#215: How to Mix a Wall of Sound That Still Breathes with DRUMxWAVE and Brian Skeel

Music Production and Mixing Tips for Beginner Producers and Artists | Inside The Mix

What does a true wall of sound feel like when the vocal still breathes? We sit down with vocalist‑producer Jay Cali (DRUMxWAVE) and mixer‑producer Brian Skeel to unpack the craft behind Severed, big drums, widescreen synths, supportive guitars, and why clarity starts with a shared vision before a single plug‑in loads.
We trace the journey from demo to master, beginning with an hour of alignment on emotion, references, and the “mountaintop” vocal image that sets every downstream choice. Brian breaks down how he builds commanding vocals without harshness: Revoice for doubles and harmonies that behave like real performances, meticulous cleanup, Slate’s processing for character and control, FabFilter DS for precision, and a touch of L1 to pin dynamics so automation can shape arcs. Width becomes a dynamic fader, verses intimate and centred, choruses opening with MicroShift for that lift you feel more than hear. Jay and Brian also reveal the “demon” breakdown: a vocoder moment sculpted with Baby Audio’s Humanoid, tamed by Soothe 2 and widened just enough to shock, then glide.
If you’ve ever struggled to pair synths and guitars, you’ll get a clear playbook. Guitars serve aggression rather than steal focus, panned L/R and low‑passed to make way for hi‑hats and vocal air. Synth choices lean on Serum 2 and ANA 2, with patches picked for fit, not flash. The top end gets the same discipline as the low: cut clutter above 10 kHz so the mix doesn’t fizz, a lesson that came into focus after upgrading monitors and hearing what the old room hid. And for loudness without lifelessness - around −7.8 LUFS - Brian details a reference‑driven, top‑down chain using Metric AB, soft clipping and bus moves to reduce limiter strain, and focused multiband to keep choruses powerful without pumping.
Along the way, you’ll pick up collaboration habits that save weeks: arrive with a concise brief and references, label stems to spec, and send specific revision notes. Ready to test it? Grab one current track with guitars, synths, and vocals. Try widening only the chorus vocal and low‑passing rhythm guitars until the breath returns. Hear the space? That’s what loud and open can sound like. If this resonates, follow, share with a friend who mixes dense productions, and leave a quick review so more producers can find these deep dives.

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1. #215: How to Mix a Wall of Sound That Still Breathes with DRUMxWAVE and Brian Skeel (00:00:00)

2. Host Welcome & Guest Intros (00:01:19)

3. What You’ll Learn Today (00:03:40)

4. Track Focus: DRUMxWAVE 'Severed' (00:04:06)

5. Jay’s Sonic Vision (00:05:06)

6. Translating Vision to Mix (00:07:03)

7. Process, Revisions & Trust (00:09:53)

8. Building Big Vocals (00:10:03)

9. Tools: Revoice, Chains, De‑Essing (00:12:04)

10. Vocoder Breakdown Moment (00:14:08)

11. Guitars with Synths: Role & Tone (00:16:48)

12. Monitoring, Top End, and Room (00:18:46)

13. Synth Choices & Sound Design (00:20:10)

14. Loudness, Dynamics, Referencing (00:21:37)

15. Top‑Down Workflow in Detail (00:23:34)

16. Artist–Engineer Collaboration (00:24:58)

17. Advice for Indie Artists (00:25:41)

18. Plugs, Links, and New Music (00:26:33)

19. Listener Challenge & Close (00:27:33)