Hello URM members,
I’m Jacob Hansen, a producer and mix engineer from Denmark. You may be familiar with my work with bands such as Epica, Amaranthe, The Black Dahlia Murder, Volbeat, and Fleshgod Apocalypse.
In this Fast Track I’ll be going over my approach to mixing orchestration in the context of metal. The key to this approach is in two simple things: starting with the right arrangement, and preserving as much of the orchestration’s sonic character as possible (rather than aggressively high passing it as many people do).
Orchestral parts can add a lot of dynamics, character and interest to metal songs, but because most of us are unfamiliar with how to approach them, they often end up treated as an afterthought in the mix. I hope to change that with this Fast Track: by the time you are finished with it, you’ll have a comprehensive skillset for mixing all the typical components of orchestration in metal.
I hope you find this helpful and I look forward to see you use these techniques in your next mix!
Jacob Hansen
Producer, Mixer