Orchestral Metal Master Class: Daath’s “No Rest No End”

Ever cranked a metal track where the orchestra just hits different? That epic, cinematic wall of sound that elevates the brutality to a whole new level. But let's be honest, getting orchestral elements and synths to sound massive and not cheesy in a metal mix is a tough gig. It’s a delicate balance of epic and aggressive. The dudes in Daath know a thing or two about this, and their track "No Rest No End" is a killer example. We got the lowdown from Daath's own Eyal Levi and orchestrator/composer Jesse Zuretti (the guy behind sound for Marvel and Netflix projects, so yeah, he knows his stuff) on how they built those insane orchestral layers. Get ready to dive into the specific libraries, MIDI tricks, and arrangement philosophies they used.

The Foundation: Choosing Your Orchestral Arsenal

Before you even think about writing a single note, you need the right tools. Jesse emphasizes that a rich, believable orchestral sound often comes from a blend of sources, not just one magic plugin.

The Go-To: Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Pro

For "No Rest No End," Jesse's workhorse library is the Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Pro. This isn't just a random choice. He digs it because it offers not just full ensembles but also "Leader" patches. Think of it like having the principal player of each section (like the concertmaster violin) available as a separate instrument. This adds a layer of realism and control, allowing for more detailed storytelling in the music.

Crucially for metal production, this library gives him deep control over the microphone signals. When you're sending orchestral stems to a mix engineer like Jens Bogren (who mixed Daath), you don't want them drenched in built-in hall reverb that won't play nice with the band. Jesse keeps his orchestral tracks relatively dry, allowing the mix engineer to add their own reverb that glues everything together within the metal context. He’ll often use multiple instances of BBC SO Pro for different articulations for a single instrument line, pushing the realism even further.

Layering for Depth: Beyond a Single Library

While BBC SO Pro is the star, it's not a solo act. Jesse layers it with other libraries to create more depth and fill out the sound. He mentioned using bits from Abbey Road libraries and Audio Ollie (even if it wasn't on the specific machine during the breakdown, its reverbs were part of the recipe). These "non-focus" sounds, sometimes just the tail end or reverb from a different library, can subtly fill in gaps between notes, making the whole thing feel more organic and less like a collection of static samples. It's about remembering these are recordings of humans in a room, and that slight variation adds to the magic.

Crafting Key Orchestral Sections: Instrument Deep Dive

With the core libraries chosen, let's look at how Jesse approached specific instrument groups in "No Rest No End."

Strings That Soar (Not Squeak)

For the strings, beyond the main Spitfire BBC SO Pro, layers from Abbey Road and Audio Ollie contribute. Jesse splits out string ensembles, like first violins and second violins, onto separate tracks, paying close attention to their natural registers. The real magic, though, comes from MIDI automation, controlling dynamics and performance techniques to make them breathe. (More on that later!)

The Baroque Breakdown: Harpsichord & Synth Alchemy

One of the standout moments in "No Rest No End" is a wild baroque section. Eyal originally wrote this part envisioning a harpsichord, and Jesse brought it to life.
For the harpsichord itself, he landed on the Soniccouture Conservatoire Collection, specifically the Flemish Harpsichord. Why so specific? Its percussive, articulate sound was perfect for the intricate, non-repetitive Bach-esque lines Eyal wrote. Jesse noted that harpsichord is a beast to play (and program), requiring a very precise touch.

To give it that Wendy Carlos (think A Clockwork Orange soundtrack) vibe and help it cut through the dense metal mix, Jesse layered the harpsichord with a synth. He actually recreated a harpsichord-like tone using an Oberheim-style synth patch he’d designed years ago, likely within Omnisphere. This synth layer adds richness and pushes the harpsichord forward.
Piano also makes a brief appearance in this section, but very strategically. It’s used for short, percussive hits to give a little extra push without competing tonally with the brighter harpsichord for the entire duration. Smart arrangement is key!

