Mike Exeter
Section 1
Intensive, texturally dense section
Fast, high-intensity passage with blast beats and tremolo-picked guitars; high textural density; limited space for low-frequency weight.
Study Stimulus (Section 1)
🔊 Acoustic Hardness
Key Predictors
Very high spectral complexity and textural density indicate a maximally saturated "wall-of-sound" profile. This spectral-textural hardness is the primary psychoacoustic driver of perceived heaviness in our studies.
💥 Temporal Punch
This mix has low PM95 and compressed PLR, indicating limited transient headroom. In our studies, hardness—not punch—was the primary predictor of heaviness in dense metal production.
Key Finding: While listeners perceive punch as salient, acoustic PM95 fails to track subjective punch in dense mixes. The production trade-off favors spectral saturation (hardness) over transient preservation (punch).
🎧 Perceptual Ratings
Key Insight: Perceived heaviness and subjective punch show strong correlation (listeners associate them), but acoustic PM95 fails to track subjective punch in dense mixes. This disconnect reveals that heaviness perception in metal is driven primarily by spectral-textural hardness rather than transient impact.
Producer Profile
Standard Hardness cluster; moderate hardness with good dynamic range preservation.
Aesthetic: Balanced modern metal with dynamic contrast