Mixing Fleshgod Apocalypse Horns: Jacob Hansen’s Orchestral Metal Guide

Let's be real, mixing orchestration into a dense metal track is a beast. You’ve got walls of distorted guitars, pounding double bass, and screaming vocals all fighting for space. So when you add in a full horn section, how do you make it sound epic and powerful without turning your mix into a chaotic mess?

The common wisdom is to just slap a high-pass filter on all the orchestral stuff and tuck it into the background. While that can clear up some mud, you lose all the body, power, and character that makes the orchestration special in the first place. You end up with thin, lifeless horns that sound more like a cheap keyboard patch than a real symphony.

But what if you could make the orchestration add to the aggression? We got an inside look at how legendary producer Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe) tackled the massive brass section on a Fleshgod Apocalypse track, and his approach is all about making the horns punchy, present, and powerful.

Beyond the High-Pass: Making Brass Aggressive

The first step is shifting your mindset. Instead of thinking of horns as background texture that needs to get out of the way, think of them as another weapon in your sonic arsenal. Jacob Hansen’s philosophy proves that a brass section can be incredibly forward, adding a unique and epic aggression that complements the guitars and drums.

These aren't delicate instruments playing staccato riffs; they’re often holding long, powerful, sustained notes that can soar over the metal chaos below. The key is to process them in a way that enhances this power, rather than stripping it away.

Jacob Hansen’s EQ Strategy for Epic Brass

So how do you get there? For Jacob, a huge part of the sound comes from a bold and strategic approach to equalization. It’s not just about cutting frequencies to make space; it’s about boosting them to bring out the instrument's core character.

Boosting the Highs for That "Brassy" Bite

In the Fleshgod Apocalypse session, Jacob’s go-to move for the main horn tracks was a healthy boost to the high end. He grabbed an EQ and pushed the top frequencies to bring out that distinct, sharp, “brassy” feeling.

This move does a couple of things:

• Adds Aggression: The high-end sizzle helps the horns cut through the guitars and cymbals, making them feel more aggressive and present.
• Emphasizes Character: It highlights the natural harmonic content that makes a real horn sound like a horn, preventing it from sounding dull or muffled.

This kind of surgical yet aggressive EQ strategy for modern metal is crucial for giving each element its own space while maintaining impact.

Don't Forget the Low Brass: Tuba & Trombone

You might think that for lower instruments like tuba and bass trombone, you’d want to keep the EQ focused on the low-mids. But Jacob applied the same logic here, giving them a high-end lift as well. This might seem counterintuitive, but it brought a surprising amount of definition and clarity to the low brass, helping it sit better with the brighter horns and making the entire section sound more cohesive and powerful.

Track vs. Bus Processing: A Strategic Choice

When you have multiple tracks for one instrument group, it’s tempting to route them all to a single bus and process them together. This is great for applying "glue" with tools like bus compression.

However, in this session, Jacob opted to process the horn tracks individually. With only a couple of main brass tracks, this allowed him to tailor the EQ and other effects specifically for each one, giving him more precise control. It’s a great reminder that while bus processing is a powerful tool, it’s not always the answer. Sometimes, dialing in each track separately is the key to a clearer, more defined sound. A complete orchestral mix might use both—individual track processing for definition and bus processing with gentle metal compression to help the entire section breathe as one.

Creating Epic Space with Reverb

Orchestral instruments, and especially horns holding long notes, were born to be drenched in reverb. Because they aren’t playing fast, percussive parts, you can use a ton of reverb without creating the muddy swamp you’d get if you did the same thing to a rhythm guitar track.

Loading up the horns with a nice, long reverb adds that epic, cinematic, and powerful atmosphere that is the whole point of symphonic metal. It makes the riff feel bigger, the intro more dramatic, and the entire song sound more massive.

Learn to Mix Metal from the Pros

Getting your horns to sound huge without wrecking your mix comes down to a few key ideas:

• Make them forward and aggressive, not just background filler.
• Use high-end EQ boosts to bring out their brassy character.
• Apply generous reverb to create that epic, spacious feel.
• Process tracks individually when you need precise control.

These are the exact techniques used by Jacob Hansen to sculpt the horns on this powerful Fleshgod Apocalypse track.

Applying these tips can elevate your orchestral mixes right away. But imagine watching a world-class producer like Jacob Hansen apply them in real-time, explaining every decision, every plugin setting, and every fader move. Nail The Mix puts you in the virtual studio chair for exactly that. It's more than just learning tips; it’s about understanding the entire production philosophy and unlocking your own sound beyond just using presets.

See exactly how Jacob dialed in these horn sounds and mixed the entire song by checking out the full Fleshgod Apocalypse Fast Track, available now to all URM Enhanced members.