Why do my tracks sound so Low-Fi?
I am using Ableton Live 8,
and I have tried everything, Changing the Sample Rate to 44100, Changing the Bitdepth to 24, when I export to WAV.

I even tried Mastering the Master Channel using "iZotope Ozone 5", and all their presets/settings were set up by professional engineers, and my tracks still come out sounding really low and muddy

I also use Sony Sound Forge Pro, to remove DC Offset, set the volume to -1.5 and export to Mp3 using the setting "320Kps CD Transparent Audio"

This is what it sounds like
http://soundcloud.com/djsharperimage/s-w-feat-bree-no-where- to-go

If you compare it to other tracks, like this one, mines doesn't sound as bright and as clean
http://soundcloud.com/djsharperimage/id

Sounds like an overall EQing thing to me. That, and the samples chosen.

Does not sound like a "mastering" problem to my ear. The difference in sound between those two come out even though the one you're comparing to has been dumped down to low quality for streaming. Therefore, the bit rate and depth are unlikely to have anything to do with what you're perceiving. You might consider ripping out all the master-out bus processing, and just leaving that alone. This is a mix problem, not a mastering problem.

And anyways, the vast, vast majority of producers just aren't qualified to address mastering problems. Myself included, despite having read a solid book on it. So slapping that vst at the end of the chain does not a master make. But that's a tangent...

Take a close, critical listen to the kick on the tracks you like, and compare it to what you're using. That could make a big difference. Also take a close listen between the frequency ranges used by the bass and the kick, and listen for where they come into conflict.

Additionally, there may be a cumulative representation in the mids from all the song that ends up being too much. That's kinda one of the things about modern dance music is that it's very much about the lows and the highs, and careful control over what takes real estate in the mids, and how loud overall those mids end up being compared to the lows and highs. This is what props up the smiley face EQ that's so dominant in dance. You could take a wide scoop out somewhere at the master output, but it'd be better practice to deal with the parts individually.

Also consider that elements of the composition contribute to the difference, such as your straight hats. To my ear, there's few things that bring a track down like cookie-cutter hihats. Play some games with their composition, their samples, their layering. Try interweaving multiple layers of hihats that are doing different things in conjunction with one another. This makes a huge difference in the impression of the overall production value, IMO.

Also consider the volume envelope of the hats. The ones you're using now are very... on/off, I guess. You could give them more attack and more tail, although this also plays in with the potential benefit of layered, interweaving hat patterns. And use your velocity, somehow.

While youre at it, consider adding some elements that highlight the song structures edges. The sorts of roles performed by swooshes and crashes and drum breaks, and other things that break up the landscape. These also contribute to the overall impression.

Thanks for the tips,
I'm going to slap on a Spectrum Analyzer and try to mix-down as close to a commercial track as possible

Thanks for the advice on the high hats, I'll definitely try out the techniques you suggested. I also need to learn more about making percussions

As for Effects, I usually wait until I'm done with the track to add them in, because sometimes I change the structure or move sections around

Song is good, vocalist excellent.

I think it's not due to the technical stuff you refer to at all, and is not an eq thing either as I hear it. Rather tried to fixup vocals too much with eq - it's a bit harsch.

Apart from that better mike+preamp would make vocals nicer, it's a mixing thing mostly.

You track is much dryer over all. Comparing track is subtle ambience to almost everything.

Arrangement/mixing-wise I would look at getting something in there with more mids. Some extra instrument would beef things up. In comparing track there are much more going on in the mids region. Some synthpads or strings maybe.

You have some nice reverbs going there, but it does not glow. To sparkle things up look at exciters.

Just another view...

Pretty much what those dudes have already said. You're looking for tools to fix a mediocre mix, and the issue lies there.

+1 to what's been said already. Ozone isn't going to fix a bad mix for you. I also felt the track you're referencing is in a very different style from yours, so there is no real comparison.

I'm not sure your mix isn't too far off anyway. As mentioned, the 2 mixes you're comparing are quite different in content. The thing that cries out to me is that the 2nd track is full of distorted type sounds - they're always going to be full of highs and harsh sounds that sound tinnier. A sparser mix like yours is never going to sound as full or as sharp.

If you want yours to sound a bit higher, simply tweak the stab/reverb a little and the hats. Possibly Eq some more high-mids into the snares, but mostly I'd say it's a question of subtle fader tweaks rather than Eqing. If you push up the stabs and hats, it'll sound brighter. And yeah - it probably wouldn't hurt to get just a little more instrumentation in the mids, because there does seem to be a bit of a gap there. But personally, I think your clarity is OK - you might need to push up your faders by only a 1/2 a dB or so - just tiny tweaks in volume can make huge differences to perceived spectrum balance.

And y'know...having just gone back and listened again...I'm not sure you're comparing your own mix with the right ones. Because I have to say, that 2nd track you gave as an example - the more I hear it, the more I think it's actually way to harsh and toppy. That type of mix is going to be really hard to listen to for more than a couple of tracks. Sounds scratchy to my old ears. Yours is far easier on the ears. I suspect you've just been swayed by listening to so many modern mixes that (personally) I think are badly done for the iPod generation. If yours was going to be played in a club, there'd be no problem - on huge speakers and the settings they'd have with a bit of Eq smiling, I don't think your mix would be heard as dull. Possibly only for club mixing, your stabs need to be more upfront - after all, that's what people are going to be dancing to. Whereas that mush in the 2nd one would make peoples' ears bleed (in a bad way).

Compare apples with apples, not with dentist drills and screaming.

that would make a great sig ...

Agree fully - not the best to use as reference for everything.
Hardly a professional mastering engineer on that.

But still OP can use some sparkle to beef his up. The track deserves that.