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. 5d ago

    Trigger 2 Has a SECRET Drum Gate?!

    I've used Slate Trigger 2 since 2014 and I just discovered it has a built-in drum gate I never knew about. In this video, I put it head-to-head against Black Salt Audio Silencer on real metal drum tracks to find out which one actually wins for metal drum mixing. If you're like me, you've probably been using Trigger 2 purely for MIDI capture and sample replacement, blending in kick and snare samples to supplement your live drum recordings. But Trigger 2 also packs a full gating feature that can clean up bleed on your kick, snare, and tom tracks without reaching for a separate plugin. The question is: does it hold up against a dedicated drum gate like Silencer? I ran both plugins on the same multi-tracked metal drum session and compared them across three critical areas: attack detail, bleed control, and ghost note handling. The results surprised me, and one of these plugins might become my new go-to for cleaning up drum tracks before mixing. Whether you're recording drums at home, working with live drum tracks that need serious cleanup, or using drum replacement to supplement your kit, choosing the right gate makes a massive difference in how your drums sit in a dense metal mix. A clean, tight drum gate is the foundation of professional metal drum mixing, and getting it wrong means muddy cymbal bleed, lost transient attack, and drums that disappear under heavy guitars. In this breakdown you'll hear:• How Trigger 2's hidden gate feature works and where to find it• Kick drum gating: Trigger vs Silencer on attack and bleed• Snare drum gating: which plugin preserves ghost notes better• Tom gating: handling spill and maintaining natural decay• The ghost note automation trick that gives Silencer an edge• When to use each plugin and which one I'm reaching for first now I've mixed hundreds of metal songs, and cleaning up drum tracks is step one of every single mix. Getting your gating right before you touch EQ or compression is a night and day difference. 🔥 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 ⏱️ Chapters:00:00 The Trigger 2 feature I missed for 12 years00:41 Silencer vs Trigger Explained01:36 Trigger Gate Setup02:01 Kick drum: Trigger vs Silencer04:15 Snare drum: ghost notes & bleed control06:18 Toms: spill and decay08:51 Which one wins? My verdict and Wrap

    10 min

  2. Jun 16

    Your Guitars Don't Sit Right in the Mix (4 Compression Fixes That Actually Work)

    If your guitars aren't sitting right in the mix, it's not your tone... it's your compression. Here are 4 fixes that actually work. Whether you're mixing metal guitars that feel disconnected from the snare, low-end chug that sounds flubby and undefined, quad layers that shift instead of punch, or a lead guitar that won't stop fighting your rhythm tone, this video covers the exact compression techniques I use on every metal mix I work on. These aren't generic tips. These are specific, problem-solving compression moves for mixing metal guitars and heavy distorted tones, and I'm going to show you exactly how to apply each one in your DAW in real time. In this video:✔ Sidechain compression — lock your guitars to the snare✔ Attack & release control — tighten flubby low-end chug✔ Parallel compression — glue quad-tracked layers together✔ Low-ratio control compression — tame lead guitar dynamics without killing tone Want to see how all of this comes together in a full mix? Watch this next → From Raw DI to Final Mix: The Exact Heavy Guitar Process I Use on Every Song: https://youtu.be/iEjhJGNfk5Q ⏱ TIMESTAMPS0:00 Why your guitars won't sit in the mix0:59 Fix #1: Sidechain compression to the snare2:30 Fix #2: Attack & release for low-end chug3:51 Fix #3: Parallel compression for quad layers5:10 Fix #4: Control compression for lead guitars7:13 Guides and Next Steps 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 #musicproduction #mixingguitars #metalguitar #homerecording

    8 min

  3. Jun 9

    You're Not Compressing Your Metal Vocals Enough (Here's Why 20dB Is the Sweet Spot)

    The #1 mistake with metal vocals is NOT compressing them enough. Here's the exact 2-step vocal compression chain I use on every session... CLA-76 crush followed by CLA-2A for life and punch.  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 Vocal Recording Guide: https://liquidstudiosli.com/vocal-guide/👉 Subscribe for more metal production tips: https://youtube.com/@danielthabet?sub_confirmation=1 Timestamps:00:00 Why Vocals Vanish02:23 Why Gentle Compression Fails03:23 The Two Step Plan03:33 Step One CLA 76 Crush04:32 Foundation And Consistency04:48 Free Guide07:24 Step Two CLA 2A Punch08:02 Wrap Up And Next Steps #metalvocalcompression #howtomixmetalvocals #vocalcompression #metalproduction #mixingmetal #homeproduction #recordingmetal #vocalchain #1176compressor #LA2Acompressor

