Why Your Mix Sounds Harsh

Matt Reilly is a professional music producer and bassist for Avril Lavigne. Matt is an endorsing artist for Fender, Elixir Strings, Pariah Pickups, GraphTech, Babicz FCH Bridges and MAC Cosmetics.
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[@ladislavfejes4358]

Don't panic if you don't hear 16k and 20k. You don't hear it, because it's not there. Probably KZbin's encoding remived it, because for example it is encoded to 128kbps that only goes up to 16k, not including 16k. I ripped the audio of the video to 320kbps mp3 and ran it through an analyzer and my suspicions were right, the 16k part has next to nothing in the waveform, and the 20k part is plain silence. Aside from this, really informative video, thanks for taking the time to make it! :)

[@MattReillyProductions]

You’re absolutely correct! Thanks for checking out the video. 👍😊

[@rickylegend]

thank God, I was freaking out 😂 last time I checked I could hear up to 18kHz

[@sainthills]

Jesus Christ 😂

[@alexmagnifica]

anyway i do panic, because i really dont here it out of youtube

[@metebirgoren5180]

I was just going to the doctor!

[@1stcomment700]

This video taught me more about EQ than 99% of videos titled "how to EQ" 👍

[@maelgwni]

Matt Reilly this is an absolutely brilliant video - thank you for teaching us this extremely important audio theory. You answered my questions and solved my problem completely. I haven't heard this taught in the countless EQ and mixing tutorials I must have watched over the years. Thank you so much again, I can't thank you enough!!

[@fuzzypancake123]

Just if anyone is wondering about hearing 16kHz. I could not hear it at all in the video, but if I generate a tone at 16k in audacity I can easily hear it. So if you don't hear it, it could just be youtube and what not.

[@oinkooink]

My harsh mixes brought me here

[@gilbert1967uk]

A very good video. Well presented and easy to understand. Thanks.

[@FEARDROP]

This is great. Thank you Sir!

[@gettyfeet9119]

Omg I needed this.

[@philycheezesteak5176]

Great vid! valuable lesson on the Fletcher Munson curve. thank you!

[@MattReillyProductions]

Phily Cheezesteak Anytime! Glad you liked it!

[@rawkinj6609]

Headphones here too! 2.5k and up painfully real! And no, nobody could hear the 16 and 20k..they weren't there. Great video 👍😊 I also learned more then I thought today! You've made my mixes better! Rawk on!

[@tigerboy4516]

Very helpful, thanks

[@MattReillyProductions]

2012 my pleasure! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@chiefindisguise]

Very concise info, excellent!!!

[@MattReillyProductions]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!

[@getthoseskills4451]

great video

[@oscar9876543]

Damn, this was helpful! Thanks

[@realraven2000]

12Khz - like a dentist drill 16khz - nothing (neither on Studio monitors nor on Headphones. Well I am 52 after all.

[@stizan9185]

You can't hear 16khz bcs of the youtube video

[@danielandrespat]

Very interesting for my mic use. Tks !

[@ColinJarrett]

Helpful. Thanks :)

[@rashidpassion]

Man its too good

[@claudio1634]

Subscribed! Keep on :)

[@MattReillyProductions]

claudio thanks for the subscription!

[@matrixate]

Most everyone can't hear 16kHz. Don't panic. It's normal if you're past your 30s. Most music really doesn't go much past 14kHz. I don't know why people even mix past 16kHz. Besides, compression algorithms, specifically mp3, cut at 16k anyway, and no one complains. So, people are fooling themselves thinking they're mixing sound above 14kHz. My suggestion is to mix on Mixcubes and get it where you hear all the instruments and frequencies. Then use the stereo monitors for spread.

[@AAABeatbox]

We probably can't hear above 16kHz. But for the purposes of sound design it may function very well to EQ some. Just depends on what genre and taste you are looking for.

[@TarzanHedgepeth]

Garbage statement. I hear up to 18K without even trying. The difference is VAST in the “air” of the sound. I can’t hear the difference in 20K and 18K noticeably, though… Not on this video - but on my own files at home.

[@matrixate]

@@TarzanHedgepethIt may seem ridiculous, but if you can hear sounds past 18k, you are truly gifted. If you do the research, a lot of songs cut everything past 17k...almost every commercial song. It's rare that anyone in their 30s, or later, can hear 18k. Besides, you couldn't hear 18k because the encoding algorithm cuts past about 16k. Are you sure you heard anything there? Because if you did, you're imagining it.

