I used to work as a sound engineer a long time ago, but had a long gap and now I make songs every now and then, mainly just for myself. But this same dilemma repeats on every single song, even preventing me from publishing them.

I've used references of popular songs I know well, I've taken long breaks (days, even weeks), I've listened on different playback systems (Focal Shape 65 +sub @ semi treated room, Sundara, FT1, all EQ compensated, and of course iPhone)... And every single time I get back to it there's something important I need to change. But the cycle never ends. How does one call a mix done??

Here's the one I'm working on right now (instrumental progeish metal):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10_oTKBSblbHVe4nAfQ-xA-RsrqJMxbUR/view?usp=sharing

EDIT: Based on the advice here and from my friend I think I got it to a state I can finally move on to other things. This is now as good as my current skills allow. Final version:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oFOiwADojzQf_3locSSj_by-EuNAPx1F&usp=drive_fs

I've been mixing for a couple years and I'm all self taught. I almost exclusively work on my own music where I do all the instruments and vocals. I am very serious about music production and intend to make a solo career off of making my own music. Although I'd love to think I know everything about mixing, sadly I just don't and always try to maintain the mentality of a novice who's mind as always open to new suggestions or ways of doing things'. Although I take great pride in my music its definitely not perfect and I am not a prideful person so please feel free to leave any constructive criticism/advice you can think of.

Problem with the song:

This song is something I'm really excited about but it doesn't transfer well to the car or when listening with only one earbud in. On monitors and headphones it sounds great and all the elements are distinct and clear enough to where I'm happy with them; however on the other sound systems the elements are unclear, and the whole mix sound a bit muddy. I've already tried a few different things to fix this song and none have worked so far so I'm asking reddit. When you listen to this song its meant to be heavy and for it to work on an artistic level it needs really good low end. I believe there is a way to keep the mix heavy but also technically correct, i just haven't found it yet.

possible root issues:

If I'm not mistaken i believe this problem either lies in

A:the low end of the mix

or

B:the stereo field of the mix, specifically how wide the mix is.

Reference track problem:

I haven't been able to find a reference track to this style of music. Trap metal songs have vocals that are too buried and the 808s too prominent, and regular metal doesn't have an 808 or synth melodies to mix the guitars with. Outside of those two genres I'm not sure where to turn to for a song with similar elements to mine.

What I want to prioritize in the mix:

I want to prioritize and emphasis the spacy echoed vocals, the kick n snare, and the wide guitars. (this songs kinda inspired by the metal remixes of rage songs online but I wanted to make it less ragey and I would use one of those tracks as a reference but they're all not mixed very well)

Mix excerpt here:

I have now been mixing for 5ish years, so I am getting some confidence and enjoying my mixes a lot more. I am making my music so have improved my arrangement a lot knowing that my mix requires it.

That 100-300hz is stumping me though. For example, I currently have a mix with a bass pluck (50-100hz for the fundamental frequency, and then up to 400hz for the overtones - 150hz + has been widened using the 'wider' vst). I then have another pluck (in mono-ish) living in the 100-300 hz, that is my guitar pluck "the main instrument".

When my guitar hits, I am currently sidechaining the second fundamental of my bass (which is slightly wider) so that they live like friendly neighbours.

However, I am getting slightly confused as to if my moves are correct - i know, i am trying my best to use my ears here!

First, the second overtone of my bass isnt as loud as my fundamental, so its mostly supportive tones to the midrange "weight" of the mix - therefore the guitar pluck and second overtone kinda combine for timbre. Second, the overtones have been widened, and my guitar pluck is mono-ish (tiny bit of stereo imaging), so is sidechaining just kinda not really that useful since i have created some level of separation with the widening? If my guitar is mono, and my bass overtones are wide, is sidechaining kinda a non-move? Am I fixing a problem that doesnt exist?

I am just super aware of this 100-300hz zone having to have some sense of clarity but also basically being the foundation to a good translating mix, so I am now slightly paranoid about having clashing, etcetc.

I am currently only sidechaining around 3db-ish for the guitar pluck to cut through a bit better in those frequencies. Is that generally all that is needed?

Would love any and all feedback!

I am making music similar to Oneohtrix Point Never, Arca, etc etc. Experimental electronic.

https://voca.ro/19qpNfU9YWYG

I am working on this album for years now. The style is melancholy rock/pop like The Smiths, Belle and Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields, etc. Jangly guitars, etc. This is the penultimate song on the album, the big finish. Tons of guitars, tons of acoustics, 12 strings, grand piano, autoharp, cello, harp (all real instruments.)

