- Discover the most common pitfalls that trip up beginner mixers.
- Learn practical techniques to correct your mixes and elevate your sound.
- Understand how to use EQ, compression, and levels effectively.
- Gain confidence in your workflow with actionable, easy-to-follow advice.
Mixing music can initially feel overwhelming—like trying to paint a masterpiece with a thousand brushes and no instructions. Between the endless sea of plugins, countless YouTube tutorials, and conflicting advice from seasoned pros, it’s easy to feel paralyzed by choice. You might wonder whether your EQ moves are helping or hurting, if your track sounds “muddy” because of your reverb settings, or if your kick isn’t punching through the way you hoped.
The truth is, everyone starts somewhere. Even the most respected mix engineers made cringeworthy mixes in the beginning. The early stages of learning to mix are filled with trial, error, and those “aha!” moments when something finally clicks. What’s comforting is that many beginner mistakes are surprisingly common—and once you identify them, they’re totally fixable.
In this article, we’re going to walk through seven of the most frequent mistakes beginner mixers make. More importantly, we’ll give you actionable solutions and practical tips for each one. Whether you’re working in your bedroom studio or just starting to explore mixing as a hobby, these insights will help you develop cleaner, more balanced, and professional-sounding mixes. Let’s dive in.
1. Mixing at High Volumes
Blasting your monitors during a mix session can feel exhilarating—it makes the track come alive, gives the bass more punch, and adds a sense of power to your sound. But while it might seem like you’re getting a better feel for the energy of the track, mixing at high volumes is one of the most deceptive traps for beginners.
This is because of how our ears interpret sound. According to the Fletcher-Munson curves (also known as equal-loudness contours), our hearing is more sensitive to midrange frequencies at lower volumes and more responsive to bass and treble as the volume increases. So, when you’re mixing loudly, your ears naturally perceive the lows and highs as more prominent than they actually are. The result? You may unintentionally scoop out too much midrange or boost the bass and treble unnecessarily—leading to a mix that sounds hollow or harsh when played back at normal listening levels.
Another downside to consistently mixing loud is ear fatigue. Your ears can only take so much before they start to lose sensitivity, which can cloud your judgment and lead to poor decisions the longer you work.
Fix:
The solution is simple but powerful: mix at moderate levels, ideally around 70–75 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level). If you don’t have an SPL meter, a good rule of thumb is to keep the volume low enough that you can comfortably hold a conversation without shouting. This level helps you make more accurate EQ and balance decisions and protects your ears for longer sessions.
Also, make it a habit to reference your mix at various volume levels throughout the session. Occasionally turn the volume up briefly to check how the energy translates at high levels—but don’t stay there. In addition, listen to your mix on different playback systems—headphones, earbuds, car speakers, and even your phone speaker. This will give you a much broader perspective on how your mix will sound to real-world listeners.
Mixing at a consistent, moderate volume is one of the simplest habits you can build—and one of the most important for long-term growth as a mixer.
2. Overusing Reverb
Reverb can add space and depth, but beginners often overdo it. Too much reverb muddies up the mix, especially when applied across every track without intention.
Fix: Use reverb strategically. Start with a dedicated reverb bus and send only select elements to it. Consider using shorter decay times and pre-delay to keep the mix clean. Tools like Valhalla VintageVerb offer great control over your reverb tails.
3. Not Using Reference Tracks
If you’re not comparing your mix to professionally released tracks, you’re essentially mixing in the dark. Without a point of reference, it’s easy to lose perspective on how your mix stacks up in terms of balance, clarity, and overall impact. You might think your low end is deep and punchy—until you hear how tight and controlled it sounds on a commercial mix. Or you might not realize your vocals are buried until you compare them to how upfront they sit in a hit track.
Reference tracks serve as a benchmark. They provide a reality check that helps you calibrate your ears and make better decisions throughout the mix process. They also speed up your learning curve by revealing how different elements—like kick, snare, bass, and vocals—should typically sound in your genre.
Fix:
Choose 2–3 reference tracks that are well-mixed, mastered, and closely match the style you’re aiming for. Import them directly into your DAW session and level-match them to your mix—this is key, as louder tracks will naturally sound better. Use a plugin like ADPTR Metric AB to quickly toggle between your mix and the references without disrupting your workflow.
