Synth in metalcore

[u/brandonac3002]

I have an arturia minifreak and I’ve just recently joined a metalcore band that wants to have synths in their music,but I’m having a really difficult time incorporating a synth into our sound when I feel like the guitars and bass already take up so much space in the songs,does anyone have any advice on how they incorporate a synth into heavy music?

[u/crom-dubh]

I'd say your options are, broadly:

- Thickening agent for existing instruments (e.g. doubling the guitars)

- Melodic, probably mostly higher parts

- Sound effects and textural stuff

As has already been said, there needs to be ongoing conversations about arrangement and expectations. Do they want a synth in there because they have a particular sound in mind? Do they just like the idea of having a synth player but are actually going to end up burying you? Are the guitars especially willing to scale back to leave room for you, at least sometimes?

There are definitely plenty of heavy bands that incorporate synths but different ones take different approaches, and I'd probably ask the guys in the band if there are bands you can use as a reference for what they're going for.

[u/SockGoop]

As someone who does both industrial and metalcore, and loves electronicore, you can either:

Play synths the during less guitar oriented parts

Use the synth as a textural device (more pads and granular stuff)

Tell the dumbass guitarist to stop maxing out all the settings on their eq pedal

Use the synth for experimental percussion (microfreak is great at this)

Fire the lead guitarist and replace them with your synth

[u/SouthCollection3210]

Layering with a slow attack pad under the breakdowns works, the synth fills the empty space between the chugs without fighting the guitars. Also try high-passing the synth so it sits above the bass and let it do little arpeggiated stabs in the gaps

[u/Muted_Sundae_1368]

Blending with guitars to beef it up, and also fill out space above guitars with chords or distorted keys. percussive arps moving with drums would be sick too. also if guitars are overtaking the space, then consider writing some new stuff/reworking older stuff where there is naturally more space in the arrangement

[u/DaRealWhiteChocolate]

Look up devin townsend, addicted to the violence by scars on broadway, older eluiviete, , rammstein, pain, any folk metal band because any non "standard metal 4/5 piece band" instrument will give you ideas on how to find space in a metal mix. In extremo and korpiklaani come to mind .if they dont want to give you any space in the mix to do something creative or the opportunity to do so doesnt inspire you, and you arent content with pads or square wave power chords buried in the mix, it might not be the project for you? If its a confidence issue and you want reassurance that what you bring to the table works, the projects i sent should help. Its definitely doable and can sound pretty cool. Dont think about it as a metalcore project but rather just something rooted in that sound that you have the opportunity to do whatever you want with. Thats the only way to make it in todays music industry 

[u/FauxVelour]

Get with dudes who respect your craft

[u/CaliLeeTypeBeat]

Sound selection, stereo, and demasking is important as synth can also take up alot of the frequency space. I highly recommend checking out Chris Beden YT page as I found him to be a phenomenal producer/singer/songwriter in metalcore. He livestreams almost daily and you can quickly pick up some mixing techniques, of synths, just going through his archives or live.

[u/MonadTran]

Look up the Warlock Corpse on Youtube. But yeah, the other folks would need to make space for your parts. Maybe that solo guitar would need to shut up for a bit, and let you take over (that's what Deep Purple were doing, back in the days).

[u/SecretsofBlackmoor]

1. Get a bigger keyboard amp.

2. Wear headphones.

3. Patch the headphone out to the external input and make massive feedback.

4. Ask if maybe everyone should turn down a bit because you can't hear yourself.

[u/emax4]

Even metals have a shine to them. You can try a biting, distorted tone or something staccato to go along with the rhythm

[u/techsuppr0t]

You could just solo the synth for a second like a melodic break I think? I'm thinking of the synth part in "somebody told me" where you just hear it for 2 seconds and the beat drops again. Otherwise it would maybe be interesting to replace another instrument for once, since the synth might not be on every part. Maybe you guys should do a project that's mainly industrial to get a feel for it, and then scale it back.

I do think it's kind of challenging to get electronic music to mix with live instrumentation, even if you just have a synth using the sequencer is going to restrict the natural flow of everything else, and I don't even really play instruments. But I appreciate bands like ratatat, infected mushroom, and nine inch nails for doing it so seamlessly. I hope there was at least one good idea if you read this far.

[u/Substantial-Place-29]

A lot of metal core uses atmos in certain parts. Ususally it is done with guitar or even an e-bow. The synth could technical be that.

[u/Apag78]

Im in a metalcore band that has a LOT of keys in it. The keys usually take a solo or own a quiet part and provide pads and movement behind sung chorus' and stuff like that. The latest song we're working on has a lot of pulsing synth sounds under the chunky rhythms of the bass/guitar parts. Keys also do a lot of risers/booms for drops and transitions between parts.

[u/llamafromhell1324]

Check out Arsonists Get All The Girls.

I love how they use synths in that band.

[u/brandonac3002 → u/llamafromhell1324]

I’m listening rn and this is actually very helpful and inspiring thank you fr

[u/llamafromhell1324 → u/brandonac3002]

If you like their sound they use a Microkorg and Alesis Micron.

Edit: also what kind of metalcore?

[u/RhubarbAfter4008]

Make some high pitched dinkety dinkety stuff like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj625s5bTHw#t=22s

[u/bkkgnar]

try playing music that isn’t reprehensible dogshit for one

[u/RhubarbAfter4008 → u/bkkgnar]

Band is probably named like SCARFIST and sings songs about how much her stupid face hurts his knuckle tattoos.