Mixes sound very muddy. Looking for help

[causeunknown]

Hey,

I'm looking for some guidance on getting mixes to sound less muddy and more clear. I feel like my mixes are still super muddy and i'm not sure what to do about it. Not sure what initial information would be helpful to give, so i'll be more than happy to answer any questions. looking for feedback-


[instrumental/djent]

thanks in advance!

 

[mrbean667]

I'd turn the bass down a tiny bit and take out some low mids, you might find that something simple like that will clear it up. You could also take out some 500-700 on the snare. It's a pretty good mix though!

 

[Dray Nocturne]

You're levels are a bit off. The guitars are too loud and so is your bass. I would EQ your kick better as it's muddy, and doesn't have the punch, or clarity it could have. Samething for the snare. For the kick I would sweep EQ for those muddy regions and do some broad EQ cutting in those areas. Perhaps a bit of a boost on the low end before the high pass filter and a high shelf boost for that added click. Your bass is also a bit boomy. I would try a limiter to keep it stable. Get the high pass filter on the bass right in context with the kick, and then bring in the guitars and get the HPF for those right in context with the kick and bass and you should be solid.

 

[newamerikangospel]

This is a good example of how eq flows should work (this is guitar specific, but the principles apply on finding where your problem areas are)

 

[causeunknown]

I'd turn the bass down a tiny bit and take out some low mids, you might find that something simple like that will clear it up. You could also take out some 500-700 on the snare. It's a pretty good mix though!

When you say low mids do you mean on the whole mix? And do you have a rule of thumb for figuring out how loud the bass should be?

You're levels are a bit off. The guitars are too loud and so is your bass. I would EQ your kick better as it's muddy, and doesn't have the punch, or clarity it could have. Samething for the snare. For the kick I would sweep EQ for those muddy regions and do some broad EQ cutting in those areas. Perhaps a bit of a boost on the low end before the high pass filter and a high shelf boost for that added click. Your bass is also a bit boomy. I would try a limiter to keep it stable. Get the high pass filter on the bass right in context with the kick, and then bring in the guitars and get the HPF for those right in context with the kick and bass and you should be solid.

Can you elaborate on how you would use a limiter on the bass? I'm not familiar with using a limiter in this context, but I do compression on the clean bass and dirty bass tracks. Would i use a limiter with a compressor or as a replacement? And in general I feel like i'm not great at mixing volume levels appropriately, so could you explain how/why you think the guitar and bass levels are too high?

This is a good example of how eq flows should work (this is guitar specific, but the principles apply on finding where your problem areas are)

Thanks for the video!

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[mrbean667]

When you say low mids do you mean on the whole mix? And do you have a rule of thumb for figuring out how loud the bass should be?

Yeah I just meant on the bass to start off. Personally I turn the bass down then slowly raise it until you can hear it bringing some foundation to the guitars without overpowering them. If it conflicts with the kick back off a little bit.

 

[RaivioSound]

Your cymbals are really quiet and dark, and it's making everything sound dull. Snare sounds too sharp, needs some thickening.

 

[Dray Nocturne]

Can you elaborate on how you would use a limiter on the bass? I'm not familiar with using a limiter in this context, but I do compression on the clean bass and dirty bass tracks. Would i use a limiter with a compressor or as a replacement? And in general I feel like i'm not great at mixing volume levels appropriately, so could you explain how/why you think the guitar and bass levels are too high?

Yes you would use a limiter in place of a compressor. The advantage is it keeps your low end consistent and meaty and keeps notes from getting too loud or soft. A limiter acts faster than a compressor so in some instances, and usually in metal, a limiter is better suited than a compressor for things like bass, or heavy down tuned rhythm guitars.

I can tell your levels are off due to experience. It's pretty obvious on my end when I take a listen.. Part of it is due to the muddiness and how your kick, bass and snare aren't working together in the mix due to clashing frequencies. It' hard to get levels correct when your EQ is off since you'll tend to want to over compensate the lack of clarity with volume.

You can get better at settings levels by getting your EQ correct first, and any other processing, then bringing each individual element up in volume. For example, set the kick at the level you want, then bring in the snare and balance it's volume compared to the kick till they sound good together. Do the same with the rest of the drum kit. Then bring in the bass till it's working with the kick drum and the rest of the kit Then bring in the rhythm guitars and balance it with the bass and drums now going. So on and so forth.

You may still need to automate things since some instruments may sound louder or softer at certain sections, and you should reference tracks along the way to compare the levels of a pro song compared to yours.

 

[kapu]

Hey,
I'm looking for some [...]
thanks in advance!

Hi! Do you mean 'your mixes sound muddy in general' or 'this particular mix'? In this mix the kick seems too strong at around 100-120 Hz and makes things 'boomy' or 'muddy'. Once you've reworked the kick, you'll probably have to recheck everything. A limiter can be used as intermediate tool when cleaning up stuff with eq. Driving a track hard against a limiter will definitely exaggerate things, and make problematic frequencies stand out more and/or even distort. Once cleared with eq, the intermediate limiter can be removed.

The 100-200 Hz area can be a problematic in general without properly set up monitoring system and acoustic treatment of your mixing room. It is usually far easier (and cheaper) to monitor that frequency area with a good pair of headphones.

If you're referecing your work against commercial more or less major label releases, it might be useful to apply some type of 'pseudo-mastering' process on the main mix, and crank up the master against a limiter to level match your mix against the reference material. Then turn down the listening volume considerably so that you'll hear only the key elements of the reference material and your mix. You'll be able to judge your levels a bit better this way and eliminate the 'headbaning-loudness-feel' feel. Hope this helps! ^_^

 

[Adee]

Levels man! Work on it first, then focus on midrange area which eats most of your mix. Hope it helps.
Keep mixing though!