Metal Music Manual: Producing, Engineering, Mixing, and Mastering Contemporary Heavy Music from Focal Press shows you the creative and technical processes involved in producing contemporary heavy music for maximum sonic impact. From preproduction to the final mastered product, and fundamental concepts to advanced production techniques, this book contains a world of invaluable practical information.

Assisted by clear discussion of critical audio principles and theory, and a comprehensive array of illustrations, photos, and screen grabs, the Metal Music Manual is the essential guide to achieving professional production standards. The extensive companion website features multi-track recordings, final mixes, processing examples, audio stems, and other assets, so you can download the relevant content and experiment with the techniques you read about.

Author: Mark Mynett    Softcover, 396 Pages    Publisher: Routledge Taylor & Francis    Published March, 2017    1st Edition

The extensive companion website features multi-track recordings, final mixes, processing examples, audio stems, and other assets, so you can download the relevant content and experiment with the techniques you read about. The website also features video interviews conducted by the author with the following acclaimed producers, who share their expertise, experience, and insight into the processes involved:

• Fredrik Nordström (Dimmu Borgir, At The Gates, In Flames)
• Matt Hyde (Slayer, Parkway Drive, Children of Bodom)
• Ross Robinson (Slipknot, Sepultura, Machine Head)
• Logan Mader (Gojira, DevilDriver, Fear Factory)
• Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Killswitch Engage, Testament)
• Jens Bogren (Opeth, Kreator, Arch Enemy)
• Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Soilwork, Behemoth)
• Nick Raskulinecz (Mastodon, Death Angel, Trivium)

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Chapter 1: Introduction

Audio

Video Interviews

Forum

Chapter 2: Contemporary Metal Music

Chapter 3: The Parameters of Heaviness

Distortion

Proximity

Perceived Loudness

The Distortion Paradox

Sonic Weight

Transients

Spectral Dynamics and Transient Brightness

Clarity

Definition

Intelligibility

Performance Precision

Pre-Production

Chapter 4: Pre-Production

Vision and Leadership

Rehearsals

The Budget

Click Tracks

In Practice

Tempo Mapping

Click Tones

Guide Tracks

Click-Free Tracking

Live Guide Tracks without a Click

Overdubs without a Click

The Click Track Acid Test

Chapter 5: Sound at Source

Drums

Drum Shells

Shell Thickness, Diameter, Depth and Hardware

Symmetry and Flatness

Drumheads and Re-Heading

Batter Heads

Resonant Heads

Re-Heading/Bedding-In

Drum Tuning

Kick Tuning

Snare Tuning

Toms Tuning

Dampening

Kick Dampening

Snare and Toms Dampening

Hats, Ride and Cymbals

Bass and Guitar

Down-Tuning

Baritones/Longer Scale Lengths

Guitar Overdrive Pedals

Amp/Cab/Mic Simulation and Modelling

Amplifiers

Bass Amps

Guitar Amps

Loudspeakers and Loudspeaker Cabinets

Engineering

Chapter 6: Engineering Overview

Isolation=Separation=Control

Headroom

Printed Compression

Printed EQ

Chapter 7: Drums

Set Up

Kick Drums

Attack Mic

Porthole Placement

Low Frequency Capture

Isolation Tunnels

Double Kick Performance Solutions

Kick Building

Snare Top

Snare Bottom

Toms

Batter Mic

Double Miked Toms

Concert Toms

Metalwork

Hats

Ride

Cymbals

Spaced Pair

Close Miked Cymbals

Paired Cymbal Miking

Room Mics and Controlled Cohesion

Triggers

Recording Drum Hits from the Kit used for Tracking

Sample Creation

Drum Edits and Quantization

Gridding

Phase

Retention of Human Feel

Micro-Editing

Quantization-Based Tools

Chapter 8: Guitars

D.I.'s and Re-amping

Speaker Selection

Isolation Tactics

Amp Volume

Mic Selection

Loudspeaker Frequency Radiation

Mic Placement

Proximity Effect

Off-Axis Placement

Double Miking

Double Tracking (vs. Quad Tracking)

Quad Tracking

Tonal Variation

Multi Amp/Cab Recording for Double-Tracked Guitars

Mix Center Rhythm Thickener

Chapter 9: Bass

D.I.

Dirty D.I.

