How to Fix a Harsh Mix: Vocals, Guitars & Master Buss

🎛️ Check out Fixate: Midrange here 👉🏼 https://etide.io/RRFMYT 🎹 Hire me to produce, mix, master: https://radiumartists.com/work-with-me If your mix sounds harsh, fatiguing, muddy, or like people want to turn it DOWN instead of UP… this video is for you. In this video, I break down how to fix harsh midrange problems in your mix using vocals, guitars, synths, instrument buses, and your master buss. We’re diving into the most important part of your mix... The midrange and showing how harshness, honk, nasal tones, mud, and bad tonal balance can make your song sound cheap, fast. I’m using Newfangled Audio’s "Fixate: Midrange" to demonstrate how I approach fixing these issues quickly and musically without over-processing and killing the life of the song. We cover: • Master buss midrange control • Fixing harsh vocals and cheap-sounding vocal resonance • Cleaning up guitars, synths, and instrument buses • Mid/Side processing for better vocal space • The 2k–3k harshness zone that kills listener retention • How to pass the “Volume Test” so people turn your song UP This is not about over-EQing your mix. It’s about making people feel something when they hear your song. If you enjoy mixing, mastering, production tutorials, Logic Pro workflows, plugin breakdowns, and real-world producer tips, make sure to subscribe and drop a comment with what you’d like to see next! --- Chapters 00:00 Why Your Mix Hurts 00:23 The Volume Test (Turn It Up or Down?) 01:05 Why Midrange Is Everything 02:49 Setting Up Fixate on the Master Buss 03:05 Understanding Resonance, Balance & Profiles 05:05 Fletcher Munson Curve Explained 07:22 Using FIX on the Master Buss 07:48 Why Auto-Fix Can Overprocess 08:16 Fixing Mud Without Killing the Drums 09:03 D-Honk, D-Nasal & Threshold Settings 10:10 Fixing Harshness in the 2k–3k Range 10:47 Hint Map vs Fix Map 12:34 The 2.2k Frequency Problem 13:56 Rebalancing the Entire Midrange 15:01 Why Smooth Mixes Feel Expensive 15:58 Why Your Vocals Sound Cheap 17:13 Vocal Buss Processing Walkthrough 18:08 Don’t Overprocess Your Vocals 19:01 Mid vs Side Vocal Processing Tips 20:32 A/B Check on the Vocal Buss 21:20 Making Space for Vocals in the Mix 22:23 Instrument Buss Midrange Cleanup 23:48 Mid/Side Tricks for Guitars & Synths 24:11 Making Room for Kick, Bass & Vocal Body 25:57 Final Pro Tips for Midrange Mixing 27:49 Full Before vs After A/B 28:12 The Final Volume Test 29:15 Final Thoughts on Better Mixing #mixingandmastering #musicproduction #vocals #Mixingengineer