Hey Dan, I really dug the energy and vibe of your track—especially that unexpected riff you dropped in before the solo; it’s a real earworm and the Tonex pedal gives your guitars a lively, modern amp character. Listening more closely, I noticed the kick and bass sometimes compete around that 80–120 Hz region. If you carve out a little space in the bass around 100 Hz and give the kick a gentle lift near 60–70 Hz, the low end will feel tighter and each element will stand out more. On the guitar side, high-gain tones can bring in some rumble, so rolling off everything below about 80 Hz on your guitar tracks will help clean things up down low without losing any of the heft.
Your rhythm guitars sound thick and full, but there’s a bit of congestion around 400–600 Hz that can mask the solo and vocals. A subtle cut in the middle there can open things up, letting the lead parts shine. Doubling your main rhythm take and panning left and right creates that big stereo image everyone loves—just remember to dial back the width a touch afterward to avoid any weird phase issues. As for the vocals, a gentle presence boost around 3–5 kHz will help them sit on top of the mix, and using a compressor with a fast attack and medium release will even out any level spikes. After compressing, you can ride the fader or use automation to smooth out anything that still jumps out unevenly, especially in the choruses.
When it comes to the drums, sending the kit through parallel compression at a high ratio and blending it in underneath adds snap and sustain to the snare and toms, giving the groove more impact without squashing it completely. If you’ve captured any room mics, bringing those up just a little beneath your overheads gives the kit a more natural, lively feel, as if you were in the room with it. On the solo, your reverb is tasteful, but the decay trails a bit too long and muddies the next riff; tightening the decay or gating the tail can keep things punchy. To add a bit of interest on key vocal lines, a quick slap-back or gently tapped delay that’s brought in just for those moments can make them pop without cluttering the mix.
These tweaks will not only polish your sound in the studio but also translate beautifully when you deliver the track through streaming services or for
online music distribution—ensuring listeners everywhere hear your mix at its best. Finally, always keep a trusted commercial reference on hand to A/B against; matching loudness and EQ curves can highlight where your mix might need adjustments. And it never hurts to flip everything into mono for a moment—if parts vanish or suddenly overpower, you’ll know exactly where phase or masking issues live. All in all you’ve got a really promising mix; a few targeted EQ cuts, some low-end shaping, and dynamic touches will take it even further. Can’t wait to hear the next version—keep me posted!
by danwilson5 » Wed Mar 26, 2025 7:44 pm 