(Series) Amp/Cab Distortion

Amp/Cab/Mic

Isolation, Speaker Selection & Master Volume

Mic Selection

Mic Placement

Double Miking

Phase Alignment

Emulation

Layers

(Parallel) Reinforcement Distortion

Chapter 10: Vocals

Scheduling

Coaching, Communication and Comping

Engineering

Polar Patterns and Gang Vocals

Handheld Vocal Recording

Vocal Compression

Monitoring

Headphone-less Vocal Recording

Recording Further Instruments

Mixing

Chapter 11: Edits, Polarity and Phase Alignment, Samples and Gates

Edits

Mix Groups

Polarity and Phase Alignment

Drums

Phase Alignment

Bass

Guitars

Waveform Edits

Multing

Drum Samples - Overview

Drum Sample Selection

Drum Samples Libraries vs. Samples Created from the Kit used for Tracking

Kick Sample Selection

Snare Sample Selection

Tom Sample Selection

Sample Implementation

Kick

Snare

Toms

Isolation vs. Cohesion

Gating

Kick and Snare Gating

Keyed Gating

Toms: Gating vs. Automation vs. Waveform Edits

Chapter 12. Balance and Stereo Width

Mix Group Component Balance

Mix Balance

Panning and Stereo Width

Mix Center

Sides

Monitoring and Room Acoustics

Monitoring Level

Headphone Monitoring

Chapter 13: Compression

Signal Chain Order

Compression Parameters

Timbral Coloration and Transient Design

Drum Compression

Signal Stability

Punch

Transient Design

Attack Settings

Release, Threshold, Ratio

Make-Up Gain

Hats, Ride, and Cymbal Compression

Room Mic Compression

Parallel Compression

Drum Bus Compression

Bass Compression

Reinforcement Distortion

Series Bass Compression

Signal Bracketing

Parallel Bass Compression

Bass Automation

Keyed Compression

Rhythm Guitar Compression

Palm Muted 'Chug-Thump'

Lead Guitar Compression

Vocal Compression

Parallel Vocal Compression

Sibilance and De-Essing

Limiting

Chapter 14: EQ

Parametric EQ

High Pass Filters

Sweep EQ

Corrective and Surgical EQ

Instrument EQ

Drums

Kick Drum

Optimized Kick HPF Cut Settings

Kick Weight

Low-Mids - Broad Corrective EQ

Attack/Click

Frequency Bracketing

Snare Top/Snare Samples

The Baxandall Curve

Intelligent EQ

Snare Bottom

Toms

Context and Interdependence

Metalwork

Room Mics

Low Pass Filters

Spectral Masking

Distributed Creative and Corrective EQ

Anti-Masking in Mono

Bass

The Missing Fundamental

Low-End

Low-Mids

High-Mids

Additional Layers

Bass Reinforcement Distortion

Frequency Bracketing

Channel EQ / Group EQ

Rhythm Guitar EQ

HPF and Low Frequency Emphasis (Cabinet Thump/Sonic Weight)

Mids

Big Mono vs. Panoramic Width

Low highs - Mid Highs

Mirrored EQ

Dynamic EQ

Vocals

HPF and Lows to Low Mids

Mids

Highs

Chapter 15: Effects Processing and Automation

Reverb

Reverb Decay and Pre-Delay Times

Drums

Decay vs. Level

Snare Reverb - Aux Sends

Guitars and Bass

Vocals

Processing the Reverb Return Paths

EQ

(Reverb Return) Transient Design, Compression, Tape Emulation and Pitch Shifting

Reverse Reverb, Special Effects and Automation

Delay

Processing the Delay Return Paths

Pitch Thickening Width Enhancement

Distortion

Parallel Snare Distortion

Megaphone and AM Radio Effect

Sine Wave or White Noise Reinforcement

Analogue and Tape Emulation

Mix Referencing

Automation

Chapter 16: Master Buss Processing

Master Buss Compression

Master Buss EQ

Master Buss Limiting

Summing

Mastering

Chapter 17: Mastering

DIY and the 'Four Es' of Mastering

Signal Chain

Mastering EQ

High Pass Filters and Low End Control

Low-Mids and Mids

Low-End Foundation

Upper Mids and High Frequencies

Stereo EQ vs. Mid/Side EQ

Low-end Localization

Reverb

Unified Mastering - Bridging the Divide

Compression

Broadband Compression vs. Multiband Compression

Broadband Compression

Mid/Side Compression

Side Chain Filtering

Multiband Compression

Two Band

Three-Band

Four-Band

Multiband Parameters

Low Band

Mid Band

High Band

Mid/Side Multiband Compression

Parallel/Upward Compression

Harmonic Enhancement

Stereo Width Enhancement

Stem Mastering

Soft Clipping

Limiting

Automation

Fades

Mastered Output Peak Levels - CD

Chapter 18: Loudness Normalization

Loudness Metering and Mastering Practice

A Final Word

Index

Mark Mynett is a record producer, recording-mixing-mastering engineer, author, and Senior Lecturer in Music Technology and Production at the University of Huddersfield, England. As both musician and producer, he has over 20 years' experience in the metal genre, has written numerous heavy-music production articles for leading magazines (including Sound on Sound and Guitar World), and in 2013 gained the world's first PhD in Contemporary Metal Music Production. He owns his own studio, Mynetaur Productions, where he provides engineering, mixing, and mastering services for clients from all over the world.

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