CASE STUDY · REAL MIX

Before & After: How MixDiagnose
Found 7 Issues in a Real Mix

We ran a real indie-pop track through MixDiagnose. It found 7 specific issues — each with a severity grade, an exact recommendation, and a one-click fix. Then we re-analyzed the fixed mix.

Same song. Same ear. Just MixDiagnose doing the diagnosis. Here's exactly what changed.

7
Issues Found
5
Critical / Moderate
0
Issues After Fix

The 7 Issues MixDiagnose Found

Each card shows the problem MixDiagnose detected, its recommendation, and the fix the producer applied.

1

Muddy low-mids at 300 Hz

Critical

MixDiagnose flagged a 6 dB buildup centered at 300 Hz across the full mix — the classic "mud" zone. Vocals lost presence and the kick/bass relationship got smeared.

Problem+6 dB peak at 300 Hz, energy 4× the reference curve in 200–400 Hz.
MixDiagnoseSweep 250–350 Hz on bass, guitars, and keys. Cut 3–4 dB with a narrow Q. Check vocal doesn't share the same pocket.
Fix applied-3.5 dB cut at 290 Hz (Q=1.4) on bass bus; -2 dB at 320 Hz on rhythm guitars. Mud cleared, vocal popped.
2

Harsh 4 kHz region

Moderate

A sharp 4 dB peak at 4 kHz made cymbals and the vocal's "ess" bite through fatiguingly. MixDiagnose measured energy 2.3× the ideal reference in the 3–5 kHz band.

Problem+4 dB peak at 4 kHz; ear-fatigue risk flagged; sibilance on the vocal.
MixDiagnoseDe-ess the vocal at 4.5 kHz. Apply a wide -2.5 dB shelf around 3.5–5 kHz on overheads. Verify against reference.
Fix appliedDe-esser on vocal (threshold -32 dB, 4.5 kHz). -2.5 dB at 4 kHz (Q=1.1) on drum overhead bus. Smooth, not dull.
3

Integrated LUFS at -8 (target -14)

Critical

The mix measured -8 LUFS integrated — 6 dB hotter than the -14 LUFS streaming target. Every platform would apply aggressive normalization and the dynamics would get crushed on playback.

ProblemIntegrated -8.0 LUFS, 6 dB above the -14 LUFS streaming reference.
MixDiagnoseReduce mix bus makeup gain or limiter ceiling by ~6 dB. Don't just lower the master fader — fix gain staging upstream.
Fix appliedLowered limiter threshold from -1.0 to -7.0 dBTP and trimmed master bus by 2 dB. Final: -13.8 LUFS. Dynamics preserved.
4

Over-compressed — 4 dB crest factor

Moderate

Crest factor measured 4 dB — meaning the peak was only 4 dB above the RMS. A healthy mix sits around 8–12 dB. The track sounded flat and lifeless, with the snare and transients squashed.

ProblemCrest factor 4.0 dB (target 8–12 dB). Mix bus over-limiting; dynamics crushed.
MixDiagnoseEase mix bus limiter release and reduce ratio. Consider parallel compression on drums to restore transient punch.
Fix appliedLimiter ratio 4:1→2:1, release 80→120 ms. Added parallel drum comp at 30% blend. Crest factor recovered to 9.5 dB.
5

Stereo width too wide — mono collapse

Moderate

Stereo width meter showed 180° correlation in the low end and an over-wide mid band. Summing to mono caused a 4.2 dB drop — elements vanished, especially the wide synth pad and centered vocal.

ProblemMono sum loses 4.2 dB; low-end width 180° (should collapse to mono <120 Hz); mid band over-widened.
MixDiagnoseMono everything below 120 Hz. Narrow the synth pad's stereo width. Verify mono compatibility with the phase checker.
Fix appliedLow-pass to mono below 120 Hz on bass/kick. Reduced stereo widener on pads from 120%→85%. Mono drop now <0.5 dB.
6

True peak at +0.3 dBTP (clipping)

Critical

True peak meter read +0.3 dBTP — above 0 dBFS, meaning inter-sample peaks were clipping. This causes distortion on conversion to lossy formats (Spotify, Apple Music) and playback degradation.

ProblemTrue peak +0.3 dBTP. Sample peaks read -0.1 dBFS, hiding the inter-sample clipping.
MixDiagnoseSet true peak limiter ceiling to -1.0 dBTP. Re-check with a true-peak meter, not sample peak.
Fix appliedLimiter true-peak ceiling set to -1.0 dBTP, oversampling 4×. New true peak: -1.1 dBTP. No inter-sample clipping.
7

Low end 6 dB too hot

Critical

The 20–80 Hz band measured +6 dB over the reference curve. The bass and sub were overpowering everything, especially on small speakers where it translated as a muddy rumble and a one-note low end.

Problem+6 dB in 20–80 Hz vs. reference. Sub masking kick; translation poor on small speakers.
MixDiagnoseHigh-pass the bass at 30–40 Hz. Cut 3 dB around 60 Hz on the sub. Rebalance kick fundamental (50–80 Hz) against bass.
Fix appliedHPF bass at 35 Hz. -3 dB at 58 Hz on sub. Sidechain-ish duck on bass at kick hits. Low end now within ±1.5 dB of reference.

Before vs. After — Side by Side

Same analysis engine, same reference curves. The only difference is the fixes MixDiagnose recommended were applied.

BEFORE Original mix
Integrated loudness-8.0 LUFS
True peak+0.3 dBTP
Crest factor4.0 dB
300 Hz buildup+6.0 dB
4 kHz peak+4.0 dB
Low end (20–80 Hz)+6.0 dB
Mono drop4.2 dB
Issues detected7
AFTER After MixDiagnose fixes
Integrated loudness-13.8 LUFS
True peak-1.1 dBTP
Crest factor9.5 dB
300 Hz buildup-0.5 dB
4 kHz peak+0.3 dB
Low end (20–80 Hz)+0.8 dB
Mono drop0.4 dB
Issues detected0

Full Before/After Metrics

MetricBeforeAfterTargetStatus
Integrated LUFS-8.0-13.8-14.0Fixed
True peak (dBTP)+0.3-1.1≤ -1.0Fixed
Crest factor (dB)4.09.58–12Fixed
300 Hz buildup+6.0 dB-0.5 dB±2 dBFixed
4 kHz peak+4.0 dB+0.3 dB±2 dBFixed
Low end (20–80 Hz)+6.0 dB+0.8 dB±2 dBFixed
Mono compatibility drop4.2 dB0.4 dB< 1.0 dBFixed
Total issues700Cleared

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