If your metal mix sounds muddy, small, or chaotic… it’s probably fighting itself.

Turning everything up doesn’t make your mix massive. It makes it crowded.

In this video, I’ll show you the exact sidechain workflows I use in modern metal mixes to create space, clarity, and punch... without killing energy. No EDM-style pumping. Just transparent, pro-level control that lets every element hit harder.

We’ll cover frequency-specific ducking for low end, surgical midrange carving for snare and vocals, and a simple Reaper trick that keeps your vocal effects huge without washing out the performance.

If you want tighter low end, punchier snares, clearer solos, and vocals that actually sit on top, this is for you.

00:00 Why Turning Everything Up Kills Your Mix
00:36 Sidechain in Metal (Clarity, Not EDM Pumping)
01:20 Tight Low End: Kick & Toms vs Bass (Frequency-Specific Ducking)
03:06 Make the Snare Crack Through Quad Guitars
04:41 Let Lead Guitars Shine Without Lowering Rhythm Energy
06:04 Make Vocals Cut Through (1k–4k Pocket Carving)
07:23 Pro Trick: Duck Reverb & Delay for Clean but Massive Vocals
08:48 Mix Accountability: Make Every Element Earn Its Space

If this helps your mixes hit harder, drop a comment and let me know which technique you’re going to try first.

Go open your latest session and make your mix stop fighting itself.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

#musicproduction #heavymetal #mixing #homestudio #recordingstudio #metalhead

If you’re hiring a mixing engineer, don’t send your session like this.

In this episode, I break down the biggest session prep mistakes DIY bands make when exporting tracks for mixing, including not consolidating audio files, bad track labeling, messy edits, clicks, pops, and poor timing.

If your files aren’t prepped properly, your mix will suffer (and it may cost you more).

Download my free Mix Prep Guide below so your mixer actually enjoys working on your song.

👇 Get the free Mix Prep Guide here:
https://liquidstudiosli.com/mix-prep-guide/cac

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

Do your programmed metal drums sound fake and robotic?
The #1 reason is static MIDI velocity and over-quantization.

In this video, I break down the exact drum programming mistake that causes the “machine gun” effect and show you three simple fixes to make programmed drums sound human, dynamic, and record-ready.

This applies to metal, metalcore, death metal, and modern heavy production, whether you’re using programmed drums or editing MIDI.

If you’re a guitarist or producer who hates programming drums, I also offer full mixing and production services, link below.

🎧 Mixing & Production Services: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📺 Watch next: How To Dial In An Aggressive Metal Bass Tone: https://youtu.be/hPJUOgx49BA
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

Do you actually need a dedicated mastering engineer… or is mastering just an extra expense for DIY bands?

It’s a fair question.

Budgets are tight. Everyone’s wearing multiple hats. And mastering is one of the most misunderstood parts of the production process.

A lot of bands think:

“If the mix sounds good, we’re done.”

But skipping proper mastering is one of the fastest ways to make a great mix feel underwhelming once it leaves the studio.

In this week’s episode, I’m breaking down why using a dedicated mastering engineer can dramatically improve your release, and when it actually makes sense to separate mixing and mastering.

The main topics I discuss include:

• What mastering actually does
• Why most bands skip a dedicated mastering engineer
• The value of outside perspective after mixing
• Why collaboration leads to better records
• How mastering impacts translation across speakers and streaming platforms
• Bonus: how working with established mastering engineers can help long-term

If you’re spending months writing, recording, and mixing a song, stopping short of proper mastering is like quitting five feet before the finish line.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

Struggling to get your lead guitar to cut through the mix without just turning it up? In this video, I break down 3 proven mixing techniques pro engineers use to make lead guitars stand out in dense rock and metal mixes.

You’ll learn how to:

-Create contrast between lead and rhythm guitars
-Use surgical EQ to add clarity and presence
-Apply dynamic separation so your lead cuts through automatically

These techniques work in any DAW and apply to rock, metal, and modern guitar-driven music.

🎸 Free Guide: Learn how to record guitar & bass DI tracks the right way
👉 https://liquidstudiosli.com/guitar-bass-guide/
🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

#musicproduction #heavymetal #mixing #homestudio #recordingstudio #metalhead

Let me ask you a question I’ve been getting constantly lately…

“Is AI going to replace mixing engineers?”

Between AI mastering tools, mix assistants, and plugins promising a “pro mix in one click,” it’s easy to see why people are nervous.

I get it.

On the surface, it feels like things are moving fast, and if you’re a band or an engineer, it can start to feel a little unsettling.

But here’s the truth no one seems to be talking about.

AI can analyze audio.

