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[ambinate]

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[Lunahorum]

Make sure they rhythm guitar is at a different EQ than the solo one. If there's an option to lower by an octave, do that and record a bass line playing the rhythm roots an octave lower. If not, audacity has an option to lower by an octave included with it. You can also get vst plugins for audacity. It seems like the rhythm part is off an on. I can hear it clearly sometimes and then sometimes I can't hear what it is doing. I dk though I am terrible at the guitar I am still learning how to sweep

edit: cut the treble a bunch. You can hear a lot of white noisish stuff going on up there. Nice slides off the notes in the lead.

I think I am going to make a little ear training mp3 file for myself with my guitar to practice telling the difference between one note, 5th, an octave, and power chord, because I cannot do it when there is distortion on. Like in your song, I cannot tell if the guitar is playing just one note, a 5th, an octave, or a power chord. I dk it's just really hard. I'll just do the David Lucas Burge unlocking drill I guess with a lot of distortion.

So the song all together has three parts? The lead, the long powerchords/ distorted note, and the rhythm guitar going up and down. Maybe you played the up and down part and the long powerchords together i dk. I'M OFF TO MY GUITAR TO EAR TRAIN WOO

[dannthr]

It's a pretty sloppy mix. Don't get me wrong though, and keep in mind too, this kind of mix can have its advantages and its own style statement if used right.

It may or may not help to have the powerchords in a different octave.

More importantly, however, is that they need to be separated.

First of all, however, you need to give the parts detail. I don't use the PODxt, nor do I use Audacity, but I can tell you that you need to get rid of all and any chorus or reverb fx being applied. If you got a distortion pedal or on the PODxt it says "Room" get the hell rid of that. You can put that stuff back later if needed, but right now you want to get rid of any slop.

Another thing is that you'll want to separate the parts in the stereo field. I would look at doing stuff like recording the powerchords twice over, once for each channel; applying a stereo chorusing effect on the arpeggios, anything to start giving the parts a different space sonically speaking--you might even (and I would seriously consider this) think of getting rid of the powerchords altogether and just make sure you express the harmonics in the arpeggios.

Then, and most definitely, make sure you're applying a different guitar fx to each part. One of the killers right now is that they all sound like the same instrument. Like trying to listen to an accapella recording by one dude. You have to make an effort to achieve a different and separate tone for each part to make sure they don't run into eachother as they are now.

That should make a good start.

[ambinate]

Thanks a lot for the advice so far, I really appreciate it.

I tried recording a clean guitar and pitch shifting it an octave for bass, and on its own it sounds fine, but when brought into the mix it just has a big, boomy sound to it that isn't too distinct. Would eq'ing it help in that area, or is it something else entirely?

I actually had the apreggio riff doubled and in a stereo field in that mix, one guitar in each speaker, but they weren't totally hard panned (I think they're at 50%). Should I be doing that instead? I posted a new mix up where I did as you mentioned and doubled the power chords in the same way, and there is a definite difference already. The arpeggio riff is a little more distinct now that the chords aren't dead center, I think.

The thing with the guitar sounds all being different makes a lot of sense, but the issue with that is the sound I'm using is kind of the sound I want (at least, the sound I want before it's put to tape and becomes shitty for whatever reason), so I'm not sure how to keep the sound I'm looking for while using a different type of distortion on each guitar. Maybe this is just my complete lack of experience talking, though.

Also, considering I'm recording directly into my computer, basically, what would be the reason for it having such a weird, lo-fi sound to it? Is that a soundcard issue, or does that also relate to the mixing?

Thanks again!

[dannthr]

There are so many factors, man. Every weak link in the chain contributes to the degredation of audio quality--it's the reason that music studios are so flippin' expensive.

The thing is, I expect, is that you're looking for something crisp like Metallica's 'Through the Never' or 'Of Wolf and Man' and the problem is you've got noise in the spaces. You can't have a crisp definition if your background is fuzzy, you know?

That's why I suggested to make sure you're not adding any verb. You might want to try... maybe applying a gate to the audio signal or in post (does audacity have something like that? You might be able to find a free gate fx online somewheres...) to try to cut out everything but the signal. If you do something like that then you can start to get a crisp shape out of your riff and chords and solo. Also, did you try it without the powerchords?

In the end you might just not have the means to clean it up--that happens, move on.

[ambinate]

Yeah, definitely, I see what you're saying. I'll look around for some noise gates for Audacity and see if there are any, because that's a good thing to have anyway.

Actually, the first time I recorded it there weren't any power chords but then I added them in before posting the mp3. I've gone back and forth with them a bunch of times since then, because they're definitely adding muddiness to the mix, but without them I think it sounds a little weaker. I'll keep trying, though.

I put up another version of the mix on the purevolume, this time with some bass and a little eq on everything, but it isn't a huge difference yet. I'm sure this is a huge surprise, but I'm just learning how to eq so I didn't do anything drastic.

Thanks alot again for all the help, I realize you guys probably get this type of vague newbie stuff a lot and it must get irritating, haha.

[dannthr]

The new version isn't really working for me, but seriously, dude, it sounds like you got a lot of noise on each signal which is stacking and making everything sound crackly.

That's the worst thing working against you, mix-wise. You definitely want some kind of directbox, but see if you can find a good amp sim software plugin to try applying some of that post--see if you can get a good signal in first.

If you try with an amp, you're just opening yourself up to a recording situation where you'll spend hours getting rid of noise.

It could be your POD trying to give its signal a "stage."

[ambinate]

I'm not sure how to check that kind of thing to see where the problem starts. Maybe it's the tones I'm using, but I can't tell for sure. Maybe if I can figure this out and fix it, it won't sound like I recorded this shit in a forest.

[PriZm]

You need to hardpan your guitar tracks : at least 1 100% right and one 100% left.

For the bass, you'd be better off using a general midi bass than a pitched shifted guitar, in my opinion. Also, keep the bass line simple : given the complexity of your rhythm guitars, just playing eighth notes on the root of the chord and hell, just playing one note per chord would be enough. The power chords and the arpeggios together are also a big source of muddiness, you'll want to make one of those tracks a lot quiter or eliminate it altogether.

As far as I can hear, the mix lacks bass (which would be corrected should you use a midi bass or whatever) and treble. Everything happens in the mids/low mids, that's why you think it sounds lo-fi. For the treble part, I would recommend removing the delay from the rhythm sound and making it a lot less distorted. To get that big full metal sound, usually you need a lot less distortion than you'd think, because the fullness will come with the bass and multiple tracks.

[ambinate]

Thanks a lot for the help!

The thing with MIDI bass is my soundcard sucks, so I don't know if I'd be able to get a decent sound if I went that route. I've never tried anything like that before, though. But as far as the lo-fi sound and it being mid heavy, does that mean if I toned down the distortion a little, removed the delay, and carved out a spot for the bass guitar (whichever way I decide to put it in) by EQ'ing, it'll start to sound more clear and less like it's coming through an old radio?