Here is a mixing secret: There is no single piece of software sitting inside some legendary engineer's DAW that, the moment you install it, turns your home-recorded five-piece metal demo into a Meshuggah record.

Some music, you work on it and move on. Others stay with you. Surviving, the latest full-length album from Chinese technical deathcore band Horror of Pestilence (瘟疫之骇), is very much the second kind — and honestly, I'm extremely proud of how it came out. Watching Horror of Pestilence put something like this out into the world, and being part of it, means more than I can put into words.

Clarity in metal guitar recording is not rocket science. It's not something you fix in the mix later. It is built from the ground up, before you even press record.

Whether you're a metal band recording in your rehearsal space, a home-studio producer putting together a heavy music record, or someone with a proper studio setup, this guide walks you through exactly how to prepare your audio files for professional mixing and mastering. Get this right, and your engineer can focus on making your music sound incredible — which is the whole point.