This can be due to the fact that the producer had poor monitors or a bad mixing environment-or they just weren't paying attention. Something I hear all too often is hi-hats and cymbals that are way above the other instruments. Here are some of the mistakes that come across our board all the time: The Hi-Hats Are Too Loud In this article I will be referring to standard, stereo MP3 or WAV files, seeing how these are the most common formats to record vocals over. Acknowledging these issues and fixing them before sending it to an artist-or knowing them before you finish your own mix-can really help the recording and final mixing process.

More often than not, we see common mix issues that arise that we have to fix in order to make the instrumental work for the vocalist.

Whether the artist made the beat themselves or purchased it from another producer, we've heard it all. Working at Studio 11 here in Chicago, a studio that specializes in hip-hop and R&B, we hear a lot of beats from producers on a daily basis-and work with artists to turn those beats into songs.

How to mix vocals with instrumentals