Jens Bogren’s Leprous Rhythm Guitar Mixing: Clarity & Power

Getting rhythm guitars to sit perfectly in a dense metal mix is a challenge every producer faces. You want power and aggression, but also clarity and space for everything else. It’s a balancing act that can make or break a track. In a fascinating session focused on Leprous, legendary producer Jens Bogren (Opeth, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir) shared some of his core philosophies and techniques for dialing in rhythm guitars. Forget just cranking the gain; Jens’s approach is about nuance, careful listening, and making sure every part serves the song.

Let's dive into how Jens tames and shapes those Leprous rhythm guitars to sit perfectly in the mix.

The Foundation: Well-Recorded Guitars are Half the Battle

Jens kicks things off with a crucial point: if your guitars are recorded well, with good tone at the source, you shouldn't need to do a ton of surgical fixing in the mix. This might sound obvious, but it’s a fundamental that’s often overlooked. Time spent getting the amp tones right, proper mic placement, and solid performances will save you headaches later.

He noticed the Leprous tracks had at least one pair of guitars that sounded like they had no overdrive pedal, retaining a sparkling top end from the full string hitting the amp. Another pair likely did have a pedal, providing more mid-focus and saturation. This variety is key.

Blending Layers: Finding the Right Balance

With multiple rhythm guitar tracks (in this case, four distinct layers for Leprous), the first step is balancing them. Jens found himself leaning towards the more distorted guitars for the main body of the riff.

Why More Distortion (Sometimes)?

• Evenness: The compression inherent in a more distorted tone helps even out the performance dynamics.
• Mid-Focus: That classic "tube screamer" type mid-hump fills out the sound and helps the guitars cut through, especially when there aren't many other instruments competing in that frequency range.

However, it's not a "set it and forget it" situation. For certain sections, like the end of a phrase where more clarity was desired, Jens automated the more distorted guitars down and potentially brought up the cleaner, less distorted layers to compensate. This dynamic approach keeps the guitar sound interesting and appropriate for each part of the song.

The Rhythm Master Bus

To manage the overall level of these layered guitars, Jens routes them to a rhythm guitar master bus. This allows him to adjust the collective volume of all rhythm guitars with a single fader after he's achieved the internal balance between the layers.

Compression on Rhythm Guitars? Less is Often More

When it comes to compression on rhythm guitars, Jens has a clear philosophy: the more distortion you have, the less additional compression you typically need.

Here's why:

• Distortion IS Compression: High-gain tones naturally squash the dynamic range. Adding more compression on top can easily make guitars sound smaller, choked, and lose their punch.
• Preserving Dynamics: If there are dynamic elements in the riffing, over-compressing will kill them.

This doesn't mean never compress rhythm guitars, but it's not an automatic go-to. It depends on the material and the amount of gain already present.

Strategic EQ: Carving Space and Adding Character

If the guitars are recorded well, aggressive EQ moves might not be necessary. However, shaping the tone to fit the mix is crucial.

The Perils of Over-Cutting

Jens cautions against getting too aggressive with low-cuts and high-cuts by default. While sometimes necessary, excessive filtering can:

• Shrink the Sound: Make the guitars sound thin or small.
• Narrow the Stereo Image: The perceived width of your guitars can suffer.
  The relationship with the bass guitar is a huge factor here. There are no "default" EQ settings; it's always about how it sounds in context.

Low-End Clarity: The 150Hz Region

On the Leprous tracks, Jens experimented with a low-cut on the rhythm guitar master bus. He found that a cut around 150Hz (using an EQ that also adds some pleasant harmonics) helped clean up the low-end, giving more space to the bass and drums, especially important with Leprous's fairly low tunings. This specific frequency (he also mentions 82Hz as an option on this particular EQ) can be a sweet spot for taming mud without gutting the guitars' power.

Character EQs for Shimmer and Harmonics

Jens isn't just using EQ for subtraction. He mentions using an EQ on the rhythm bus that, when run in "mic mode" or with its "saturation" engaged, adds a "nice shimmer" and extra harmonics. This type of character EQ can bring life and excitement to the guitars, enhancing the top-end in a musical way. It’s not just about boosting treble; it's about adding pleasing harmonic content that helps the guitars sparkle and feel more finished.

Palm Mutes: Controlling the Chug (When Needed)

While the specific Leprous track didn't feature heavy palm-muting, Jens mentioned a common technique for controlling them if they become problematic: multi-band compression. A tool like the Waves C4 can be used to selectively compress just the low-mid frequencies that build up during heavy chugs, keeping them tight and defined. Conversely, you could use it to expand them if you want more impact from the mutes.

Panning, Space, and Final Touches

With the core tone shaping up, Jens turns his attention to how the guitars sit in the stereo field and interact with other elements.

Strategic Panning

• Creating Vocal Space: He panned a guitar labeled "M" (presumably for "middle") slightly off-center. This subtle move can create a bit more room for the lead vocal right down the middle.
• Balancing Elements: He switched the panning of two octave guitar parts, keeping a melody guitar more to the right to balance out the hi-hat, which was panned more to the left. These aren't drastic wide pans but thoughtful placements to ensure every part has its own space.

Bass Guitar Interaction

Jens revisited the bass, aiming to be "brave" with its level but also making small tweaks like backing off some mids and a bit of the top-end boost he had previously, while perhaps adding a touch more widening. This back-and-forth between guitar and bass EQ is vital for a cohesive low-end.

Room Mics vs. Delays

Interestingly, Jens mentioned he hadn't yet touched the room mic tracks for the guitars. While he might incorporate them later, he often prefers using delays on rhythm guitars instead of constant room reverb. Delays can add a sense of space and depth without washing out the guitars or sacrificing their focus, which a constant reverb can sometimes do.

Bringing It All Together

Jens Bogren's approach to mixing Leprous's rhythm guitars is a masterclass in making deliberate, musical choices. It’s about:

• Starting with great source tones.
• Thoughtful blending and automation of layers.
• Using compression sparingly on distorted guitars.
• Strategic EQ for clarity and character, not just problem-solving.
• Considering the entire mix context, especially the bass and vocals.
• Using panning and effects like delay to create space and focus.

These techniques from Jens provide a fantastic roadmap for getting powerful, clear, and professional-sounding rhythm guitars in your own metal productions.

Want to see exactly how Jens Bogren applies these techniques, makes his EQ decisions, and balances all the elements in a real Leprous song? On Nail The Mix, you can watch pros like Jens mix entire songs from scratch, explaining every plugin, every fader move, and every thought process. Get access to the Leprous multi-tracks and learn directly from one of the best in the business. If you're serious about elevating your metal mixes, exploring resources like "Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets" and diving into NTM sessions is the way to go.