Chelsea Grin: Mixing Epic Synths for Clarity and Impact

Mixing synths in a dense metal track, especially for a band like Chelsea Grin, can feel like wrestling an octopus. You’ve got epic strings, soaring choirs, and sharp leads all vying for space alongside crushing guitars, thunderous bass, and pummelling drums. Get it wrong, and you end up with a muddy, indistinct mess. Get it right, and you elevate the track to a whole new cinematic level. We dove into how Eyal Levi tackled the synths in a Chelsea Grin mix, and picked up some killer takeaways you can apply to your own productions.

The good news? It’s often not about totally transforming these sounds, but about smart, surgical refinement.

The "Shave It Down" Philosophy: Less is More with Synths

When faced with a lush, well-written synth arrangement, the temptation can be to start throwing on processors to make it "bigger" or "more exciting." But often, the opposite approach yields better results. The key is to "shave off" the unnecessary parts rather than trying to build something entirely new.

Identifying and Removing "Cynthia Garbage"

Many sample-based orchestral sounds or synth patches come pre-loaded with what Eyal calls "Cynthia Garbage" – basically, frequencies and resonances that sound impressive in solo but just clutter up a full mix.

Strategic EQ Cuts: Taming the Mids and Lows

The first order of business is often cleaning up the low-end and low-mid frequencies in synth pads, strings, and choirs. These are prime culprits for clashing with guitars and bass, creating that dreaded "soupy" sound.

• Low-End Roll-Off: Don't be shy with a high-pass filter. Most synth layers, especially strings and choirs, don't need much, if any, information below 100-200Hz (or even higher, depending on the instrument and arrangement). Get rid of that rumble; it’s probably just eating up headroom and muddying the low-frequency instruments that do need that space.
• Mid-Range Scoop (Carefully!): The mids are where synths can really fight with guitars and vocals. Look for areas, often in the 250Hz to 1kHz range, where the synths might be too prominent or have boxy/honky resonances. Gentle, wider cuts here can open up a lot of space. The goal isn't to hollow out the synths, but to carve out pockets for other elements. For more in-depth strategies on this, check out our EQ hub page.

The idea is to remove a layer of "crap" without drastically changing the core character of the sound. It should sound cleaner, more defined, but fundamentally the same.

The High-Pass Filter: Your First Line of Defense (But Not Your Only One)

A high-pass filter is almost always step one. For something like an epic choir, ask yourself: does it really need all that sub-bass information? Probably not. Filtering out the unnecessary low-end can instantly make the choir sound more focused and less like you're stirring a thick, lumpy soup.

However, just high-passing isn't always enough. You need to listen critically to how the synths interact with the guitars and the rest of the mix.

Making Synths Sound "Expensive," Not Dull

After making those crucial cuts, synths can sometimes sound a bit dull or lifeless. The trick is to bring back the shine and clarity without reintroducing the problems you just removed.

Restoring Clarity with a High Shelf

Once the problematic mids and lows are tamed, a gentle high-frequency shelf (e.g., starting around 5-8kHz) can add back that "expensive" sheen and air. This helps the synths cut through without becoming harsh, ensuring they still sound rich and detailed. It’s about enhancing what’s good, not just removing what’s bad.

Case Study: De-Souping the "Epic Choir Bros"

A prime example is tackling a massive choir sound. Without careful EQ, these can be a "ridiculous amount of low end," leading to a soupy mess. By aggressively high-passing and potentially dipping some low-mids, you can transform it from an undefined rumble into a finely crafted, articulate choral texture. You want to hear the voices, not just a low-frequency wash.

Balancing Synths in a Dense Metal Mix

Getting the levels right is crucial, and synths can be deceptively loud.

Finding the Right Level: They're Louder Than You Think!

It's easy to either bury synths or have them overpower everything. A good starting point is to bring them up relative to a key element, like the lead guitars, and then adjust. You might find they need to sit lower in the mix than you initially thought to make space, especially once they've been EQ'd effectively.

Synths vs. Guitars: Creating Space

When synths play parts that run parallel to lead guitars or important melodic lines, careful EQ and panning are your best friends. For instance, with a synth lead doubling a guitar line, immediately cutting the lows from the synth ensures it’s not fighting the guitar for fundamental frequency space. The synth can then provide harmonic richness or a different textural layer without stepping on the guitar's toes. This careful balancing is a core part of what you can learn by watching pros dissect tracks, like in the Chelsea Grin session on Nail The Mix.

Adding Character and Punch

Sometimes, even after good EQ and balancing, a synth might sound a bit sterile or "plunky." This is where a touch of character processing comes in.

Warming Up and Popping with Saturation

For a synth lead that needed a bit more oomph and less "clunk," Eyal reached for Soundtoys Decapitator. This isn't about heavy distortion, but about adding warmth, harmonics, and a bit of edge to help it "pop" and sit better in the mix. Saturation can bring out presence, add perceived loudness without actually increasing peak levels too much, and help a sound feel more integrated. This kind of dynamic shaping and harmonic enhancement is a subtle art, and plugins like Decapitator give you a lot of control. If you're interested in how saturation and compression-like effects can make elements punch, our metal compression secrets guide dives deeper into controlling dynamics for impact.

The Unsung Hero: Automation

For a dynamic song with lots of moving parts – like many Chelsea Grin tracks – a static mix just won't cut it.

Why Complex Tracks Demand Dynamic Mixing

Synths, in particular, often need to ebb and flow. They might be a subtle pad in one section and a screaming lead in another. Automation of volume, EQ, and effects sends is absolutely essential to make these transitions smooth and ensure every part serves its purpose without overwhelming other elements or getting lost. This song Eyal worked on? It screamed for automation, and lots of it.

It’s Okay to Take Your Time: The Two-Day Mix

Don't feel pressured to nail a complex mix in a single sitting. For intricate arrangements, it's perfectly normal to spend one day getting the static balance and tones right, and then another day (or more!) refining details with automation and fine-tuning. Pros do it, and there's no shame in taking the time a song needs to truly shine.

Bringing It All Together (And Learning More!)

Mixing epic synths in metal doesn't have to be a black art. By focusing on:

• Cleaning up unnecessary frequencies ("Cynthia Garbage") with smart EQ.
• Balancing levels carefully against other key instruments.
• Adding character and punch with tools like saturation.
• Leveraging automation to bring the mix to life.

You can make your synths sound huge, clear, and perfectly integrated. These techniques, demonstrated by Eyal Levi in the Chelsea Grin Nail The Mix session, are fantastic starting points for your own productions.

Want to see exactly how top-tier producers make these decisions, tweak those EQs, and automate their way to a killer final product? At Nail The Mix, you get to watch world-class producers mix actual songs from bands like Chelsea Grin, Periphery, and Gojira from scratch, explaining every move. It’s more than just presets; it’s about understanding the process to Unlock Your Sound and Mix Modern Metal Beyond Presets.