A new hybrid QM/DIM approach aimed at describing equilibrium structures and spectroscopic properties of medium size mixed molecular clusters is developed. This methodology is applied to vibrational spectra of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride clusters with up to four monomer molecules embedded in argon shells Ar-n(H(Cl/F))(m) (n=1-62, m=1-4). The hydrogen halide complexes (QM part) are treated at the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ level, while the interaction between HX molecules and Ar atoms (MM part) is described in terms of the semiempirical DIM methodology, based on the proper mixing between neutral and ionic states of the system [Grigorenko , J. Chem. Phys. 104, 5510 (1996)]. A detailed analysis of the resulting topology of the QM/DIM potential energy (hyper-)surface in the triatomic subsystem Ar-HX reveals more pronounced nonadditive atomic induction and dispersion contributions to the total interaction energy in the case of the Ar-HCl system. An extension of the original analytical DIM-based potential in the frame of the present model as well as the current limitations of the method are discussed. A modified algorithm for the gradient geometry optimization, along with partly analytical force constant matrix evaluation, is developed to treat large cages of argon atoms around molecular clusters. Calculated frequency redshifts of HX stretching vibrations in the mixed clusters relative to the isolated hydrogen-bonded complexes are in good agreement with experimental findings. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.