Synth Power: Beyond Basic Pads with Omnisphere

When it comes to synths, Jesse is a big fan of Spectrasonics Omnisphere. He stresses that it’s not just about presets; the real power comes from diving in and sculpting your own sounds from scratch. For "No Rest No End," he used custom patches based on iconic synths like the Prophet and Oberheim OB-8, tweaking them extensively until they were unrecognizable from their starting points. If you're serious about synths in your productions, Omnisphere is pretty much essential.

Choirs That Command (Without the Cheese)

Ah, metal choirs. So easy to get wrong and sound like a B-movie soundtrack. Jesse's approach avoids the cheese by focusing on realism and strategic use. For this track, he opted for 8Dio Lacrimosa. While he also uses Spitfire's Eric Whitacre Choir, he felt Lacrimosa offered a darker, more gothic, baroque, and renaissance vibe that suited Daath better than Whitacre's "prettier," more emotional sound.
He focused on "Aah" vowels, understanding that the vowel shape is like an articulation for the voice. Crucially, the choirs aren't just one continuous pad. They come in for specific moments to emphasize musical points, with dynamics carefully automated to simulate human breathing – singers have to breathe, right? This avoids the "how big are their lungs?!" effect of some programmed choirs.

Percussive Impact: Tuned & Untuned Arsenal

Orchestral percussion isn't just big booms; it's nuanced. Jesse differentiates between:

• Tuned Percussion: Instruments that produce distinct pitches (like tubular bells, timpani, glockenspiel, celesta). These must be in key with the song, or they'll clash horribly.
• Untuned Percussion: More traditional drum-like sounds (snares, bass drums, cymbals, tambourines).

Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Pro covers both extensively. Jesse uses tuned percussion to reinforce melodies or add unique textures, while untuned percussion builds aggression, creates tension with selective cymbal swells (not just constant crashing!), and generally works with Crim's powerful drumming to drive the momentum of the song. The goal was to make these percussive layers almost machine-like in their precision at times, adding an industrial edge.

Majestic Brass: Power and Pitfalls

Brass is Jesse’s favorite section, but he warns it's incredibly easy to make it sound fake or "like crap," especially trumpets. To combat this, he again employs library stacking. While BBC SO Pro is a foundation, he pulls in other libraries like those from Music Sampling (his assistant Brocky loves these for their in-depth articulation control) to get the best possible performance for specific articulations. Getting trumpets to sound convincing with VSTs is a real art, and it often involves blending the strengths of multiple libraries.

Subtle Woodwinds: Adding Air and Outline

Woodwinds like flutes and clarinets play a more subtle role in Daath's dense sound. Being generally mellower, they don't compete well head-on with heavily distorted guitars. Instead, Jesse uses them to add "air," outline melodic phrases played by other instruments (like brass), or provide a delicate texture. They often get strategically placed so they don't get completely buried, especially by the more powerful brass section.

Bringing Your Orchestra to Life: Essential Humanization Techniques

Okay, so you've got your libraries. How do you make them sound like actual musicians playing, not just a robot triggering samples? Jesse shared some crucial techniques that go far beyond just stacking VSTs.

Articulation is Everything: Expression Maps vs. Key Switches

To switch between different playing styles (legato, staccato, spiccato, trills, tremolo, etc.), many producers use key switches (those low notes on the MIDI keyboard that trigger articulations). Jesse, however, prefers using Expression Maps (a feature in DAWs like Cubase).
Why? Expression maps allow him to define articulations for each instrument and VST, then simply select them in the MIDI editor. This keeps the MIDI data cleaner – no random C-1 notes that aren't actually part of the musical performance. This is especially handy if you ever need to generate a traditional score for live players, as those key switch notes would just confuse things. He uses custom expression maps (shoutout to "B Rocky" for making his) tailored to each library, like BBC SO Pro, allowing for quick, intuitive changes between dozens of articulations within a single part. Think of it like a guitarist switching between palm-mutes, open strums, and hammer-ons – it’s essential for expression.

