Metalcore Mix

[_wayfarer]

Hello everyone, I'm just looking for some general criticism on this mix. The guitars sound muddy to me and the the overall clarity isn't that great. I like how clean and clear Circle of Contempt's album "Artifacts in Motion" sounds, and would be very appreciative of some tips for cleaning this mix up. I am an amateur recordist and am completely self-taught. I would also like to make the snare more present in the mix... is that a job for a side-chain compressor?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9951988/Depths.mp3

Thanks, and here is an example of Circle of Contempt's material.

 

[BlackdOut177]

I'm liking the song a lot. What are you using for guitar tone because if it's muddy at the beginning then it will be muddy at the end (obviously!)?

 

[_wayfarer]

Thanks. The guitar was recorded with a Schecter Loomis > TS9 > NS2 > Carvin v3 > SM57.

 

[_wayfarer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like the guitars in that Circle of Contempt recording are high passed at a higher-than-average frequency. 200-250 hz? They have very little low end.

 

[BlackdOut177]

Yeah I would say the same. It's somewhat high passed (somewhere around what you were saying) but somehow is still has presence in the mix so I'm not sure if it had lots of lows were taken out. Also, I meant are you using a real amp or pod farm etc?

 

[BlackdOut177]

Sorry misread your post. I saw Carvin and thought of the guitar not the amp

 

[_wayfarer]

Haha, no worries my friend.

 

[BlackdOut177]

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KujvAbLuXs&feature=related[/ame]

This guy got a pretty tight tone using the V3. He said it's based around the 'modern heavy' setting in the carvin V3 pdf so I'm guessing from there turn the bass down and treble up. He does, however, go on to say that the speakers are essential for that kind of tone.

 

[_wayfarer]

Therein lies the problem... we were using a rather inexpensive Peavey cabinet with less than mediocre speakers. I assumed this wouldn't give us the greatest tone, but it explains why it was excessively muddy. Thanks for the help.

 

[BlackdOut177]

welcome