Hi,
 
This piece is an instrumental rock style bit of royalty free music. Compared to better tracks, it sounds muddy. How can I make it "sparkle" more?
 
Reverb in piano is part of the VST setting, no reverb on bass, other instruments a little Blueverb. Drums have Anderton Collection Drum Room Ambience. Brickwall limiter on final mix.
 
https://soundcloud.com/artturnermusic/instrumental-rock
 
Thanks!
Art

If you're using samples then, you are at the mercy of the samples you use.  Your mix actually isn't all that muddy, but if you think it is then you could scoop some low mids out of the final mix  rather than add highs to the EQ.  Or, in this case, you could work on the arrangement to give it more "sparkle" by adding an instrument here or there, or writing a bridge or something so that it doesn't seem to loop the same part over and over.  Sometimes a work in progress doesn't gel until you put in that final ingredient.  You have a good start, but I think the arrangement needs more attention at this point.

I am no expert at all but I would try notching a little around 400hz as Lynn suggested and maybe try the hf exciter that comes with Sonar. I turn the mix knob all the way up ,then sweep the frequency to find what jumps out at me and then adjust to taste.

Thanks to both of you...good things to try.

Get Voxengo's SPAN (free) and put it on every track and see where freqs are overlapping. That can usually be one source of "muddiness". 

What others (above) have already suggested.
 
In addition, panning i.e. guitar could be a little further away from the piano. Another consideration is the actual instrumental-arrangements, sometimes too much play can overwhelm other key instruments, and no matter how well its mixed -- getting clarity, separation from all instruments will be a challenge. Unusually subtle (careful) filter-cuts in areas of the frequency span that are overly pronounced can work wonders. To assist with that - what Bapu suggested, Voxengo's SPAN.
 
I usually try not to over-use sustain pedal on the piano. And also, what I do is separate the bass (piano) to a separate track -- this allows me greater control in the mix and to give the bottom end more clarity and punch. Works wonders for typical compositions that have bass, drums, guitars (L/R), piano.
 
From what I've heard so far, your compositions and performances are excellent.
 
Wish you all the very best!
 
 
 
 

Lynn makes a good point. I think it sound good on my monitors. You should worry that issue when you have the vocal

Lynn
If you're using samples then, you are at the mercy of the samples you use.  Your mix actually isn't all that muddy, but if you think it is then you could scoop some low mids out of the final mix  rather than add highs to the EQ.  Or, in this case, you could work on the arrangement to give it more "sparkle" by adding an instrument here or there, or writing a bridge or something so that it doesn't seem to loop the same part over and over.  Sometimes a work in progress doesn't gel until you put in that final ingredient.  You have a good start, but I think the arrangement needs more attention at this point.

Thanks for the Voxengo tip. If nothing else, I think it showed me that if I want crisper sound, I'm going to have to split the drum outputs and EQ/effect them separately.

SongCraft
In addition, panning i.e. guitar could be a little further away from the piano. Another consideration is the actual instrumental-arrangements, sometimes too much play can overwhelm other key instruments

 
Thanks for reminding me about using panning to clear up the mix. I could probably simplify the piano part as well.
 
 

SongCraft
And also, what I do is separate the bass (piano) to a separate track -- this allows me greater control in the mix and to give the bottom end more clarity and punch. Works wonders for typical compositions that have bass, drums, guitars (L/R), piano.

 
I'll definitely give this a try, if not on this piece, others for sure.
 

SongCraft
From what I've heard so far, your compositions and performances are excellent.

Thanks for the encouragement!

 
 

drma173
Lynn makes a good point. I think it sound good on my monitors. You should worry that issue when you have the vocal

Thanks! Part of my problem may be a muddy room :) I don't have the best mixing environment.