Part 1: Performance and Recording
Nailing Your Metal Sound: The Key to Performance and Recording
In metal music, everything needs to sound solid. If any instrument is out of time, it will immediately weaken the final product. Precision is key, but at the same time, you don’t want to sound too robotic—especially in genres like black metal, where the raw, human element is essential. It’s important to balance technical tightness with the right feel for your genre.
A good starting point is writing your songs down in detail. Make sure you know the exact tempo and time signature of every bar. Using a digital tool that can export MIDI tracks, like Guitar Pro, will be a huge advantage. I’ve used this tool for years, and it’s incredibly helpful in ensuring that all instruments stay on time during recording.
Once your song is mapped out digitally, make sure every performer rehearses according to the written parts, especially in terms of timing. This gives you a solid framework before you even hit the recording stage. In your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), set up the exact tempos and time signatures for each bar of your song. This will ensure that the click track stays accurate and keeps everyone in sync during the recording process.
You can also use the MIDI tracks of your song as sources for virtual instruments to create backing tracks for any recording session. To save computing power, I suggest committing or bouncing the virtual instrument track to a wave file. Once you've done the bounce, disable the virtual instrument track—options like "Hide and Disable" in Pro Tools will do this. You can also disable individual plugins, but be aware that simply muting tracks or bypassing plugins won't free up your computing power—you need to disable them properly.
MIDI tracks can also serve as a helpful visual reference for editing, allowing you to compare how the performance (for example, a drummer's hits) aligns with what is written. This can be useful if you want to be that precise in your editing process.
At the very least, you should always use a click track to ensure tightness. However, if you prefer not to use a click or avoid writing your music down, then it’s essential to record the drums first. The rest of the instruments can then be recorded over the drum tracks to maintain timing.
In this part of the series, we'll explore how performance precision and proper preparation can make or break the foundation of your metal mix. By planning ahead and getting everything tight from the start, you'll ensure your recordings are ready for the next stages of production and mixing.
Essential Gear for Performance and Recording
When recording metal music, having the right gear is crucial to achieving a powerful and professional sound. The first thing you’ll need is an adequate audio interface with enough inputs for your needs. If you’re planning to record acoustic drums, an interface with at least 8 inputs and preamps is essential. I recommend looking into Focusrite’s Scarlett or Clarett series. While the Scarlett series is a more budget-friendly option, I’ve personally used the Clarett 8Pre for years. There are plenty of options out there, but make sure that the number of inputs you need for microphones includes physical XLR connectors with built-in preamps. Often, manufacturers report numbers like "18 in and 20 out," but the device may only have 8 preamps. The reported number usually means the device is extendable to the full input/output capacity via ADAT or similar connections.
For recording acoustic drums, you’ll need microphones for each drum as well as overhead mics for the cymbals. A room mic is also highly recommended to capture the full, cohesive sound of the kit. Without a room mic, your drums can end up sounding dry and disconnected in the mix. A room mic brings a more natural and larger feel to the overall drum sound.
If you're just starting out, a drum mic pack can be a convenient option. The Audix D-series is a great choice for metal, especially for the kick and tom mics, which are somewhat pre-tuned to the frequencies that work well in this genre. This means you’ll have a more polished drum sound straight from the recording, with less need for heavy EQ in post-processing.
For close-miking cymbals, a Shure SM57 is generally a solid, versatile option. However, consider whether you need close mics for every cymbal. For example, in most metal recordings, the hi-hat doesn’t require a close mic unless there are many closed hi-hat soft parts. The overheads should pick up the hi-hat clearly enough. On the other hand, a ride cymbal might benefit from a close mic if there are complex ride patterns that need to cut through the mix. Always perform a sound check before the actual recording to assess which mics are necessary.
In addition to microphones and an audio interface, you’ll also need at least two pairs of headphones when recording: one for the performer and one for the recording engineer or producer. When recording, it's important to use closed-back headphones to isolate external sounds and prevent any audio bleed into sensitive microphones. This is especially crucial when using condenser or ribbon mics, which are commonly used for overheads or vocal recordings. Closed-back headphones help ensure that no stray sound interferes with the clarity of your recordings, keeping everything clean and focused.
General Rules of Recording
One crucial element to watch during recording sessions is clipping. Clipping happens when the audio signal is too loud, causing the waveform to get "clipped," which introduces harsh and unwanted distortion into the recording. This is typically indicated on your audio interface by a red light on the input meter.
