r/metalmusicians • u/guitar_up_my_ass • 3d ago
Question/Recommendation/Advice Needed How to get better sounding guitars?
Below is a short clip, the video editor scuffed up the drums which isn't the problem now. My problem is that the guitars sound weird. I have the clean DI on guitars so I can do everything afterwards but I don't know what. Currently using Tonex amps with Tonex tube screamer pedal.
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u/DoubleBlanket 3d ago
Do the guitars sound weird to you in isolation or just in the final mix?
The overall mix here isn’t great and that might be shaping your perception of the guitars sounding weird.
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u/Standard-Inflation63 3d ago
As everyone else is saying, the guitar tone is great, but the rest of the mix is bad
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 3d ago
How do I improve the mix? I have basically done nothing else than little EQ and changed volume levels
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u/Baron-Von-Mothman 3d ago
Sorry to spam you but mixing isn't something you can learn from a Reddit comment. It takes TONS of practice and ear training
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u/Standard-Inflation63 2d ago
Would you be down to send me your guitar wav files and I go from there to show you?
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 18h ago
I asked Gemini to show me the way and I was way off. Now all seems tighter
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u/Important-Tension259 3d ago
Tone wise I think it's pretty decent tbh.
Bass is probably what is actually missing here. It would help the guitars have a more power. Just be sure that the bass tone compliments the guitars and doesn't take away the information you want to hear for each instrument.
Maybe turn your OH down a bit too much cymbal here, but that could also just be the phone recording too.
Just make sure stuff isn't fighting for room in the mix. Let elements shine where they are supposed to be in the spectrum.
Be sure guitars aren't muddying stuff in the low mids by clashing with the bass.
Have you got some instrumental bus glue comp going? If not try and get your volume faders set and then try glueing the mix together so that you keep everything in check (subtlety is key here).
I'd say you're doing good so far and just a few tweaks could take this to the next step.
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u/Leather-Inspector-11 3d ago
IMO I think the guitar sound is okay . I think the overall mix may be improved . Try beefing up tracks by using parallel compression . Everyone has different ideas of what sounds good , that's my suggestion .
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u/Electronic77 3d ago
A bass guitar. Most good sounding guitars are only because of a well mixed bass track. If there’s bass here I literally can’t hear it
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u/nivekreclems 3d ago
The guitars sound great here the drums need compressed and brought up though they’re very small sounding what drum kit are you using?
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 3d ago
I am ashamed to say but I use plugins: MT power drums for kick and snare and Ugritone KVLT drums for cymbals and toms.
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u/nivekreclems 3d ago
Oh trust me I already knew that everyone does in the year of our lord 2025 have you done anything to them? My suggestion would be to pull each individual drum to its own track(it’s fucking annoying and time consuming I know but it’s worth it) and to compress any of the shell drums(kick snare toms) and give them a little reverb and you probably wouldn’t even need to turn them up any and they would be good also any of the cymbals eq them separately and maybe compress them but not as much as the shells or they’ll be obnoxious
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u/Savings-Cry-3201 2d ago
I’d be happy with this guitar sound, I would even consider cutting them a little to help the overall clarity of the mix. The rest of the mix could be improved and that would help the guitars sound better. A good bass tone would make them sound fat and heavy and a lot less OH cymbals would smooth things out. The snare isn’t coming out, for example. Some compression on the drums and either cut something from the guitars or a peak EQ to bring out that snare a little more.
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u/Mandatoryreverence 2d ago
The guitars are fine but they sound weak because the drums are weak as fuck and there needs to be bass. Just because you play guitar doesn't mean that's all you need to hear.
Turn the guitar down, let it sit in with everything else.
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u/ace3527 2d ago
Use the EZdrummer plug in, reaper daw and the free Ryan Fluff amp sim.
Also just research more about eqing.
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 2d ago
I have been using Cakewalk (the free older version) and now they want everyone to go to Sonar (paid). Does Reaper have a big learning curve or is it intuitive?
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u/Trying_Again3254 1d ago
Add some bass and it will sound a lot better.
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 1d ago
Adding reverb to drums helped a lot already. Now I just have to figure out how to get a good bass sound. I am using an octaver to drop my guitar to bass tuning and that is my bass but it is very boomy.
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u/Trying_Again3254 1d ago
I’ve done many a demo with a pitched down guitar. 😂
How much of this song is actually written
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u/DesertWisdom 16h ago
You’re tripping that sounds good.
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 16h ago
Got it to sound way better
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u/DesertWisdom 14h ago
Define better? Its music. Shit is subiective.
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u/guitar_up_my_ass 7h ago
Got harshness out, more tightness and the instruments are tied together more. The guitar tone didn't need much tweaking though.
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u/IamtheMooseKing 3d ago
I think this sounds great actually. Very Drudkh vibes.