Modern metal mixes, like those for a band as punishingly heavy as Emmure, need to be massive, clear, and impactful. While we often obsess over individual drum samples or guitar tones, sometimes the biggest wins come from the top—your mix bus. The philosophy of “top-down mixing” is a game-changer for many producers, and in a […]

Let’s talk about a modern metal mix’s foundation: the kick drum. It has to be powerful, consistent, and punch through a wall of guitars without turning into a muddy mess. The big question these days is often whether to completely replace the natural kick with samples or to enhance what’s already there. While there’s nothing […]

Ghost notes. Those super-subtle snare hits that add groove and feel, but can be a nightmare to get right in a dense metal mix. How do you make them audible and impactful without cranking up a load of unwanted hi-hat bleed or making them sound unnatural? If you’ve ever wrestled with this, you’re not alone. […]

Getting drum ghost notes to sit right in a dense, heavy mix is one of those classic production challenges. You want them to be felt and heard, adding that crucial layer of groove and technicality, but you can’t just crank the fader without bringing up a tsunami of hi-hat bleed and unwanted noise. For a […]

Getting a mix 90% of the way there is one thing. But that final 10%? That’s where the magic on the mix bus happens. It’s the processing that takes a collection of great-sounding tracks and glues them into a cohesive, powerful, and professional-sounding record. In a session with us, legendary producer Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, […]

Let’s be real, getting a clean, punchy snare sound in a heavy mix is a constant battle. You crank up the EQ to get that perfect top-end crack and presence, and suddenly you’ve also got a tidal wave of hi-hat and cymbal wash bleeding into the mic. It can turn an otherwise tight drum mix […]

Let’s be real—getting a modern metal guitar tone that is both brutally heavy and surgically clear is the holy grail. You want the weight and the chug, but you can’t afford to lose the note definition in a fast riff or the pick attack that makes a breakdown hit like a sledgehammer. In their recent […]

Let’s be real, a massive metal track needs a bass that can hold down the low end while still cutting through a wall of guitars. The bass tone on a We Came As Romans record is the perfect example of this: it’s solid, consistent, and perfectly locked in with the drums. But how do you […]

Let’s be real: modern metalcore hits, like the ones from Falling In Reverse, are a masterclass in production. They’re punchy, dynamic, and packed with layers of synths and effects that all manage to occupy their own space. It’s the kind of polished, aggressive sound that makes you wonder, “How did they do that?” We got […]

Let’s be honest, making prog metal lead guitars sit right in a dense mix is a serious challenge. You need them to soar above the blistering rhythm guitars, intricate drums, and thunderous bass, but what do you do when the lead tones you were sent are baked in and sound almost identical to the rhythms? […]