How To Mix A Metal Song (Start To Finish) – Mixing Masterclass with George Lever
What can you do with a metal mix using only one plug-in bundle? We set the challenge of doing just that to Producer and mix engineer George Lever, who took on “Tempest” by Talons to find out.
In the video, George breaks down his choices across the drums, bass, guitars and vocals, then shares how he treated the master bus. Every Sonnox plug-in he uses is part of the Core Studio Collection.
Building a controlled, expansive drum sound
George usually mixes from the top down, processing buses that feed into one another. For this session, he kept the routing straightforward so it would be easier to hear what each plug-in was doing. He also used samples to add back detail lost through bleed and gating, rather than replacing the live drum sounds.
He starts with the kick, snare and toms, using Oxford Drum Gate 2 to manage bleed and align the close mics. On the kick, gating helps bring out a firmer, more defined sound. George then uses Oxford EQ to bring the fundamental back into place, followed by Voca for saturation and added harmonic content.
The snare follows a similar approach. Gating reduces bleed while keeping the sound natural, and Oxford Dynamics helps shape the transient and sustain. George uses Oxford Envolution to extend the snare’s sustain, then aligns the live snare with the sample. The sample adds weight and attack while the live microphones retain the character of the kit.
On the toms, Drum Gate controls the close mics, while Claro shapes the overall tone. The live toms and programmed parts are matched so the samples can restore some of the sustain lost through gating. Across the drum bus, EQ, compression and Oxford Inflator bring the kit together and help it sit at a strong level.
Getting the bass and kick to work together
George builds the bass sound from both a DI and an amp signal. EQ and compression bring out the mid-range character, while the two signals combine to create a sound that connects with the drums.
On the bass bus, the kick feeds the compressor’s key input. Each kick hit gently ducks the bass, helping the kick cut through without needing to keep raising its level. George also drops the bass an octave in the final section to add weight alongside the guitars.
Shaping guitars and adding atmosphere
For the main guitars, George uses Claro to address hollow and whistling tones, then Soften for gentler resonance control. He adds Oxford Dynamic EQ to make further adjustments as the guitars interact with the rest of the mix.
He gives the lead ambience more width with Claro, then duplicates the part at different octaves and adds reverb to the upper layer. On a verse guitar pad, Oxford Reverb adds space and helps soften an aggressive upper mid-range. The electronic production needs little processing beyond level adjustments and a touch of added width.
A consistent approach to vocals and screams
George uses a similar plug-in chain across the vocal tracks. Compression helps the main vocal sit consistently, while Soften controls resonances and Claro brings back some brightness. Voca adds further control and tone shaping.
The vocal tracks feed into buses for additional processing. George uses compression to help the vocal parts work together, then applies EQ and more saturation to shape the combined sound. The screams use a similar chain, with an extra EQ adjustment to remove excess low end. Some room sound remains in the recordings, so delay and reverb help it fit into the mix.
Ready for more full mix videos?
Enjoyed seeing Sonnox plug-ins in a full mix? Sign up to our newsletter below for occasional emails with exclusive promotions, updates and giveaways.