Riff to Radio

Daniel Thabet
  • 5.0 (6)
  • HOW TO
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to Riff to Radio, the podcast where I discuss all things recording, producing, releasing, and promoting music for metal bands. I'm your host, Daniel Thabet. I'm a professional mixing engineer and owner of Liquid Studios. With over a decade of experience exclusively working with metal bands, I'm here to help your band produce aggressive sounding music you are proud to release!

  1. 4D AGO

    From Raw DI to Final Mix: The Exact Heavy Guitar Process I Use on Every Song

    Most guitar mixing tutorials show you one plugin. One move. One preset. This is the full chain, from raw DI signal to reamped tone to completely finished heavy guitars inside a real mix. Every plugin, every setting, and every decision explained. This is the exact process I use on every heavy mix... the small, intentional decisions that stack until your guitars are heavy AND clear. 🎁 FREE GUIDE — How to Record Guitar & Bass DIs Like a Pro:👉 https://liquidstudiosli.com/guitar-bass-guide/ TIMESTAMPS:00:50 Raw DI and Routing Setup02:10 Amp Sim in Mix Context03:17 Tube Screamer Tightening04:17 EQ Cleanup Filters05:14 Low End Multiband Control06:09 Stereo Width EQ Trick07:19 Bus EQ and Soothe09:23 Total Bus Pultec Polish10:55 Width and Snare Ducking12:25 Vocal Sidechain Carve13:27 Wrap Up and Free Guide Want to watch these videos early? Join the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5d5LAcG0ga-rBlWPEGIqeA/join 🔥 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 #metalproduction #mixingguitars #heavyguitartone #musicproduction #homestudio #metalrecording #mixingtutorial #guitarproduction #DAWtutorial #heavymetal

    14 min

  2. MAR 24

    How I Mixed These Metal Drums From Scratch

    I mixed these metal drums from raw tracks to a polished final mix, and I'm showing you every single step. Watch the complete drum mixing process: EQ, compression, bus processing, and the full before & after. FREE DRUM RECORDING GUIDE: https://liquidstudiosli.com/drum-recording-guide ⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 Drum Mix Overview00:32 Session Setup01:24 Kick Mic Balance02:50 Kick Bus Processing04:56 Clipping And Samples06:47 Kick Additional Processing08:13 Snare Mics And Cleanup09:37 Snare Bus And Sample12:06 Toms Processing14:22 Cymbals And Overheads16:32 Room Mics18:01 Sample Rooms And Drum Bus19:46 Bus Glue And Parallel22:04 Mix A/B And Wrap Up 🔥 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 Want to watch these videos early? Join the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5d5LAcG0ga-rBlWPEGIqeA/join

    24 min

  3. MAR 17

    You're EQing Your Guitars WRONG (Do This Instead)

    Are you EQing your guitars WRONG? In this video, I'll show you 3 common EQ mistakes that are killing your guitar tone, and how to fix them. We'll cover:🔴 Why sweeping EQ cuts are doing more harm than good🔴 Why you should NEVER EQ in solo🔴 How to use high pass and low pass filters to clean up your mix Whether you're mixing metal guitar at home or in a professional studio, these EQ tips will help you get a tighter, more professional sound. Want to watch these videos early? Join the channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5d5LAcG0ga-rBlWPEGIqeA/join 🎸 FREE GUIDE: Record Guitar & Bass DI's Like a Pro: 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 ⏱️ Timestamps:01:16 Mistake One EQ Sweep02:34 Fix Sweeping Habit03:28 Mistake Two Solo EQ04:51 Mix In Context06:07 Mistake Three Filters06:25 High Pass Cleanup07:19 Low Pass Fizz Control08:26 Wrap Up And Free Guide #guitarEQ #mixingtutorial #musicproduction #metalguitar #EQtips #homerecordingstudio #mixguitar

    9 min

  4. MAR 10

    4 Techniques to Make Your Metal Choruses Sound HUGE (Without More Plugins)

    If your metal choruses aren’t hitting like they should, the problem usually isn’t your plugins, it’s contrast. Most mixes don’t have a “chorus lift” because the verse is already too big, so when the chorus arrives… nothing feels different. In this video, I’ll show you 4 simple techniques to make your metal choruses sound HUGE (without adding more plugins) by creating size, width, level, and energy exactly where it matters. What you’ll learn in this episode: ✅ 1) Arrangement & layering: how to stack extra guitar and vocal layers in the chorus so it feels bigger than the verse✅ 2) Verse guitar width: why narrowing your rhythm guitars slightly in the verse (around 75–80% L/R) makes the chorus feel wider✅ 3) Mix bus automation: how dropping the verse by ~1 dB makes the chorus lift and feel louder without crushing your mix✅ 4) “Drum smash” parallel compression: how to automate a massive parallel drum bus only in the chorus for instant impact and excitement 00:34 Arrangement02:46 Guitar Width04:05 Verse Level Automation05:09 Parallel Drum Crush07:06 Final A B and Recap08:08 Next Steps These are the same types of moves you’ll hear in modern metal mixes... tight verses, huge choruses, and a clear jump in energy when the hook hits. If you want your mixes to translate like a record (tight low end, wide guitars, clear vocals, big choruses), I’m currently taking on a few more mixing projects. Click the link below. 🔥 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

    9 min

  5. MAR 3

    25 Metal Production Tips in 5 Minutes (Speed Run)

    25 metal production tips in 5 minutes. ⚡️In this speed run, I’m blasting through practical, real-world mixing and recording tips for modern metal, so you can get tighter performances, clearer guitars, punchier drums, and a cleaner low end fast. ✅ In this video you’ll learn quick wins for:-Tracking & session prep (tuning, gain staging, clean takes)-Editing tight metal performances (crossfades, noise cleanup, alignment)-Low-end control (kick/bass/toms, sidechain, filtering)-Heavy rhythm guitars (EQ, gain, harshness control)-Vocals & mix polish (compression chains, saturation, FX cleanup) 00:00 Intro: 25 Metal Production Tips in 5 Minutes (No Fluff)00:28 Tracking Fundamentals:  (Tips 1–5)01:19 Editing & Tightness: (Tips 6–10)02:08 Low-End & Drum Power: (Tips 11–15)03:02 Guitars & Midrange: (Tips 16–20)03:56 Vocals, FX, Mixbus: (Tips 21–25)04:54 Wrap-Up 🔥 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

    5 min

  6. FEB 24

    Your Metal Mix Is Fighting Itself

    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 Mix00:36 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 Guitars04:41 Let Lead Guitars Shine Without Lowering Rhythm Energy06:04 Make Vocals Cut Through (1k–4k Pocket Carving)07:23 Pro Trick: Duck Reverb & Delay for Clean but Massive Vocals08:48 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

    9 min

  7. FEB 17

    I Almost Fired A Band

    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

    5 min

  8. FEB 10

    The Drum Mistake Making Your Metal Tracks Sound Fake

    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

    6 min
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5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Welcome to Riff to Radio, the podcast where I discuss all things recording, producing, releasing, and promoting music for metal bands. I'm your host, Daniel Thabet. I'm a professional mixing engineer and owner of Liquid Studios. With over a decade of experience exclusively working with metal bands, I'm here to help your band produce aggressive sounding music you are proud to release!

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Thabet
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Daniel Thabet