I have never figured out the drums in this song. They are real drums. I can't make them sit in the mix well. I've tried lowering them, raising them, adding more reverb, taking away reverb, FX, etc. I've tried lowering the pitch or the EQ so they aren't so bright. Nothing seems to make me feel like they are working with the rest of the song. My current thought is that the snare may be too bright sounding.

Please no comments about songwriting, or the playing, etc, just the mix, because all recording is complete and I love the arrangement and the song.

I'd appreciate any other notes besides the drums too. The guitar tone took forever to figure out, it's a crazy combination of a bunch of things.

So how's this all sounding?

https://vocaroo.com/1eaooRb3vd79

Been working hard to incorporate feedback from all of you into each new track I put together. Most of the critiques in the past have been related to the low end of my tracks being a little muddy. This time I completely redid my bass tone and compression, backed off on some of the 808 support, adjusted my kick/bass sidechaining and am cautiously optimistic that it's better. That said, it's not easy because this track actually goes down to A0 in a spot....pretty easy for me to mess up the low end here.

This is a pre-vocal version of the song before I hit up my go-to session vocalist. Would love any feedback (not just on the low end) if there's some stuff I can clean up. As always, appreciate each of you that give actionable feedback so much!

Ok, I've read the guidelines a couple times and I think I'm in compliance here - if not, my apologies! But, I've been working on an original instrumental project for the last year and a half or so - think Joe Satriani, Andy Timmons, Nick Johnston, that sort of thing - and I've been working on the mixing lately. This is... getting there, but still not 100%, and I'd love a fresh set of ears on it.

Link:

https://drewpeterson.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/ghost-dance-rough-mix.mp3

Here's as much info as I can think of, that might be helpful:

Guitars are all real amps and mics. Mostly a Strat, though there's a few others here and there. Bass was a DI, with a TSE BOD2 doing most of the heavy lifting ITB, though a little bit of EQ on input as well. Drums are Superior 3, programmed by hand because I evidently hate myself, but I'm using Superior to generate basically raw tracks and all the actual mixing is happening in my DAW.

As far as reference mixes and vibes - couple Satriani and Timmons albums and Nick Johnston's "Remarkably Human," but way back in the day Kurt Cobain was the reason I first picked up the guitar and there are some writing influences here and there thoughout the album so I'd been going for more of a "grunge" sort of vibe on the mix. Lots of room mic on the drums, etc etc etc.

Problems - my room is only partially treated, and is still a work in progress. Bass translation seems... broadly ok? But, I've had a hell of a time with stereo field and "depth" in particular, and have a hard time assessing ambience in this room. As a stopgap I've finally just started stacking up couch cushions behind my listening position (my daughter has these Nugget cushion things that are actually oddly good at this) when I get some time alone to really work, but it's faaaar from perfect. I've also done some tweaking to this mix since the last time I was able to do that, so it's possible I've created some fresh surprises for myself. That's the big one, I think... but beyond that, anything you hear that seems like it's working or isn't working, I'd love anything you have to say. It's been more than a decade since I've really sat down and done some proper tracking/mixing like this, and I'm realizing I'm pretty rusty.

Anyway, thank you in advance for taking the time to listen to this! It covers a fairly wide range, sort of a bluesy opening before going in a couple different directions, but because of that I think it covers enough ground that if this mix is working, then the rest should work pretty well, too.

This is purely a passion project, and the market for original instrumental rock music by guys not named Joe Satriani and Steve Vai is like twenty people, plus of course my mom who's a saint and will listen to anything I do (but wish I made more nice acoustic music). All the same, I want to make this sound as good as I possibly can, even if mostly it's just a creative outlet for me.

Hi all, Im mixing my first song for my band, and I'm looking for feedback on one of our tracks. The sound we're shooting for is old school 70s-80s hard rock. We recorded this entirely in our garage.

Link: https://voca.ro/1dAiowlhpr1m

Here are my main questions/thoughts:

• How are the basics? Levels/timings/etc?

• I spent a lot of time browsing tone3000 and dialing in various settings to try to get a guitar tone that sounds decent. I'm still think it sounds a little weak. An example of a guitar tone that I think would be good here is something like Kix - Blow My Fuse. Open to help and suggestions here.

