Mix still muddy? Cut your pads and guitars at 200 to 500 Hz

Pads and guitars carry a lot of energy at 200 to 500 Hz, the same range as the bass's upper part and the body of the vocal. Together they pile up into mud. Cut 3 to 5 dB in that range on the pads and guitars, not on the bass, and the low end and lead come through clearly.

How to do it

1. Solo the pad and the guitar and listen for a thick, woolly sound.
2. Put an EQ on each and cut 3 to 5 dB with a wide band somewhere between 200 and 500 Hz.
3. High-pass them too, around 100 to 150 Hz, if they have rumble you don't need.
4. Leave the bass alone: it should own that space.
5. Listen in the full mix, not solo. They may sound thin alone, but the mix sounds clearer.

Why it works

Pads and strummed guitars are wide and sustained, so they fill every gap in the low mids. In a full mix they don't need that body: the bass and the vocal already have it.