When people say to me "your mixes sounds thin/muddy because of the arrangement", I kind of understand where they're coming from - frequencies clash, they can't occupy the same space etc etc. But is this what people really mean by "arrangement"? Because I feel like there's gotta be more to it. Can you shed light on this? What is a "bad" arrangement and what is a "good" arrangement?
in terms of sound clarity, basically you just want to get as much power out of as few sounds as you can. when it gets too cluttered, it turns to mud. But, when you have less, sometimes it may feel like you need more power. it's a paradox that sometimes feels like it takes a lifetime to overcome. but everyone gets better at this, the more they do it. The issue goes back further than arranging, ..... ultimately it goes back to the songwriting. if you write a song good enough, it's almost impossible to fuck it up later