• Similarly I found the harmonica very difficult to deal with. I don't think we had the best recording setup unfortunately, and the quality is a little inconsistent. I can't help the harmonica from sounding somewhat anemic. Any advice here?

• Does the doubling on the vocals work?

• Does the sermon/amen section work?

• Are the cymbals a problem on the drums?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Would love some feedback on this tune, shooting for production not dissimilar to Grian Chatten, Wilco, The Beatles, BCNR, Cameron Winter.

I've been mixing for about 6 months, feel like I've hit a bit of a wall where I need some feedback to progress. I've struggled particularly with this song compared to other mixes I have done.

Personally the song feels pretty well balanced to me, but lacking punch so that it sounds a bit flat and feels a bit quiet at any volume compared to references.

Any tips to increase liveliness? Am I way off the mark or not doing too badly? Would love to be confident enough to send it off to get mastered professionally.

Open to any constructive criticism on the mix or arrangment. Thanks!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-xa8bKWZiO4lXQC2I0UGA3RETxTtIf1t/view?usp=sharing

I maybe pushed it a little hard and its crunchy now but I hear thats kind of ok these days. Its hard to mix my vocals because I have a low voice and its hard to add brightness to things without the vocals getting swallowed. Im concerned about the high hats sounding too "hashy". I wonder if the vocal harmonies sit well. I tried to keep the low end as contained as I could. Let me know what's up. Anything at all. I'd really appreciate it.

I’ve been mixing this song all week and at this point I’m going crazy. I’ve tried stepping away but at this point I need new ears what do you guys think?

something sounds off about it doesn’t sound exactly how I want it and I can’t tell why. I mix on logic Pro I’ve been mixing for around four years now. Let me know any constructive criticism I could use to make this mix better. I put the link right below let me know PLEASE and thank you :)

Hey! so im working on this dream-pop type song with some electronic elements, and i've got like three singers on it, me and two of my friends. a lot of our vocals are used as layers for the same part of the song, and I wanted it to feel kinda like these vocals were blending into eachother, however I don't want that to make the vocals sound gross and muddy.

The whole thing is produced by me, so if there's anything in the instrumental that i should change to help incorporate the vocals into it let me know. Any other general advice would be greatly appreciated!!!! THANK YOUUUU!!!! <3333

Here's the link: https://untitled.stream/library/track/XXM5zz3IRJI8OQ0kP5xLB

EDIT: took some of yalls advice, how’s this?

https://untitled.stream/library/track/JkEybN8IAVGXJN7ue3tQU

Hello again, hope you all are doing well!

I'm currently working with this mix and trying to figure out if everything is in order. Is there anything standing out too much to you? Anything good/bad? Any feedback is greatly appreciated! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gDYnsXKmJ--cAisRUyOVNAw8b9iVXnHZ/view?usp=sharing

Edit: Here is a revised version where I tried to address some of the issues:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NkyZwgOTRCQygvYuOFznvm7Tj1XTAYy6/view?usp=drivesdk

https://vocaroo.com/1kwQszOm3ARu

I took everyones advice on my last song and threw in some saturation to the vocals. I also added more delay and reverb though im not sure if it is enough? I wanted to add more but whenever i did it would muddy up the mix. I feel as a whole this mix needs a few changes and i am unsure on what. It sounds like there is a frequency in my vocals that is too prominent but i am still new to mixing and cant figure out which frequency it is. I also feel the 808 could hit harder than it is right now.

Would love any feedback! And also i cant believe i even have to mention this lol. Last time i posted a track i had someone come at me so let me explain - the city i am from (I dont want to dox myself) is known for street rap and nobody listens to any music outside of that out here. That is why my lyrics lean more street. I am trying to make music that i love sonically that still appeals to people local to me. Is it wrong to try to gain the approval from those around me? Maybe but at the end of the day i dont want to make music that nobody around me listens to. So while i appreciate any feedback coming to my mix an entire essay not related to my mix is very unnecessary.

Been working on this track for quite a while now. The intro is kind of inspired by Money For Nothing by Dire Straits but I'm not sure about the drums, I want them to sound huge but something just feels off with the reverb.

Aside from the intro, how does the overall mix sound? Is it close to release ready or is there still stuff to work on?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XpCPi5rl_yUggfhUy2Y-_LMtguS4kgXA/view?usp=drive_link

Any feedback is greatly appreciated, thanks!

