[Harry]

To be honest, that whole mix really bad ; it shows that it's a quick mix.
If the drums are coming out fine in your own headphones, I think it's time to get a new set of monitoring gear, because the drums were basically non existent on both my studio monitors AND my cheap computer speakers (which I have lying around to see how stuff translates to cheaper sound computer sound systems).

 

[Harry]

Hard L/R pan is sort of a standard when it comes to metal man, mostly because it works like 99% of the time. If you're using two pretty different tones, I'd do 2 tracks per side, mixing the two different tones on each side. Like this:

Left: Take 1, Amp A + Take 1, Amp B
Right: Take 2, Amp A + Take 2, Amp B

That way you get the blending of the two tones, but consistency across the stereo spectrum :yesway:

Edit: Made a slight mistake! Also, you WANT some slight differences between the two sides anyway, having exactly the same tone either side is gonna give a sort of mono feeling to the guitars, even if they're hard panned.

This is absolutely ridiculous. I cannot believe I am reading this, because this is so completely untrue it's not funny.
I guess all those top level productions that feature amazing stereo width that were tracked with both or all four guitar tracks on the same settings had it all wrong then?
The difference in sound across the two tracks will come from minor playing inconsistencies that are inevitably unavoidable which will avoid the mono effect.

hard panned guitars aren't my favorite. since i start panning them to say between 60 - 80 each side, my mixes have started sounding better. try that.

also, the whole thing here is while you can technically mix in headphones(i can technically sing but sound like shit) it's one step above blindly setting faders without hearing the mix as it's happening.

To be honest, if panning 80/60/60/80 is giving you problems, you're definitely doing something wrong somewhere else in the mix, because it should sound fine, and actually better if you plan 100/80/80/100 using quad tracked guitars

 

[Harry]

I actually agree with Shikaru, I always found that I got the best results doubletracking with two complimentary tones rather than two tones that were exactly the same.

Trav: As said, don't mean to sound harsh but the mix you linked is really quite terrible man.

Oh, I don't disagree that you can get great results from two different tones.
Evanescence's album "Fallen" is a great example. Double tracked with a totally different amp on each side and sounds great.
But what I was saying was, to say that using the same tone on each side will produce the mono effect is just plain wrong, because there heaps of albums that have been tracked that way that have guitars wider than Jenna Jameson in the mix.
The only time it will produce that mono effect is if you play too tightly, which is extremely uncommon amongst mere mortals anyway.
Josh Middleton from the band Sylosis has been known to quad track that tight he gets mono problems and phasey sounding shit, but most guitarists can't even double track that tightly, let alone quad track that tight.

 

[Harry]

I'll be honest, for a guy who talks a pretty big game, this really wasn't what I was expecting. Granted, a lot of the problems are tracking-related, out-of-time guitars that are too gains and fizzy, and if there's a bass in there I'm having a hard time differentiating it enough from the guitar's low end (of which there's a ton) to say much about it. Still, while "fixing it in the mix" isn't really ideal, there's a ton of room to make this better. I'd start by trying to save the rhythm guitars - maybe high pass anywhere from 60-120 hz, with the Q set to also tighten up the low mids a little, and then do something about that high end - try a shelf taking off3-6db starting between 6-8khz, or maybe even just low pass them. Bring the drums up, too - they seem to sound kinda thin, but it's really tough to say because they also sound kind of buried.

That said, I'd toss the whole thing, myself, and start again with less-saturated guitars that are in time with the drums.

I tend to just low pass guitars at like, 7-8KHz.
I've found it's a great way to get closer to those smooth tones found on high level productions by the likes of Randy Staub, Chris Lord-Alge, Jens Bogren, some Andy Wallace productions/mixes etc