What I Noticed in This Week's Coaching Session 
(+ The Fixes That Actually Work)

Had an interesting coaching session this week. Got some really creative tracks, but kept seeing the same technical issues pop up. 

 

Figured I'd share what came up since these mistakes are way more common than they should be.

 

If you've been in any of my programs, you'll probably recognize some of these. 

 

And if you're making these mistakes yourself, the fixes are actually pretty straightforward once you know what to look for.

The Bass Issue That Showed Up Three Times

This was the big one—bass sitting in that 80-100Hz range instead of down in the subs where it belongs.

Producer #1 had this exact problem. 

 

Great progression, solid arrangement, but the bass was just sitting in the wrong place and overpowering everything else.

What I told him:

Cut 2-3dB between 80-150Hz on the bass

Add that same energy back at 40Hz

Instantly creates space for everything else to breathe

It's that frequency relocation technique we covered in the mixing module. Takes 30 seconds to fix but makes a massive difference to the whole mix.

Kick Selection vs Bass Type 

Producer #2 sent in this dirty tech house thing—really cool vibe. But he'd paired a 909-style kick with a heavy 808 bass, and they were just fighting each other the whole time.

 

The problem: both elements living in exactly the same frequency range with nothing bridging the gap.

Quick fix:

Swap to a shorter, punchier kick for that style of bass

Saturate the bass above 200Hz to fill the missing middle

Drop the drum bus 1dB (sometimes that's literally all it takes)

This is basic frequency management, but it's the difference between a muddy mess and something that actually punches.

Vocal Placement

Producer #3 had this really interesting atmospheric thing going, but the vocals were completely buried. 

 

You could tell there was something special there, but you couldn't actually hear what it was saying.

 

The vocal had nice effects on it—gave it that dreamy vibe he was going for—but effects without proper level management just creates problems.

What works:

Get the vocal level right first, then add effects

Use sidechain compression on the pads, triggered by the vocal

When the vocal hits, everything else ducks slightly

This isn't rocket science, but it's the kind of detail that separates okay tracks from ones people actually want to listen to.

Arrangement Development (Or Lack Of)

This came up with a couple tracks—great 8-bar sections that just repeated without any development. 

 

You get excited about the first section, then it does the exact same thing for the next minute.

Simple progression strategy:

Second section: add counter-melodies or arps that follow your bass notes

Third section: introduce harmony layers on top of your main elements

Breakdown: remove drums for half of it, let the bass and vocal breathe

It's about giving people a reason to keep listening past the first 16 bars.

Drum Balance Issues 

Producer #4 has been working on this piano house thing.

 

The musical ideas are solid, but the drum balance was throwing everything off—kick and clap too loud, hi-hats too quiet.

 

Creates this weird hole in the drum mix that makes everything feel disconnected.

The approach that actually works:

Solo your drums, get them balanced first

Add bass, make sure they work together

Bring in your main harmonic elements

Then add everything else

When you try to mix everything at once, you end up chasing your tail. Build the foundation first.

Why These Matter More Than You Think

Here's the thing—none of these are advanced techniques. They're fundamentals. 

 

But fundamentals executed well are what separate tracks that sound professional from ones that don't.

 

I see producers chasing the latest plugins or techniques when they haven't nailed these basics yet. 

 

It's like trying to learn advanced soccer moves when you can't consistently pass the ball.

Next time you're mixing:

Check your bass placement (mono button test)

Make sure your kick and bass complement instead of compete

Give your vocals the space they need

Think about progression, not just repetition

Build your mix from the foundation up

That's it. Nothing revolutionary, just consistent application of things that actually matter.