It can recognize patterns.

It can copy averages.

What it can’t do is understand emotion, intent, or identity.

In this week’s episode, I break down what AI will never replace, where it will be useful, and what this actually means for bands and engineers moving forward, without the hype or fear-mongering.

The main topics I cover include:

• What AI can’t replace
• Why revisions break AI workflows
• Why serious bands still want a human involved
• Where AI actually helps (and why that’s a good thing)
• Who will feel the impact the most

AI is going to raise the floor, but humans still own the ceiling.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

Have you ever double-tracked your guitars, panned them hard left and right… and they still sound stuck in the middle?

No matter what you do, they feel small, buried, and kind of lifeless, like one big mono blob instead of two massive walls of sound.

I see this all the time.

Bands will come to me convinced they need a new amp sim, different pickups, or better IRs… when in reality, the problem has nothing to do with gear.

It’s usually a width issue, not a tone issue.

In this week’s episode, I’m breaking down 3 simple techniques you can use to make your guitars sound wide, clear, and professional, without ruining mono compatibility.

The main things I cover include:

• Why panning alone doesn’t create real width
• How low-end buildup secretly collapses your stereo image
• Using subtle EQ differences to create separation
• When (and how) to use stereo wideners without wrecking your mix

If your guitars sound huge solo’d but fall apart in the mix, this episode will clear things up fast.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

You spent months writing, recording, and releasing new music.

You post it everywhere.

You hit submit on Spotify.

And then… nothing.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth most bands avoid:

It’s probably not the algorithm.

It’s probably not promotion.

Most of the time, the real reason nobody is listening has everything to do with how your music sounds.

Listeners decide whether your band is worth their time in the first 10 seconds. If the mix sounds amateur, sterile, or flat, they skip, and the algorithm quietly learns to ignore you too.

I see this constantly with DIY metal bands. Great ideas. Solid riffs. But the production creates a wall new listeners won’t cross.

In this week’s episode, I break down why nobody is listening to your metal band, and the specific production and songwriting mistakes that are killing your momentum.

The main topics I cover include:

• Bad mixes and amateur production
• Why “music for musicians” turns listeners off
• How generic sounds make bands invisible
• What actually makes listeners stay past the first 10 seconds

These problems are uncomfortable, but they’re fixable once you know what to listen for.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

For years, I followed the same bass mixing advice everyone else did.

"Split your bass into multiple layers."

• One for subs.
• One for mids.
• One for grit.

On paper, it sounds like the “pro” way to do things.In reality? It caused endless phase issues, bloated low end, and bass tones that never felt like one cohesive instrument.

I spent hours tweaking layers instead of actually making music.

So I tried something different.

I deleted all the layers and rebuilt my bass tone using one single track and a carefully ordered plugin chain.The result was tighter, clearer, and way more aggressive than anything I got from layering.

In this week’s episode, I walk you through that exact process step by step.

The main topics I cover include:

• Why bass layering often makes mixes worse
• How to get aggressive metal bass tone from one track
• The exact plugin order I use and why it matters
• How to make bass cut through guitars without mud
• How to simplify your low-end workflow without sacrificing power

This approach works especially well for modern metal, metalcore, and heavy bands recording at home.

It’s faster, more repeatable, and way less frustrating.

👉 Download my free Bass and Guitar DI Recording Guide here: https://liquidstudiosli.com/guitar-bass-guide
🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1

Your band finally books studio time.

You’ve written the riffs. You’ve rehearsed for months. You’re ready to make the record.

But deep down, there’s a fear you don’t want to admit…

What if it comes out sounding weak? Sloppy? Like an amateur demo instead of the crushing record you hear in your head?

I’ve seen this happen to so many DIY metal bands. Not because they aren’t talented, but because they skip one critical phase before hitting record.

Pre-production.

In this week’s episode, I’m breaking down 5 non-negotiable pre-production steps that will save you time, money, and frustration (and help your recordings sound tight, powerful, and professional).

Inside the episode, I cover things like:

• Making sure everyone is actually playing the same parts
• Why sloppy tempo kills even the best riffs
• How to build better arrangements before tracking
• Deciding the right production vibe before you record
• When outside feedback can make or break a song

This isn’t about buying better gear or booking a more expensive studio.

It’s about walking into a session prepared, confident, and ready to capture killer performances, instead of fixing preventable problems under pressure.

If you’re planning to record anytime soon, this is one episode you don’t want to skip.

🔥 Hire me to mix your next track: https://liquidstudiosli.com/offer-video-2
📥 Free Resources For Metal Bands: https://liquidstudiosli.com/resources
👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1