cut through the mix due to missing or incorrect compression.
We also receive mixes that have been compressed or limited too much in the stereo sum. This is done to increase the loudness of the mix, in other words to master the mix in the mixing process. However, inappropriate use of such dynamic tools on the master bus often leads to unwanted side effects such as audible level changes, pumping or distortion.

Our advice:
Especially as a beginner, you should be cautious when using dynamic tools and pay particular attention to the influence of different control times on the compressed signal. A level reduction of 10 dB or more is often too much for individual signals – when using a compressor in the master bus, even a value of two or three dB can be too high.

When using compression, you should be cautious not to reduce the dynamics of the compressed signal too much – often it is sufficient to keep the amount of level reduction below 10 dB. You should also pay close attention to the effect of the control times used (especially attack and release) on the compressed audio signal. (Plugin: HOFA IQ-Series Comp)

We hope this overview helps you to recognise potential problem areas when mixing and thus improve the quality of your mixes.
If you are interested in learning more about audio engineering and music production, the AUDIO DIPLOMA online course is the ideal way to expand your knowledge and skills. You can learn conveniently from home and receive regular feedback from professionals on your productions.

Author

Jochen Weyer
Jochen Weyer
Jochen Weyer has been an audio engineer at the HOFA-Studios since 1994. He is a classical trained pianist and has recorded and mix hundreds of productions. He has played keys in several bands over the last 35 years and you can hear his sound design on countless records. Jochen Weyer passes on his many years of expertise in numerous workshops.

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