Before recording, always perform a thorough soundcheck with the performer, focusing on the loudest sections of the song. Adjust the input volume on the interface so that no inputs are triggering the red light. Your aim is to get a strong, clean signal without clipping.
However, it's important to remember that the loudest sound during a soundcheck is often not as loud as the actual performance during recording. To avoid clipping, leave some headroom by lowering the input volume slightly as a safety buffer. This allows you to capture a loud, clean signal without risking unwanted distortion.
Another common issue you'll face when recording digitally to a computer is latency. Latency causes a delay between the actual sound source and what you hear in your headphones. This can create major problems when trying to ensure a tight performance. To reduce latency, you can decrease the buffer size of your audio driver during recording. A smaller buffer size will minimize the delay, but it also puts more strain on your computer’s processing power, especially if you have any active plugins or processing in your DAW.
To avoid issues like cracks, pops, or DAW stalls, it’s best not to have any processing running while recording. Buffer sizes for recording are typically between 64 to 128 samples, where lower is better, as long as your computer can handle it.
Interestingly, another way to reduce latency is by increasing the sample rate of the recording. A higher sample rate will reduce latency, but keep in mind that this requires more storage and processing power. These days, you should record at a minimum of 48kHz, though many interfaces support higher sample rates if your system can handle it.
A word of caution: Always use the same sample rate for all your recordings. If the rates don’t match, it can cause the audio to play at different speeds, leading to timing issues. Most DAWs will warn you if there's a mismatch and offer to convert the sample rate to match the project settings.
If the performer struggles with their part, whether it's keeping time or otherwise, you can split the section into pieces and record it bit by bit. Alternatively, you can punch in to replace any bad parts. Be careful, though—ensure the cross-sections align correctly so there are no audible clicks or silence between clips. Drums are especially challenging to splice, so always group the drum tracks (kick, snare, overheads, etc.) together to handle them as one (in Pro Tools, select the tracks and use Ctrl + G to group).
It’s a good idea to use small cross-fades between clips to avoid any clicks at the transition points (in Pro Tools, use Ctrl + F to create cross-fades). While most modern DAWs offer time warping features like the Elastic Audio engine in Pro Tools, I suggest avoiding or minimizing their use. Excessive time warping can lead to phase problems and weaken the overall sound. Instead, use slip editing—I’ll go into more detail on this technique in Part 2 of the series, but it is basically just moving clips around manually.
Recording Bass Guitar: The Foundation of Your Metal Mix
When it comes to recording bass, I strongly recommend using a direct input (DI) connection. Connect the bass directly to the Hi-Z input on your interface. Avoid miking a bass amplifier unless you have a professionally treated room that can handle bass frequencies. Recording bass in an untreated or poorly treated room will likely lead to phase cancellation issues due to frequency build-ups, resulting in a weak bass sound that can ruin your mix.
A DI connection allows you to capture a clean, unaffected signal that you can later enhance with amp modeling plugins to dial in your sound. If you want the sound of your bass amp’s preamp, you can use the direct out connection on the amp, but keep in mind that this will limit your options in post-production, as the sound is already processed.
I’ll cover more about shaping the bass tone during the production stage in the next chapter.
Bass Recording Comparison: Direct Input vs. Microphone
Below, you'll find two sound samples of the same bass line—one recorded via direct input (DI) and the other re-amped and recorded with a Shure Beta 52A. This comes from a project I worked on years ago in a DIY-treated room equipped with multiple massive bass traps to catch frequency build-ups.
Listen closely to the difference between the two. The microphone recording sounds noticeably weaker compared to the direct line signal, lacking both definition and power. Even with treatment, bass frequencies are incredibly difficult to manage in any room and require extensive measuring and trial and error to control properly.
Needless to say, I chose the direct line signal and amp simulations for this project—and I strongly recommend you do the same. Trust me, it’s the right way to capture a solid bass tone without introducing the room's acoustic issues.
Direct input bass sound sample, and the same signal reamped in a less than desirable room and recorded with a microphone here. No post-processing.
Recording Guitars: Building a Massive Wall of Sound
When it comes to recording guitars, the approach isn’t too different from bass. To achieve a massive, full sound in the final mix, you’ll need at least two tracks of rhythm guitars, even if you’re working with only one guitarist. These tracks should be panned hard left and hard right to create that wide, powerful stereo image.
Be careful not to copy one track and paste it into the other channel. Doing so will create a weak, out-of-phase sound. Instead, record each track separately to retain the depth and punch that metal guitar tracks need. As with the bass guitar, I recommend recording a dry line signal and then re-amping it later to dial in the final tone.
