Mixing Symphonic Metal tips please!

[Instant_Noodles]

Hi, my band is now recording our songs. We use a lot of orchestral instruments (for example: normally, each of our songs has approximately 8-12 tracks for strings, woodwinds, timpany...). How to make them cut through the mix as well as clearly heard together without blurring guitar parts?

We are influenced by Symphony X but I do not like Romeo's guitar tone. I can low down my favorite instrument - guitar (I'm guitarist of the band T_T) for better mix. But when I reduced volume of guitar, it got burried and weak easily in the mix! +_+ Please share with me some tips to solve these problems. MANY many thanks!

 

[jimwilbourne]

I'd actually like to learn more about this too.
someone please help us both.

 

[wibi08]

I'd actually like to learn more about this too.
someone please help us both.

+1

 

[TheWinterSnow]

You absolutely must have a tight and well balanced mix before you even think about using orchestras. Once you have a solid and thumpin' mix, its all in the eq of the orchestra instruments. Every track has to be eq'd differently for maximum effectiveness but what you are looking for is to make sure that every track in the entire mix has the high end presence. Clarity and definition comes from the mids and in most symphonic mixes I hear, everything is mid scooped and hollow sounding, you need mids, high-mids precense and you need to keep the extreme highs (and reverb) in check. Everything above 10-12k needs to be in very small doses and chances are the uneq'd patches of any orchestra library already has too much, do you will have to get into damage control mode.

To repeat, mids, lower highs are good, extreme highs are bad, and so is excessive reverb. There is not formula, you have to experiment.

 

[Instant_Noodles]

You absolutely must have a tight and well balanced mix before you even think about using orchestras. Once you have a solid and thumpin' mix, its all in the eq of the orchestra instruments. Every track has to be eq'd differently for maximum effectiveness but what you are looking for is to make sure that every track in the entire mix has the high end presence. Clarity and definition comes from the mids and in most symphonic mixes I hear, everything is mid scooped and hollow sounding, you need mids, high-mids precense and you need to keep the extreme highs (and reverb) in check. Everything above 10-12k needs to be in very small doses and chances are the uneq'd patches of any orchestra library already has too much, do you will have to get into damage control mode.

To repeat, mids, lower highs are good, extreme highs are bad, and so is excessive reverb. There is not formula, you have to experiment.

Thank you so much! I always get problems when trying to soften the strings of from libraries (currently, I'm using EWQL Silver). This video is my newest product (it's not metal, it's Game Trailer Soundtrack). Could you give me some comments on this?
Thanks again.

Trailer Video Download

 

[AD Chaos]

In my experience I could say -generally speaking of course-, that is much easier to obtain clarity and definition when the composition itself allows for a call/response effect in between guitar and the orchestra. When the two are fighting over one another for attention (or just trying to co-exist) it naturally becomes more tricky to mix. So, the composition itself would be a thing to consider.

 

[Matthias King]

In my experience I could say -generally speaking of course-, that is much easier to obtain clarity and definition when the composition itself allows for a call/response effect in between guitar and the orchestra. When the two are fighting over one another for attention (or just trying to co-exist) it naturally becomes more tricky to mix. So, the composition itself would be a thing to consider.

+100

 

[Damphire]

That teaser trailer needs some Symphobia ;-)

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

I would say that you need to give a lot of attention to eq, panning and automation.