Why Your Mix Sounds Bad at High Volume

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David Gnozzi Platinum Mix Mastering Engineer, Producer
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*DAVID GNOZZI'S CREDITS INCLUDE *
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In this video producer, mix and mastering engineer David Gnozzi explains why your mixes sound bad at high volume, in the car, phones, headphones etc..

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[nickdenardo]

i seriously just noticed this on my own. wish this one had shown up in my feed months ago.

but it takes a lot of skill to get all the information you want in the upper mids without it becoming too much.

I'm getting there. thanks for the wisdom.

[kelainefes]

Hi David, I think there are more reasons why a mix can sound bad when played loud.
Maybe you didn't even think of them because for you these things are a given but they're not for us common mortals!

It can be that the mix sessions have been too long and without breaks, and excessive high end has been progressively added as the hours passed, which goes unnoticed in the moment but comes out the next day, especially if the song is played loud.

And it could also be that the mix has been done at a low level where we hear less top and bottom end, and again this has caused the mix to be mid scooped, which sounds bad when you play it loud later on.

[JS-wdbk]

Thanks David, always wondered why this happened in some mixes, but didn't know exactly why.I know its probably basic stuff, thank you very much for clearing that.

[thatchinaboi]

This goes back to one of the first lessons I learned in Audio Engineering School @ SAE NYC, which is Equal Loudness Contours. The reason why all sound systems crap out at a certain level is because most songs are mixed with a relatively even frequency response, and when listened to at louder than studio reference level (ear damaging levels), the frequencies humans are most sensitive to (upper mid frequencies) will begin to sound harsh. This happens even if the sound system produces no audible distortion at these loud levels.

The second possibility which adds to this perceived harshness past a certain SPL is that the sound system simply can't handle the output level, and therefore the harshness is even worse due to the added distortion.

The third possibility is that your mix is not done at studio reference level. If you mix at a lower reference level than studio reference level then you risk your mix sounding imbalanced and harsh when listened to at louder levels. Keep in mind studio reference level (83-87 dB SPL average peak) is right below the threshold of sound pressure that starts to become ear damaging.

[Somedei]

Thanks for help us in sharing your knowledge and elevate the conversation between pros and newbees

[rome]

It seems like the importance of low end differs with genre. For example, for a rock mix I'd rather have it be too thin than too bassy. And the level where it's "too bassy" happens much sooner than it would in a hip hop mix. I know a lot of rock mixers mix on NS-10s and spend the vast majority of their time on the midrange rather than the low end. Many don't even have a sub. They just check their low end briefly in headphones or on a different system.

Also, I enjoy music from early eras where the low end wasn't nearly as pronounced. Their bass amps couldn't produce it in the studio, and the playback systems couldn't reproduce it once the record was cut. In fact, I believe mastering for vinyl took this into account. All music having a bunch of sub content is a very modern phenomenon. Even the amount of 60-100 hz is more modern, though you can probably find that starting in the 80s, I would guess.

[eihthype]

Don’t know what I’m doing right, but my mixes sound so much better cranked 🔈

[JonathanWalton-vk]

Thank you very much brother. The mid range was truly helpful. 👏👏👏👏👏

[NvrkoPrxpht]

Here's the video I've been looking for, for ages🔥🤦

[backwardclocksound]

Great question. In my experience I've noticed tracks that are pushed too hard into the final limiter tend to fall apart when the volume goes up. Particularly digital over limiting

[hygro]

I find some kinds of distortion are easier to "get wrong". Clipping is hot right now but when the sharp and inharmonic digital artifacts intrinsic to clipping are played loudly, they can reaalllly grate the ears.

[AutoclaveBeats]

Thank you for the video...is there any value in using analysers like ozone's tonal balance as a secondary help to your ears to balancing a mix or would you recommend not using them at all?

[algorix]

In my case, some "professional mixed" songs from spotify distort too when i turn up the volume, I was really upset when I heard my mix on phone and it sounded with a lot of distortion. It was both my mix and the phone speakers because the tonal balance was a little bit off, so there was really too much distortion, but usually if I listen to some acoustic instruments, at high volume for example, even for professionally mixed songs the harshness is there

[TheReal_E.IRIZARRY]

David,
you were on a roll with the " Best Of 2022" series.
You should do a "Best De-Noiser Plugins of 2022".
....a "Best RMS Gain Stager Plugins of 2022"....
and a "Real L.A. Housewives of YouTube" and show
how you and Bella fight off cam. ROTFLMAO.

[jerrygleam]

Thanks for the video man! My signal actually peaks 2-3db higher when I use a hi-pass filter on the low end. Like you say in the video, you see many people recommend cutting low end to free up headroom, but wouldn’t this trigger their compressors and limiters more? Sounds like it could be better to not cut the low end like you say and also have more headroom. I’m confused on how it actually creates headroom.

[channelyoururl]

I thought about trying Soothe 2 or Reso on my digital mixes but real analog gear helped. Initially I paid someone to do a master with tape. It was better. But then I tried Mix:analog last night and ran a song through their Fairchild 670 clone. WOW

Added a lot AND got rid of the harshness

[redalert]

You hit the nail on the head! I was having a bad day but this made it so much better, thank you Dave! It does seem to be in the high mids and really high frequencies, I don’t know why but I tend to make everything brighter than my references. I was just wondering if it had anything to do with too much distortion and probably does, and yes the mid high frequencies are piercing when I turn up the volume so I probably just have to much information there with all the tracks combined

[pipocosounds]

Hi, with the help of your videos I got to a point where my mixes sound loud without much distortion which is great. The only problem I have noticed is that my mixes don't sound as clear as more professional ones I hear (Each element is easier to identify and it doesn't like a big clump of sound). Would you know how I could fix this issue? Thanks

[khaleghnoori]

Thanks for the clarification on the mid/mid high issue. I've had the same question for a long time. Can I ask you to explain a bit more about what you mentioned right after the intro of the video. Meaning the fact that so many mixes start sounding harsh in the low-end region, even professional officially released songs on established record labels, even in professional acousticly treated rooms.
For example, some of them start to sound a bit to punchy. Is it the limit of studio monitors or some error and bias in the frequency response of the room ?

[OJAHBEAT]

CAN U DO A VIDEO FOR US ABOUT HOW TO CONTROL OR WRK ON OUR MID RANGE