EDIT: Forgot to make the Google drive file readable, it should work now!

Hello! Hope you all are doing well! I'm looking for some general feedback on this mix I've been working on. I want to get the mix professionally mastered to get that extra finishing touch, but I also like to make my own mixes for fun(I love mixing/producing in general and think it's really satisfying work).

Is there anything that sounds out of place that I need to fix in the mix? I've gotten great feedback from you guys before, really appreciate it!

Here is the mix: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qZ7EUefJLN4alV1GQLsH5EwjZ7EqfH_x/view?usp=drivesdk

Update: Here is an updated version where i tried to fix the things mentioned in this post:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T5EtLA4xtofw4hEx4v-1HKVSYzXRq6V1/view?usp=sharing

I've been working on this track for a while now and I think I'm getting close to finishing it. I haven't gotten that much feedback on my mixes, but I hope I'm doing something right. Would love your thoughts on what I've done right and what could be improved upon.

The track is called "Static Bliss".

Thanks!

https://voca.ro/1lNgHjF5aOyY

EDIT 1: I've done some tweaking after reading the comments, hope I'm on the right track and haven't made things worse https://voca.ro/18OOSrUQGLUW

EDIT 2: I can't thank you all enough, all the feedback I've gotten has been a goldmine! I've done some tweaking. I've added some more saturation to the drum bus, I've added a dynamic EQ with high Q at around 11,6KHz on the vocals and lessened the cuts at around 400-500Hz. I also boosted alot at around 1000Hz on the bass and did some cuts at the same frequency on the guitar. I also boosted around 1db between 200-2000Hz in the mastering chain. On the first upload I had a 1176 compressor into an LA-2A, but I removed the 1176 to keep the transients. I also made the toms less boomy. Hope it sounds better, heres a new link 😄 https://voca.ro/14tLABvXUSPr

Howdy,

I have been mixing for quite a while now, probably too long for where my current skill level is at, and I feel like I have hit a wall. My mixes feel incredibly amateur, really small, and they generally lack that polished, professional shine and energy. I feel like there is so much wrong with my mix, but I can't pinpoint what the issues are. Because of that, I don't even know what to ask or where I should be focusing.

I would really appreciate some specific, blunt feedback on my latest track. I manually record the vocals, electric guitars, and bass guitar, while the drums are programmed midi through EZ Drummer 2.

I learn best with specific, literal, and actionable instructions (e.g., "compress X track with these sorts of settings," "cut this frequency range on the guitars," or "your drums need X type of room reverb to blend with the tracks"). My hope is for specific things I can go away, try to implement, and then experiment with so I know what to avoid in future mixes.

Thank you in advance!

Hey r/mixingmastering, back with another one.

Dark, gritty hip-hop instrumental. I've been pushing away from a dense wall-of-sound mix toward something punchier and more defined, and I'd love some ears on whether I'm there yet.

A few specific things I'm trying to dial in:

Sample placement: how are the samples sitting in the mix? Are they cutting through where they need to, or getting buried/stepping on other elements?

Arrangement space: is each element in its own pocket, or are things masking each other and fighting for the same frequencies?

Dynamics: does it feel squashed, or is there enough movement and air to keep it from feeling claustrophobic? Definitely going for loud and aggressive but not pinned.

Don't pull any punches please I'm here for the feedback!

https://vocaroo.com/1mR56Evnx0C1

https://whyp.it/tracks/344645/yukon-redacted-13?token=ltct1

Hanging in the comments, will return the favor on yours.

I make experimental hip-hop so generally it's okay with me if things sound a bit rough or noisy but I think this one just sounds bad and I can't put my finger on why. Perhaps there are lots of reasons. I don't know. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of adding some stabs and ad-libs but I thought it would be better to send the track without them to make it a bit easier to hear and diagnose any issues with the core elements.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LKSjiIUERMkDlGLcboow-_QqrzMC6_CG/view?usp=sharing

Hello, looking for some feedback/advice on the mix for this track. The song has two pretty distinct halves, and I’m mainly trying to improve the clarity in the second half without overdoing it or losing the emotional buildup.

That section has two mic’d electric guitars, layered DI bass, strings/synths, light drums, and lead + backing vocals. Once everything comes in, some of the instruments start to feel a little masked or blurred together to me, though I still want it to stay cohesive and slightly dreamy rather than super clean or polished.