    9 min

  4. Jun 2

    From Physical Therapist to Full-Time Metal Mix Engineer | My 10-Year Story

    I never went to school for audio. I didn't intern at a famous studio. I was actually a physical therapist first. From the moment I seriously committed to learning audio production until I was finally able to quit my day job and mix metal bands full-time… it took almost 10 years. This is the full story... the Tascam 4-track at 13, the "terrible mixes" era, the mobile studio years, the reset move to Vermont, connecting with 3x Grammy winning mastering engineer Alan Douches, and finally walking away from the day job in 2020. If you're chasing this career, I hope this gives you a realistic picture of what it actually takes. 00:00 Not Overnight Success00:38 Early Studio Spark00:57 First Guitar and Four Track01:28 Choosing the Safe Career01:49 Learning Production from Scratch02:45 First Paid Demo Reality Check03:18 Mobile Studio Hustle04:04 Basement Studio Grind04:36 Move to Vermont Reset04:53 Online Outreach Breakthrough05:14 Quitting the Day Job05:23 Three Lessons Learned06:01 Thanks and Final Sendoff 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

    6 min

  5. May 26

    The Reason Your Drum Mixes Sound Bad Has Nothing To Do With Mixing

    The reason your home-recorded metal drums never sound right has nothing to do with your mixing. The problem happens before you ever open your DAW. In this episode, I'm taking you behind the scenes of a real metal drum recording session for the band Cytokine... tracked in a less-than-ideal basement, and walking you through every mic choice, every placement decision, and every bleed-management technique we used to get a pro-sounding raw drum recording. Then we open up Reaper and listen to every raw track, completely unprocessed, so you can hear exactly what good raw drums should sound like before you ever touch a plugin. 🎁 FREE DRUM RECORDING GUIDE: https://liquidstudiosli.com/drum-recording-guide TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Why Mixes Fail01:24 Three Key Factors02:00 Kick Mic Setup02:57 Snare Bleed Control03:41 Toms And Null Points04:16 Overheads And Spot Mics04:57 Room Mics Mojo05:57 Raw Tracks Playback09:56 Wrap Up And Next Steps 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

    11 min

  6. May 19

    3 Bass Mistakes That Ruin Every Metal Mix

    After mixing hundreds of metal tracks for self-recording bands, the bass is often sent wrong. In this video I break down the 3 most common bass mistakes I find in client sessions, and exactly how to fix them before you ever open a mix session. Timestamps: 00:00 Three Bass Killers00:17 Mistake 1 - The Tone Knob01:04 DI Comparison Demo02:48 Amp Sim Proof03:54 Why EQ Can’t Fix It05:59 Mistake 2 - Arrangement06:58 Wrong Notes Reality07:40 Mistake 3 - Performance08:03 Compression Demo09:50 Timing and Practice10:34 Recap and Next Steps 📥 Free Guitar and Bass Recording Guide: 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

    11 min

  7. May 12

    SSL Bus Compression for Metal (Attack & Release Settings That Actually Work)

    Your metal mix sounds solid in solo, but something dies when you play it back together. The culprit is almost always your mix bus compressor's attack and release settings. In this video I break down four specific attack/release combinations using the Warm Audio Bus Compressor (SSL G-Bus circuit), and show you exactly how each one impacts the punch, aggression, and glue of your metal mix. Whether you're running hardware or a plugin like the Waves SSL G-Master, these principles apply directly. 🎚️ SETTINGS COVERED:00:00 Why Your Mix Feels Thin00:50 What Bus Compression Does01:26 Setup and Test Plan01:51 Fast Attack Fast Release02:36 Fast Attack Auto Release03:20 Slow Attack Secret Weapon04:04 Choosing Release by Arrangement04:51 Slow Attack Auto Release Sweet Spot05:28 Free Mix Prep Guide05:53 AB Test and Final Settings06:44 Key Takeaways and Wrap Up 📥 Free Mix Prep Guide: https://liquidstudiosli.com/mix-prep-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 #metalproduction #mixbuscompression #musicproduction #homerecording #metalrecording

    7 min

  8. May 5

    The Only Way I Use Reference Tracks Now For Metal Mixing

    A lot of metal mixers are using reference tracks completely wrong. In this video I break down the three ways I've used reference tracks throughout my mixing journey, from beginner to where I am today, and show you exactly how to use reference tracks the right way so your metal mixes translate on every system. 🎁 FREE Mix Prep Guide → https://liquidstudiosli.com/mix-prep-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 00:00 Intro00:21 What Is a Reference00:56 Method 1 Ear Refresh01:41 Why I Quit Method 101:51 Method 2 Focused A B02:32 Why I Quit Method 202:50 Method 3 Analyzer Snapshots03:00 Real Time Ozone Demo04:55 Trust Ears Not Curves05:35 Recap and Next Steps #musicproduction #mixingmetal #metalproduction #recordingstudio

    7 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
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Daniel Thabet