The biggest mixing mistake that anybody can make it doing something by default. I know, it isn’t very specific, but I will give you a specific example of something along these lines. Just keep in mind, never do anything in audio recording and mixing that you would think of as default. There is no automatic action that you should take in your mixes.
The boundaries that you face when mixing something with a default action are pretty simple. Eventually you will screw up a mix. What works for one song might not work for another song. There is also a lot of false information that requires beginners to act on default. It does help to have some starting points in audio recording and mixing, but you really want to just experiment and figure things out for yourself.
Okay, so the big thing that I find a lot of beginners doing is immediately high passing everything other than the kick drum and the bass guitar. I am even guilty of doing this as a beginner, so trust me don’t just automatically cut out all of your lows!
When you cut out the lows, you lose so much energy and thickness, and it often leaves your mix sounding dull, papery, thin, and weak. Wow, that is a word salad of all the things an audio engineer hates.
The modern issue is that so many people, particularly beginners, are working in a non-professional studio that doesn’t give them the resources to hear the super low frequencies. In turn when you get in your car to listen to the song you just spent days working on, the low end seems to pummel everything else. So what do you do?
Well if you cannot hear it, why not cut it? Because then you get the word salad again. Look, I’m not saying to never high pass, but just avoid doing it by default. The low end is a sound that is perceived and not really heard. Shaping that low end has an effect on the mid and the high frequency range as well.
Just remember, it is okay to attenuate the lows that need the filter, but don’t just cut them all out or you will be left with dust in the wind. You need that low end energy. This is just one great example of mixing with defaults, and it’s never a good thing. Experiment, learn, and think for yourself. It will make you a better engineer.
What are mistakes that you know of that cause a poor mix? Comment question and subscribe!