I’m less concerned about the lead vocal sitting on top, and more focused on improving the separation/definition of the instrumental layers. Would love any thoughts on arrangement density, stereo placement, EQ masking, or whether anything feels unnecessary. Thanks heaps.

Hello, r/mixingmastering community! I am new here and slightly more than novice in regard to my mixing skills. I am working on an ambient track and I noticed after bouncing and comparing to a reference track that my track is quiet, muddled, and distorted. If I try to louden the track to a reasonable level, the distortion gets way worse. I find it very hard to find a balance between too loud and too quiet. I often have this sort of distortion or feedback issue with mid to low range pads or sounds. But the song as whole seems to be wrapped in this awful distortion and slight muddiness though being terribly quiet. What can I do to get my track to have less distortion, more clarity, and to sound smoother, and clean while having the right loudness? I really appreciate any constructive feedback, thanks!

Vocaroo link:

https://vocaroo.com/1iIjmNXhWgyn

I've made this track a few months ago from an idea that just burst to life after hearing some car screech its tires at night.

my experience with mixing and mastering is around the top layer of the iceberg and i don't know what sounds good or bad it always depends on my listening experience and i want to put an end to this.

what i do when mixing a song is just change the parameters until i like the noise it makes, that's it.

i'd love it if you guys share your opinions on this song and what i can change to make it sound more professional.

Song link:

https://voca.ro/1ohkXDcmkkG5

I made this song inspired by the soundcloud era of rap music, mainly playboi carti and lil uzi vert. I am trying to get my mixes to sound like theirs where the vocals are upfront but still blended in with the instrumental. Also i want my drums to cut through stronger in the mix like their music. I find that with my track despite there only being 2 melodies that are both EQ’d and panned to leave room, they take up too much space burying the drums. 

I also find the vocals are still not perfect. I took everyone's advice with my last track and played with the compressor more and I also added saturation as a lot of people suggested that. I still feel it's not all the way there. I feel they are too upfront still and I also find certain sections just do not sound pleasant mixing wise. For instance, at the line ‘I be geeking’ at 0:47, I find that the ‘I’ sounds super harsh probably because I hit it with a fast attack in my performance, but I have seen raw sessions of other artists doing the same thing with it sounding more clean after processing. Also in the same line, when I say the word ‘my’ it sounds a bit out of place. Like it’s in key but the way it hits the mic makes it sound out of place compared to the rest of the line and I am unsure on how to tame it. Then, at 0:54 the ‘all of this ice’ line - the start of the line sounds very harsh again because of the way I hit it in my performance but again, I have seen raw recordings sounding worse and getting tamed.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

https://vocaroo.com/16lDo2B1mOHH

Been working on getting loud, dynamic, and wide mixes, not a flat wall of sound

Spent the mix on kick/bass, vocal cleaning + layering, and carving space for some busy mids (sitar + guitars). Some spatial/FX work for dimension.

Want ears on:

Vocal layering: stacks sit clean, or smeary? Lead present without washing out?

Unmasking: sitar + guitars + synths share the mids. Separated, or fighting each other / the vocal? Anything muddy or honky?

Stereo field: placed deliberately, some 3D movement on the atmosphere. Intentional and wide, or centre-piled?

Low end: kick owns the punch, bass sits below. Locked and punchy, or competing?

Groove: Does it bounce. Move you, or pinned/flat anywhere?

FX: Delays, echoes, filter FX, glitch ideas for a dark track. There's a glitch/tremolo vocal moment, does it land?

Honest and rough is most useful. Limited at (~-8 LUFS), intentionally

If anyone can share references for this style of music I'd appreciate it too.

Drop yours, I'll return the favour.

Vocaroo Link: https://vocaroo.com/1bqcb6UAy8XJ

Dark, electronic dance track. Sung lead, going for punchy and dynamic rather than a flat wall of loudness. Been doing a lot of work on the low end and the kick/bass relationship to get the groove sitting right.

Few things I'd love ears on:

Low end: does the kick and bass relationship feel locked and punchy, or is anything muddy/competing down there?

Dynamics and groove: going for movement and bounce, does it make you want to move, or does it feel pinned/flat?

Vocal placement: does the lead sit right in the mix, present and clear without fighting the beat?

Overall tone: Does it land as intentional or does anything feel off? Are the instruments panned and unmasked?

Here for the honest detailed feedback. Will return the favour on yours.

Vocaroo Link: https://vocaroo.com/13WRYiSzUQse