Help with muddy and distant sounding heavy rock track
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VddOVLLrb3EL9I5sULdbMZctW5ZjEuKH/view?usp=drive_link
I'm a beginner at mixing but I've taken courses on sound design, music theory, and music physics so I'm no stranger to how it all works. I've also viewed tutorials on mixing music just like this and gleaned some helpful tips and information.
Setup: Audio interface is Audient ID24. I'm using FL, recording guitar direct line in then through guitar rig 7, and drums with EZdrummer 3. Vocals on a Shure SM58.
My issue is I seem to always end up with tracks that feel distant, and lack clarity, punch, and loudness. The example attached shows this. The track sounds great, but it also kind of sounds like there's a wall in front of the music. I need help pulling everything forward and making it pop.
My mixing tendencies usually leave me feeling like I'm going in circles and not really making anything sound better. Usually, I listen to my old mixes and feel like I've downgraded. They are louder, and clearer. My mixes now are more balanced and cleaner, but like I said, feel distanced and spacey compared to the old ones which were awesomely in your face.
Some notes:
- I always feel like my recordings and dry tracks are quiet, and I always boost them with compressors. I use compression on literally every track. I don't apply it on my busses or else the tracks compete for loudness and drown each other out. I kind of understand compression but am probably using it wrong. However, it works well to get the loudness I need.
- I feel I could be overprocessing, but I try and keep things very simple. Usually just add effects if needed, boost with compression, eq, done. Sometimes I eq first as well before running through effects to pre-stage the sound.
- Unfortunately, I never end up being happy with my EQ, and I keep tweaking them feeling like I can't draw out the frequencies I feel I'm missing, no matter how much I boost them in EQ. In the attached track, the high end and low end feel empty, and my ears long for those frequencies.
- I add compression on my master send, sometimes two to boost the sound more. Adds a bit of the loudness and clarity I need but it feels like a bandage on a wound that needs much deeper repair.
TLDR: track feels distant and muddy. I am potentially overprocessing but can't seem to get the loudness I need without uber compression boosting. Mainly this is a loudness/distance issue.
If anyone is willing, I will send the stems without processing to analyze them further and will add you as a contributor on the track :)