As you compare, listen critically to the tonal balance (how the frequencies are distributed), the stereo width, and the relative levels of instruments. Ask yourself: How does the vocal sit in the mix? Is the low end tighter or more defined than mine? Are the high frequencies too harsh in my mix compared to the reference?
Over time, regularly using reference tracks will sharpen your ear and help you develop an intuitive sense of what a polished mix should sound like.
4. EQing Without Intention
EQ is one of the most powerful tools in mixing—but in the hands of a beginner, it can quickly do more harm than good. One common mistake is applying EQ changes without a clear reason. Randomly sweeping through frequency bands or cutting/boosting frequencies just because a tutorial suggested it can strip away the character of a sound and leave your mix feeling thin, unnatural, or harsh.
Over-EQing is especially common when beginners try to “fix” a problem that might actually stem from something else, like bad gain staging or poor arrangement. The result? An over-processed mix where everything sounds tampered with and nothing feels glued together.
Fix:
Always EQ with intention. Before you reach for an EQ plugin, ask yourself what you’re trying to accomplish. Is an instrument clashing with another? Is a vocal sounding boxy or muddy? Identify the issue first, then use EQ to surgically address it.
Subtractive EQ—cutting rather than boosting—is often more transparent and effective, especially in dense
5. Ignoring Gain Staging
If you’re constantly fighting red meters or overly quiet plugins, your gain staging is off. Poor gain structure can lead to distortion, lost headroom, and unpredictable plugin behavior.
Fix: Make sure each track peaks around -12 to -6 dB before it hits your mix bus. Maintain consistent levels throughout your chain. Many DAWs offer VU meters or gain trim tools to help with this process.
6. Neglecting Automation
One of the biggest differences between an amateur mix and a professional one is movement. When a mix feels static or flat, it’s often because there’s little to no automation involved. Many beginners view automation as optional—something to apply only to vocals or flashy transitions—but in reality, it’s one of the most powerful tools for creating dynamic, emotionally engaging music.
Without automation, a mix can quickly become monotonous. Instruments may feel disconnected, vocals can lose their impact, and different sections of a song might not carry the emotional arc intended by the artist. Think of automation as the “performance” of your mix—guiding the listener’s ear and keeping things interesting from start to finish.
Fix:
Use automation to breathe life into your tracks. Volume automation is a great place to start—ride the fader to bring out vocal phrases, highlight lead melodies, or emphasize transitions between song sections. Next, try automating panning to create movement and space during builds or breakdowns.
You can also get creative with effect automation. For example, subtly increase reverb or delay during a chorus for a sense of openness, then pull it back in the verses for intimacy. This kind of detail work helps your mix feel more intentional and emotionally resonant.
Modern DAWs like Studio One and Ableton Live offer intuitive automation lanes and envelopes, making it easy to draw or record real-time changes. Don’t be afraid to experiment—it’s often the small,
7. Mixing in Solo
Soloing a track during mixing can feel like the logical thing to do—after all, it’s easier to hear the details when everything else is muted. But this approach can quickly lead to misleading decisions. Music isn’t meant to be heard one instrument at a time; it exists as a cohesive whole. What sounds “perfect” in solo might actually clash or disappear completely once you return to the full mix.
This is especially true with EQ and compression. For example, you might boost the top end of a vocal to make it sparkle in solo, but in the context of the mix, it could now sound harsh or fight with cymbals and synths in the same frequency range. Or you might compress a bass guitar so tightly that it loses all its energy when played alongside the kick drum.
Fix:
Whenever possible, make your EQ, compression, and balance adjustments while listening to the full mix. This ensures that every decision supports the overall sound rather than just the isolated element. Think of mixing like working on a puzzle—each piece has to fit with the others to create the bigger picture.
ConclusionEvery mixer makes mistakes—it’s a natural and essential part of the learning process. The good news is that most of the hurdles beginners face can be overcome with awareness, intention, and practice. By taking time to understand these seven common pitfalls and how to correct them, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success in your music journey.
You’re not alone on the path to better mixes. Even the best engineers started out exactly where you are—confused by EQ curves, struggling with gain staging, and unsure if their mix could ever compete with commercial tracks. The difference comes with consistency, curiosity, and the willingness to improve.
So keep refining your ear, stay patient with the process, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Embrace reference tracks, mix with context, and let automation and thoughtful EQ bring your music to life. With every project, you’ll grow more confident and develop a sound that’s uniquely your own.
Keep mixing, keep learning—and let your passion for music guide you forward.