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

Why I Still Use Reaper After 14 Years

After 14 years and hundreds of metal records, I still use the same $60 DAW and in this video I'm breaking down exactly why. If you're paying a subscription for your DAW, this might change how you think about your setup. I started on Cubase LE bundled with my first interface. When I decided to upgrade, I went where every serious metal engineer went in 2012, the Andy Sneap forum. The recommendation was almost unanimous: Reaper. I've been on it ever since. Here's what keeps me there after 14 years: → A fully functional 60-day evaluation... not a demo, the complete software with every feature unlocked → A one-time $60 purchase that covers two full version builds... I've held the same license since 2012 → Track architecture that adapts automatically... MIDI, audio, mono, stereo — no pre-defining required → Folder routing that functions as buses, keeping complex metal sessions organized and fast → Deep customization that lets the software disappear so you can focus entirely on the music I also break down why "industry standard" is a myth for home metal producers, and why engineers like 3x Grammy-winning mastering engineer Alan Douches don't care what DAW your mix came from. If you're ready to stop paying for software and start spending that money on gear that actually moves the needle, this is the video. Chapters: 00:00 Choosing a DAW 00:37 From Free DAWs to Real Sessions 01:13 Andy Sneap Forum Discovery 02:11 Try Before You Buy 02:54 DAW Cost Reality Check 04:00 Reaper Workflow Wins 04:18 Tracks Without Types 05:10 Folders as Buses 06:01 Customization 06:45 Industry Standard Myth 07:32 What Pros Actually Hear 08:41 Final Recommendation and Next Steps 🔥 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

The Pre-Amp EQ Trick That Beats a Tube Screamer for Metal Guitar Tone

In my gain mistake video, I showed you how using less amp gain and a Tube Screamer with the drive at zero produces a tighter metal guitar tone. But what if a simple EQ plugin could do it even better? In this video, I test using a stock Reaper EQ (ReaEQ) before a high-gain amp sim to shape the DI signal with more control than a Tube Screamer, and compare all three approaches in the context of a full mix. 📌 What's covered: - Why some viewers prefer EQ over a Tube Screamer in front of the amp - The exact EQ settings: high-pass at 100Hz, dip at 546Hz, boosts at 900Hz and 3.5kHz, low-pass at 10kHz, +6dB gain - A head-to-head comparison in a full mix: amp only vs. Tube Screamer vs. EQ - Which approach produces the tightest metal guitar tone that actually cuts through 📥 Guitar & Bass DI Recording Guide: https://liquidstudiosli.com/guitar-bass-guide/ 🎥 Related Video: The Gain Mistake Every Home Metal Recorder Makes: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Wz08e5ubog0#musicproduction Chapters: 00:00 Too Much Gain Recap 00:27 Tube Screamer vs EQ Idea 01:10 Test Setup in Full Mix 01:33 Low Gain Amp Baseline 02:12 Tube Screamer Boost Demo 03:01 Why Tube Screamer Works 03:30 EQ Before the Amp Settings 05:05 EQ Method in the Mix 05:56 A B C Comparison 07:07 Final Verdict and Next Steps 07:36 Free Guide and Outro 🔥 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 #guitartone #ampsim #tubescreamer #metalrecording #reeq #reaperdaw

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 years 00:41 Silencer vs Trigger Explained 01:36 Trigger Gate Setup 02:01 Kick drum: Trigger vs Silencer 04:15 Snare drum: ghost notes & bleed control 06:18 Toms: spill and decay 08:51 Which one wins? My verdict and Wrap

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 ⏱ TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Why your guitars won't sit in the mix 0:59 Fix #1: Sidechain compression to the snare 2:30 Fix #2: Attack & release for low-end chug 3:51 Fix #3: Parallel compression for quad layers 5:10 Fix #4: Control compression for lead guitars 7:13 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

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 Vanish 02:23 Why Gentle Compression Fails 03:23 The Two Step Plan 03:33 Step One CLA 76 Crush 04:32 Foundation And Consistency 04:48 Free Guide 07:24 Step Two CLA 2A Punch 08:02 Wrap Up And Next Steps #metalvocalcompression #howtomixmetalvocals #vocalcompression #metalproduction #mixingmetal #homeproduction #recordingmetal #vocalchain #1176compressor #LA2Acompressor