Dynamic Realism: CC Automation for Expression

This is HUGE for realism. Jesse extensively uses MIDI CC (Continuous Controller) automation, primarily CC1 (Modulation), to control dynamics. He'll often perform these dynamic changes in real-time using faders on a MIDI controller, or draw them in meticulously.
This isn't just about making things louder or softer; it's about simulating the natural swell and decay of a bowed string, the breath control of a wind player, or the crescendo of a choir. You’ll see peaks and valleys in his CC1 lanes, representing the human element of performance. This automation directly controls parameters within the VSTs, like the dynamic layers in Spitfire BBC SO Pro, and can also influence vibrato (used sparingly, often as an "exclamation point") and release tightness.

The Nuance of Note Entry: Legato and Beyond

How you actually input the notes into your piano roll makes a massive difference. For true legato (smooth, connected notes), Jesse ensures the MIDI notes physically overlap. This tells the VST to trigger its specific legato samples, creating that seamless transition between notes, much like a hammer-on for a guitar.
Simply placing notes end-to-end, even if they're "long" notes, might trigger a re-attack of the note, sounding detached. Choosing the right articulation (e.g., "Legato" vs. "Long" in BBC SO Pro) in conjunction with how you place the MIDI notes is crucial for achieving the intended phrasing and flow, especially when mimicking how string players connect notes smoothly versus playing them with more separation.

Orchestrating for Metal: Making It Fit in a Dense Mix

Creating epic orchestral parts is one thing. Making them work with a barrage of distorted guitars, pounding drums, and aggressive vocals is a whole other challenge.

Less is More: The Art of Subtraction

Jesse and Eyal stressed that they made very calculated decisions about where the orchestra plays and what it plays. It’s not about blanketing the entire song with strings and brass. Sometimes, the most powerful choice is silence, letting the riff or a specific band element take center stage.
This often involves writing more orchestral material than needed initially, then meticulously cutting and refining to ensure each orchestral part serves a purpose and doesn't just clutter the mix. It’s an arrangement philosophy similar to surgical EQing your tracks – you cut frequencies to make space, and here you cut entire musical phrases or layers to let everything breathe. The goal is to enhance the metal, not fight it.

The "What If?" Factor: Orchestration With and Without the Band

If there were no metal band, Jesse explained the orchestral arrangement would be vastly different. The orchestra would need to provide more of the rhythmic drive and intensity that Crim's drumming and the heavy guitars bring. This highlights how an orchestral arrangement for metal is specifically tailored to complement the existing band elements, not just be a standalone piece dropped on top.

Pro Tip: Stay Organized!

A quick but vital piece of advice from Jesse: when you're dealing with potentially hundreds of tracks for complex orchestrations (he mentioned sessions can scale up to 300-400 tracks before being bounced down), meticulous organization in your DAW is non-negotiable. Color-coding, grouping, clear track naming – do whatever it takes to avoid getting lost in your own session.

Conclusion & Nail The Mix Pitch

As you can see, crafting compelling orchestral metal goes way beyond just loading up a preset. It involves a deep understanding of virtual instruments like Spitfire BBC Symphony Orchestra Pro, Omnisphere, and 8Dio Lacrimosa, savvy MIDI programming using expression maps and CC automation, and, crucially, smart arrangement choices to make it all gel with a powerful metal band. Jesse Zuretti’s work on Daath's "No Rest No End" is a testament to this intricate process.

We’ve only scratched the surface here. Learning these individual techniques is awesome, but imagine seeing how a top-tier producer integrates these complex orchestral layers into a full metal mix, balancing them against crushing guitars, thunderous drums, and aggressive vocals. How do they use compression to control dynamics or EQ to carve out space so every element shines?

That's exactly what you get with Nail The Mix. Every month, you get the actual multitracks from massive metal songs and watch the original producers mix them from scratch, explaining every plugin, every decision, every fader move. If you're ready to unlock your sound and mix modern metal beyond presets, seeing how the pros tackle challenges like blending epic orchestrations into a heavy mix is invaluable. Dive deeper and learn from the best in the business at NailTheMix.com. Good luck, and go make some epic metal!