Making Intervals’ Synths Shine: Sam Guaiana’s Mix Techniques

Ever found yourself wrestling with synths in a dense metal mix? Getting them to cut through and add that crucial layer without turning into a muddy mess or steamrolling Aaron Marshall's incredible guitar work is a common battle. In a recent session, super-producer Sam Guaiana pulled back the curtain on his synth processing for "Lock and Key" by Intervals, offering a goldmine of tips. Let's dive into how he gets those synths dynamic, wide, and perfectly seated.

Tackling the Main LFO Synth: Width, Distortion, and Ambience

The track kicks off with a distinctive LFO-driven synth. It’s a mono source, which presents an immediate challenge if you want it big and wide without eating up precious space.

Creating Width from Mono with MicroShift

First up for this mono synth was creating width. Sam reached for the Soundtoys MicroShift. The goal wasn't just subtle stereo spread, but to make it a bit "freaky dicky," as he put it. This helps it jump out and, crucially, get out of the way of the lead guitar. MicroShift is fantastic for adding that harmonizer/doubler effect that can make a mono source feel instantly larger than life.

Adding Grit with Decapitator

Next, to give the synth some attitude, Sam employed the Soundtoys Decapitator. And he wasn't shy with it – a significant amount of saturation was dialed in. He noted that sometimes this kind of heavy distortion can sound "fake" or like the "wrong distortion" when soloed. But here’s a key takeaway: always check it in the context of the full mix. Unsoloed, the distortion served its purpose, adding character and helping the synth carve its niche.

Taming Delays with Reverb (Little Plate)

This main synth features a busy half-note ping-pong delay. While adding cool movement, it could easily become distracting, especially with the intricate guitar riffs happening. To combat this, Sam used ValhallaPlate on the "Little Plate" setting. This touch of reverb helped to sit the synth back just a bit and soften the harsh edges of the delay, making it less jarring and more integrated into the overall soundscape. Reverb on synths like this can prevent them from sounding too dry or just "stuck on top" of the mix.

Movement with OneKnob Filter

To add evolving texture, especially for build-ups, Sam turned to the Waves OneKnob Filter. He simply loaded it up on a "moderate" setting and automated the filter sweep. This is a super effective and quick way to create interest and movement without getting bogged down in complex routing. Sam even dropped a cool tip: try feeding a OneKnob Filter into a distorted guitar amp. The resonance peak can make the amp react in some really wild ways, perfect if you're chasing unique sounds.

Handling Risers and Transitions

Synth risers are crucial for building energy, and Sam had a straightforward approach for the one in "Lock and Key."

Clean Automation and Filtering

The riser was designed to work with a fade-in, and its level was primarily managed with clip gain rather than fader automation on the track itself. A bit of EQ was used to shave off any super harsh high frequencies at the tail end of the riser – a good "safety" measure you might not hear prominently but cleans things up. He also applied a high-pass filter, reasoning that there was no useful information below a certain point for this particular sound. This kind of targeted EQ strategy is key when dealing with layered synth arrangements.

Blending Reinforcement Synths

Josh, presumably from the Intervals camp, delivered some synth parts intended to reinforce Aaron's guitar lines. These needed careful handling to blend seamlessly.

De-Plasticizing and Creating Space with ADT

One of the reinforcement synths had a "plasticky" character that Sam wanted to address. Since he had used a "fake octave" effect on Aaron's guitars, he opted for a real ADT (Automatic Double Tracking) effect on this synth. This instantly created a fake stereo image, giving the synth its own space and preventing it from clashing directly with the guitars.

Strategic EQ for Clarity

These reinforcement synths had an aggressive tone and, like many synth patches, contained a lot of low-end information that wasn't needed in the context of a full band mix. Sam used EQ to cut this unnecessary low-end and also tame some "super high hissy business." The goal here was for these synths to sit behind the guitars, providing support without drawing too much attention. Cleaning up frequency ranges like this is a fundamental part of mixing modern metal.

Minimal Magic for Synth Bells

Sometimes, less is more. For a synth bells part, Sam’s processing was incredibly simple: he lowered the volume to taste and blended them with the guitars. He also cut the audio tail off abruptly, similar to how he treated an ambient guitar part where the tail was automated down. Instead of fiddling with mute or volume automation for this, he simply chopped the audio region. Quick and effective!

Crafting the "Spooky" Piano Character

One of the standout synth moments involves a "spooky piano." This part apparently went through a few iterations before landing on the final sound.

Finding the Right Vibe: Una Corda and Phasers

The piano sound came from Kontakt, specifically the "Una Corda" library. Sam was looking for something "goofier" than a standard mid-range piano. Una Corda offers a unique, glassy tone that fit the "spooky" vibe. However, it also came with its own set of sonic challenges, like some tricky low-end build-up. To enhance the character, a phaser was added early in the chain.

Heavy Lifting with Greg Wells PianoCentric

A key plugin for shaping this piano was the Waves Greg Wells PianoCentric. Sam described this as doing "tons of heavy lifting." Much like the OneKnob series, it’s designed for intuitive results. Turning up the main knob likely introduces brightness (via a tilt-style EQ) and some compression to even things out. A doubler was also brought in to give the piano some width and space.

EQing for Pop and Presence

The EQ on this piano was pretty dramatic. Sam highlighted a massive boost way up high – around 15kHz – to make it really pop out of the mix. He admitted it sounds almost comical in solo, but in the track, it just works. He also scooped out some mud around 500Hz and added a boost around 4.5kHz, likely to emphasize the attack of the piano. The part was automated to start small and then come in full, with additional volume moves to make it sit right. You can dive deeper into these kinds of EQ techniques for modern metal here.

Final Touches on Rhythm Reinforcements

For other synth layers designed to reinforce Josh's rhythm guitar parts, the approach was consistent. Sam used a similar EQ setting to the other reinforcement synths but notably didn't widen these particular ones. The reasoning was sound: the guitar harmonies in that section were already wide, so the synth just needed to be present for support, not necessarily for adding more width.

Bringing It All Together

Sam Guaiana's approach to mixing synths for Intervals is all about purposeful processing. Every move, from stereo widening and distortion to EQ and reverb, is made to serve the song and ensure the synths complement the guitars without fighting them.

• Width is Key: Using tools like MicroShift on mono sources.
• Distortion for Character: Decapitator can add essential grit.
• Context is Everything: Don't be afraid if it sounds weird in solo; check the mix.
• Tame with Ambience: Reverb like ValhallaPlate can soften harsh elements.
• Smart EQ: Cut what you don't need, boost what helps it pop.
• OneKnob Wonders: Plugins like OneKnob Filter and Greg Wells PianoCentric for quick, effective results.

These are the kinds of real-world mixing strategies you can apply to your own productions. Want to see exactly how producers like Sam Guaiana tackle these challenges, explaining every plugin choice and automation move? At Nail The Mix, you get to watch pros mix actual songs from bands like Intervals from scratch. You get the raw multitracks and witness the entire process. Check out the full Intervals "Lock and Key" session with Sam Guaiana to see all these techniques in action and learn a ton more. If you're serious about taking your mixes to the next level, there's no better way than learning directly from the best in the game. Explore more about how you can transform your mixes with NTM.