[@41mm16]

Nice video!

[@CricketStyleJ]

8k was the one that hurt my ears the most. I physically jumped when it started.

[@allyhellkiller5535]

My dog is like wtf was that?Great video!

[@jasonschindel1180]

Thanks for the info Matt. I stumbled across your channel when looking for an introduction to Pro Tools. Because of the those two parts I subscribed and am seriously considering switching from Cubase to Pro Tools. Keep the videos coming!

[@MattReillyProductions]

Jason Schindel thanks for checking out the channel! More videos are on the way! Pro Tools is a great DAW, I've been using it for years. I recently added PreSonus Studio One to my setup to have another program to keep things fresh! Music production is all about having fun using the software you enjoy, whether it's Cubase, Pro Tools, Studio One, Logic etc.

[@killercore007]

Maybe it's just me, but the harshness started to get less at 6k+

[@GameInterest]

I'll usually put a kick around 40hz and dead center it and cut off any high end coming from out. Then I'll drop in a higher end punch and cut off anything lower than maybe 50hz as not to interfer with the kick on the low end.

[@WheelieMix]

Nice idea for a video. Is it me or 16khz is barely audible on KZbin ?

[@MattReillyProductions]

WheelieMix I’m with you on that. There is a pretty significant rolloff of high end frequencies on streamable media due to file compression.

[@WheelieMix]

I was so afraid that I did the test on my DAW to be sure haha x). Yes that's a good thing to know, I didn't know that YT filtered so much the upper high frequencies !

[@mattzoeter3032]

KZbin rolls off around 15.5khz

[@vybore9494]

KZbin’s algorithm incorporates a brick wall lowpass filter at around 16kHz.

[@clintonyorke]

Ha ha listened in an iPhone and only started hearing anything at 250hz

[@No-to4kd]

bro you just broke my ears

[@kiranaric]

Anything by Matt Reilly Productions, click the thumbnail, hit the like button and then watch. Guaranteed that I always take home some valuable learning.

[@j.stan-e7869]

16k sounds like a tiny ringing and the 20k is like a ring you hear in the silence of midnight. I'm not sure if that's the sound or just because of 2.5 to 3 hurts my ear so it makes it ringing all the way up.

[@axnyslie]

This video made my cat mad and she had to leave the room.

[@maxlarsen]

I dint even hear 16khz =(

[@empresscandicodm4593]

Watching this gave me so much anxiety lol

[@HIBYROSE]

This was very helpful. Thanks!

[@MattReillyProductions]

My pleasure!!

[@JulianXtra]

I was nervous reading the comments, but now I am patting myself on the back BC I can fuckin hear 16k woooooo. I just sounds like an old TV is on.

[@retsmej]

i can't hear 16k anymore ...

[@didzisberzins1221]

Good advice ;) This was helpful though you should really pick up the pace on your videos ;)

[@Melvin7727]

Great video. So, is the solution to taming these harsh mid-treble frequencies simply to cut them until the "harshness factor" goes away and softens in a mix? Is the solution to have recorded with a better tone during the tracking phase? I'm understanding that these areas are harsh and need to be managed with care. But as a beginner, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing in order to achieve that. Any advice? Thanks!

[@davidwtaylor7180]

The old adage is "garbage in / garbage out". So in other words, if you initially track with too much in the high mid frequency range, it's difficult if not impossible to clean up these frequencies during the mix stage on tracks that were recorded poorly. If you were to try and "fix in the mix" these frequencies, it would negatively impact the sound of the overall mix. It's always best to get as good as possible quality of recording at the initial tracking stage so that when you get to the mix phase, it's more of a subtle polishing job rather than an attempt for a complete overhaul.

[@lolsucks3599]

12khz is alot quiter on my left ear for some reason

[@metalupyourass9]

Probably because you drum? Or have amps on that side of you alot?

[@lolsucks3599]

@@metalupyourass9 no

[@metalupyourass9]

@@lolsucks3599 Hmm, hard to say then, could be many reasons, but the hi-hat usually kills drummers left ears (like mine) just assumed!

[@maxlarsen]

i dint hear 16khz :S

[@ashishpaul4446]

increase the volume a bit loud for that part...