If the guitarist prefers to hear a processed distortion sound while recording, you can apply an amp simulation pluginduring the performance. Just ensure that only the dry signal is being recorded to keep your options open in the production phase. Keep in mind that adding an amp sim plugin can introduce latency, and you may need to adjust the buffer size to balance performance and processing power.
If your amp sim plugin seems to get disabled when you start recording, it’s likely due to a "low latency monitoring"setting in your DAW. This feature is designed to reduce latency during recording but can disable effects like amp sims. You should be able to turn this setting off—in the image below, you can see where this option is in Pro Tools.
Recording a Real Amp vs. Using an Amp Simulator
In recent years, digital amp simulations have become incredibly advanced, and in most cases, there’s very little need to record a real amp. If you’re planning to do re-amping and record a real amp with microphones, you'll encounter similar phase issues to those discussed in the bass guitar section. While the issues aren’t usually as severe as with bass, they can still result in a weaker tone—especially if you're not working in a professionally treated room.
To record a real amp properly, you’ll need a well-treated space, high-quality microphones (typically at least two: a close mic and a room mic), and careful attention to mic positioning. Without these, you’ll likely end up with a tone that doesn’t quite match the quality of what modern digital amp sims can offer.
In the next production section, I’ll cover how to get the most out of your digital amp simulator to achieve the ideal guitar tone.
Below, you’ll find two sound samples: both use the same direct line signal, but the first is processed with a digital amp sim, and the second is re-amped and recorded with microphones (Shure SM57 and Behringer B2). These are from the same project I referenced in the bass guitar section. Pay attention to how the low end in the amp sim sounds much more solid and in-phase, while the re-amped tone lacks some of that tightness, particularly in the bass frequencies.
Digital amp sim sound sample here and a re-amped signal recorded with microphones here. No post-processing.
Recording Drums: The Biggest Challenge in Your Production
Drums are, without a doubt, the hardest element to record in your production, largely because there are so many variables at play. If you decide to record an acoustic drum kit using a multi-mic setup, you’ll face several challenges right from the start.
The first issue you’ll encounter is the acoustics of your room. Ideally, your room should be treated acoustically to some extent—the more treated, the better. While certain issues caused by poor room acoustics can be fixed in post-production (I’ll go into detail on this in the Production and Mixing section in Part 2), poorly recorded cymbals in the overhead mics, for example, are very difficult to fix. You can significantly improve your room’s acoustics by using absorption panels, which you can either build yourself from rock wool, fabric, and a frame (plenty of tutorials are available online), or purchase pre-made.
If you plan to record any elements that reside in the low-frequency range, you’ll face phase cancellation issues caused by frequency echoing and bass frequency build-ups in your room. These issues can result in a weak, muddled low-end, as certain bass frequencies cancel each other out. However, for drums, we can solve this problem to some extent with sample replacement in post-production. This allows you to focus more on treating the mid and high frequencies in your room, which can lead to a much better final result.
Another major challenge with a multi-mic setup is phase alignment. This issue arises because sound waves hit different microphones at slightly different times, causing small delays between the signals. For example, the sound from a snare drum might reach the overhead mics later than the snare mic, resulting in phase issues that need to be adjusted. We’ll cover how to handle phase alignment in detail in the Production and Mixing part of this series.
If you have access to an electronic drum kit, consider recording with that to avoid many of the issues that come with recording an acoustic kit. Just make sure you can get each element—kick, snare, toms, etc.—onto a separate track in your DAW. If you only record a stereo track containing the entire drum kit, you’ll struggle to mix it properly and likely end up with a sub-par result. While I don’t have a lot of experience with e-drums, this is something to keep in mind.
Key Considerations When Recording Acoustic Drums
Before you start recording an acoustic drum kit, there are a few important things to keep in mind. First, make sure you have fresh drumheads and that the kit is tuned properly. Even if you plan to use sample replacement later, the natural sound of the kit will still be captured in your overheads and room mic, so it’s essential that the kit sounds good from the start.
If you have triggers available, consider using them during the recording process. Triggers can make sample replacement much easier in post-production, or you can blend the sounds from your drum module with the microphone recordings. Just make sure the triggers are set up correctly to avoid mis-triggering. This is especially important for the bass drum, which is typically the most prominent element in metal drum recordings.
There are several good kick drum pedal triggers on the market, such as OnTrigger, Footblaster, and ACD Game Changers. Personally, I use the ACD Game Changers and have been very satisfied with them.
