Mike Exeter Interview - Heaviness in Metal Music

Описание: Join legendary British sound engineer and producer Mike Exeter as he shares his insights into capturing heaviness in music. Known for his work with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Tony Iommi, Exeter’s traditionalist approach to engineering and production has shaped some of the most iconic albums in rock and metal history, including 13 (2013) and Firepower (2018).

In this interview, Exeter explores the emotional essence of heaviness, emphasizing its roots in musical storytelling and dynamic contrasts. Drawing parallels between metal and classical music, he discusses how expressive performances, broad frequency ranges, and carefully crafted production create moments of profound impact. Exeter highlights his performance-driven approach, prioritizing live recordings, collective songwriting, and minimal overproduction to preserve the raw energy and emotion of the music.

This interview is part of Heaviness in Metal Music Production (HIMMP), a research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), grant reference AH/T010991/1. Hosted at the University of Huddersfield, UK, in the Schools of Arts and Humanities and Computing and Engineering, the project ran from 1 September 2020 to 31 August 2024, led by Dr Jan Herbst and Dr Mark Mynett.

📢 Watch the full interview to discover Exeter’s techniques and philosophies, which continue to inspire a generation of producers and engineers. Learn more about HIMMP at www.himmp.net.

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Chapters
00:00 - Introduction and Defining Heaviness
04:24 - Production Approaches and Challenges
10:05 - Technical vs. Emotional Aspects of Music
15:10 - Album Production Experiences
22:52 - Mixing Philosophy and Trade-offs
26:15 - Recording Stage Approaches
33:06 - Dynamics and Processing Techniques
39:12 - Classical Music and Metal Connections

Detailed Timestamps
00:08 - Introduction with Mike Exeter
00:30 - Defining heaviness in terms of contrast and emotional response
01:24 - Different forms of heaviness in music
02:55 - Heaviness vs. energy distinction
03:40 - Narrative heaviness comparison to storytelling
04:51 - Space and contrast as elements of heaviness
05:58 - Orchestral elements enhancing heaviness
06:56 - Contrast and sonic choices in metal production
07:45 - Technology changes in metal production
08:54 - Technology getting in the way of listening
09:52 - Problems with perfection in modern music
11:11 - Black Sabbath recording approach
12:21 - Technology influencing performance standards
14:33 - Developing songs live before recording
15:30 - Connection with music transcending production quality
16:36 - 80s production defined by technology limitations
19:02 - Easiest vs. most challenging album production experiences
20:25 - Redeemer of Souls (14 months) vs. faster album productions
22:52 - Production trade-offs and mixing challenges
23:33 - Andy Wallace approach - kick and snare first
24:30 - Importance of band members recording together
26:15 - Managing guitar and bass frequencies
27:26 - Creative problem-solving with octave pedals
28:54 - Energy shifts through mix automation
30:24 - Guitar doubling philosophy
31:08 - "Broom handle" mix approach
33:06 - Tape saturation approach for dynamics
34:16 - Keeping mixes dynamic and avoiding over-compression
35:42 - Minimal console emulation and bus processing
37:17 - Guitar compression approach using Massenberg DRC
39:12 - Sample rate preferences
40:22 - Bass compression approach
41:26 - Automation as a problem-solving tool
42:13 - Connections between classical music and metal
43:54 - Hans Zimmer's orchestral heaviness
45:33 - Genre crossover in modern metal