4 Techniques to Make Your Metal Choruses Sound HUGE (Without More Plugins)
If your metal choruses aren’t hitting like they should, the problem usually isn’t your plugins, it’s contrast. Most mixes don’t have a “chorus lift” because the verse is already too big, so when the chorus arrives… nothing feels different.
In this video, I’ll show you 4 simple techniques to make your metal choruses sound HUGE (without adding more plugins) by creating size, width, level, and energy exactly where it matters.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ 1) Arrangement & layering: how to stack extra guitar and vocal layers in the chorus so it feels bigger than the verse
✅ 2) Verse guitar width: why narrowing your rhythm guitars slightly in the verse (around 75–80% L/R) makes the chorus feel wider
✅ 3) Mix bus automation: how dropping the verse by ~1 dB makes the chorus lift and feel louder without crushing your mix
✅ 4) “Drum smash” parallel compression: how to automate a massive parallel drum bus only in the chorus for instant impact and excitement
00:34 Arrangement
02:46 Guitar Width
04:05 Verse Level Automation
05:09 Parallel Drum Crush
07:06 Final A B and Recap
08:08 Next Steps
These are the same types of moves you’ll hear in modern metal mixes... tight verses, huge choruses, and a clear jump in energy when the hook hits.
If you want your mixes to translate like a record (tight low end, wide guitars, clear vocals, big choruses), I’m currently taking on a few more mixing projects. Click the link below.
🔥 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
#musicproduction #heavymetal #mixing #homestudio #recordingstudio #metalhead
In this video, I’ll show you 4 simple techniques to make your metal choruses sound HUGE (without adding more plugins) by creating size, width, level, and energy exactly where it matters.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
✅ 1) Arrangement & layering: how to stack extra guitar and vocal layers in the chorus so it feels bigger than the verse
✅ 2) Verse guitar width: why narrowing your rhythm guitars slightly in the verse (around 75–80% L/R) makes the chorus feel wider
✅ 3) Mix bus automation: how dropping the verse by ~1 dB makes the chorus lift and feel louder without crushing your mix
✅ 4) “Drum smash” parallel compression: how to automate a massive parallel drum bus only in the chorus for instant impact and excitement
00:34 Arrangement
02:46 Guitar Width
04:05 Verse Level Automation
05:09 Parallel Drum Crush
07:06 Final A B and Recap
08:08 Next Steps
These are the same types of moves you’ll hear in modern metal mixes... tight verses, huge choruses, and a clear jump in energy when the hook hits.
If you want your mixes to translate like a record (tight low end, wide guitars, clear vocals, big choruses), I’m currently taking on a few more mixing projects. Click the link below.
🔥 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
#musicproduction #heavymetal #mixing #homestudio #recordingstudio #metalhead