While we’re on the subject of samples, it’s a good idea to record a sample of each piece of the kit that you won’t be replacing in post-production. After your sound check, have the drummer play a strong hit on each cymbal, one at a time, and record these as isolated samples. Typically, it’s just the cymbals you’ll want to capture, but if you aren’t planning to use sample replacement libraries for kicks, snares, or toms, you should also record isolated samples of those as well. These samples will be invaluable in post-production for enhancing any weak hits during the recording.
The Impact of Room Treatment on Drum Recording
Below are two sound samples recorded in the same room, using the same drum kit and overhead microphones, and featuring the same part of the same song. It’s important to note that only the overhead microphones were used in these samples—no other mics were involved. In the first sample, the room has almost no acoustic treatment—just a few cheap panels. In the second sample, the room has been treated with a set of large DIY panels, and a pre-made acoustic curtain to cover a window.
Listen to how much clearer and stronger the second recording sounds after treatment. The cymbals are exactly the same in both recordings, believe it or not. Even the kick drum sounds tighter in the treated room. This comparison should clearly demonstrate how critical it is to have at least some acoustic treatment in your drum recording room. It will make a noticeable difference, not just for clarity but for overall tightness and cohesion.
Sample 1 with bad room treatment here and sample 2 with better room treatment here. Overheads only, no post-processing.
Recording Vocals: Making the King of the Song Stand Out
Vocals are often considered the most important element of a song, but in metal, getting them to cut through a dense mix can be a challenge. To give the vocals the necessary weight and presence, it’s usually best to record at least three tracks of the same vocal performance from start to finish. These should be three separate takes, recorded on different tracks, to help add mass and depth to the vocal sound.
Depending on the type of metal you’re working on, consider adding adlibs or additional layers where necessary. Even better, have the vocalist perform the entire track with different vocal tones or styles, so you have more options to choose from in post-production. These alternate takes can be used in specific spots for emphasis or as full doubles to add even more thickness to the vocal track.
If you only have a single track of vocals, you’ll need to work harder in post-production to create the illusion of doubles or layers, and it may not sound as full or polished as using multiple vocal tracks. This can lead to a less impactful end result.
Gear for Recording Vocals
When it comes to gear, there are a few important things to consider for achieving the best vocal recording. First, invest in a reflexion filter that attaches to your vocal stand and sits behind the microphone. A good one, like the SE Electronics Reflexion Filter Pro, can make a big difference by reducing unwanted reflections, especially if your room isn’t perfectly treated acoustically.
Next, you’ll need a good microphone. If you’ve been around the recording world, you’ve likely heard of the Shure SM7B. This mic is a go-to for screaming vocals in metal, and it’s great at isolating the voice without picking up a lot of room reflections. However, the SM7B is gain-hungry, meaning it requires a lot of input gain to function well. You might need an extra preamp like the TritonAudio FetHead to boost the signal, though many modern interfaces have enough headroom to handle the SM7B.
If the SM7B is outside your budget, you can consider more affordable options like the Shure SM57 or SM58, which can still give you decent results for vocal recording.
Comparing Microphones for Metal Vocals
Below are two sound samples from the same vocalist, both recorded with the same reflexion filter in place in the same room. The difference is in the microphones used: the first sample is recorded with a Behringer B2 condenser microphone, and the second is recorded with a Shure SM7B.
You can immediately hear how the B2 sounds weaker and phasey compared to the SM7B. While some of this may be due to the lower quality of the B2, I included these samples to emphasize that you’re often better off with a dynamic microphone for metal vocals.
It’s easy to get caught up in the allure of high-end condenser or ribbon microphones when browsing gear online, but for our style of music, the SM7B is likely the better choice. It won’t pick up as much of your room’s reflections, and the extra detail offered by expensive condensers simply isn’t necessary for most metal vocal recordings. In short, just get the SM7B.
Behringer B2 Condenser sample here and the SM7B sample here. No post-processing. And to be clear, I was able to clean up the B2 sound in that project and use it. I've also used the B2 with better results than displayed here, when recording in a better room.
Conclusion: Aimed at Home Studio Enthusiasts
The advice in this document is geared toward home studio enthusiasts or bands looking to record their material on their own. While a professional studio will almost always deliver a better result, recording at home is a great way to take control of your sound and learn the intricacies of audio production. It’s an excellent starting point for anyone enthusiastic about making their own music and growing as a producer.
I hope that even more seasoned audio enthusiasts have found something useful in this guide. If you have any questions or input, feel free to leave a comment—I'm always open to discussion.
Refine the raw,
The Sonic Alchemist
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