Riff to Radio

Daniel Thabet
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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. 1D AGO

    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

  2. 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

  3. FEB 3

    3 Reasons You Should Use A Dedicated Mastering Engineer

    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 doesWhy most bands skip a dedicated mastering engineerThe value of outside perspective after mixingWhy collaboration leads to better recordsHow mastering impacts translation across speakers and streaming platformsBonus: how working with established mastering engineers can help long-termIf 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

    6 min

  4. JAN 27

    3 Ways To Make Your Lead Guitar Cut Through The Mix

    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

    10 min

  5. JAN 20

    Will AI Make Mixing Engineers Obsolete? (Honest Answer)

    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 replaceWhy revisions break AI workflowsWhy serious bands still want a human involvedWhere AI actually helps (and why that’s a good thing)Who will feel the impact the mostAI 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

    4 min

  6. JAN 13

    3 Techniques To Make Your Guitars Sound Wider

    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 widthHow low-end buildup secretly collapses your stereo imageUsing subtle EQ differences to create separationWhen (and how) to use stereo wideners without wrecking your mixIf 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

    11 min

  7. JAN 6

    Why Nobody Listens to Your Metal Band

    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 productionWhy “music for musicians” turns listeners offHow generic sounds make bands invisibleWhat actually makes listeners stay past the first 10 secondsThese 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

    8 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    I Stopped Layering My Bass And This Sounds Better

    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 worseHow to get aggressive metal bass tone from one trackThe exact plugin order I use and why it mattersHow to make bass cut through guitars without mudHow to simplify your low-end workflow without sacrificing powerThis 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

    9 min
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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
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Daniel Thabet