One of the most exciting developments in modern metal production is the blending of synths with heavy guitars. And no one does this quite like Dr. Mike Trubetskov. Though he’d rather I drop the “Dr,” I’m going to use it at least once because he’s earned it. His approach is thoughtful, musical, and ridiculously effective.
This isn’t about throwing a synth pad behind a chugging riff. Mike brings classical training, a love of cinematic textures, and a deep understanding of tone and production to the table. He’s not just layering sounds for the sake of it. He’s creating space, drama, weight, and colour that completely change the feel of a track.
I genuinely think his work is helping move modern metal forward in an exciting way.
He’s also just released a brilliant course over at Kohle Audio Kult, which I highly recommend checking out: https://www.kohleaudiokult.com/courses/ModernMetalSynths
From Classical Piano to Industrial Metal
Mike’s musical story starts with classical piano at five years old. Russian composers, then Bach, Mozart, Beethoven. That early grounding gave him an ear for harmony, voicing, and composition. In his teens, he picked up the guitar, fell in love with Muse, then discovered Rammstein. That’s where things clicked.
The synths in Rammstein weren’t just for decoration. They were essential to the identity of the band. That idea stuck with him. It was different. It was bold. And it worked.
Why Synths Still Feel Like a Secret in Metal
Despite how great they can sound, synths aren’t widely used in metal yet. Mike has a theory on that.
First, metal is still very guitar-led. Most players and producers come from that world and don’t have much experience with synths or sound design.
Second, there’s no central playbook. Everyone’s approach to synths is different. Each producer has their own setup, sound libraries, and methods. And unless you happen to work with one of them, you’re unlikely to ever hear how they do it.
Mike is changing that.
A New Course at Kohle Audio Kult
Mike just released a fantastic course through Kohle Audio Kult called Synths in Modern Metal. I’ve seen it. It’s full of great insights, techniques, and examples. It’s not fluff. It’s practical, musical, and based entirely on free tools.
Unleash the Power of Synths in Modern Metal with Australian producer Dr. Mike Trubetskov
This course shows you how to get massive, modern synth sounds that actually work in a metal mix. No more outdated presets. No more guesswork.
What you get:
- Over two hours of step-by-step video lessons
- Full multitracks, MIDI, and stems from an original track
- Every sound created with the free Vital synth
- All presets included so you can instantly recreate what Mike’s doing
- Templates for all major DAWs
It’s $69 and it’s worth every penny if you want to push your productions beyond the usual drum-and-guitar formula. Mike walks you through everything from guitar doubling to pads and atmospheres, lead hooks, and transitions.
What I really like is that it’s not about flashy tricks. It’s about developing a musical ear and knowing why a particular synth sound works.
Doubling Guitars with Synths
The big idea is to take your guitar riffs and double them with synths. You do this by programming MIDI to match the part. Once you’ve got the MIDI in place, you can load up something like Vital and experiment.
Because synths don’t have the built-in tone filter of an amp and cab, you’re wide open. You can create sounds that are more aggressive, more percussive, more futuristic, more atmospheric. Whatever the track needs.
Mike’s go-to sounds are usually saw waves or square waves, layered an octave apart. He modulates them, adds saturation, sculpts the envelopes, and builds a tone that hits hard but still works with the guitars.
And he’s careful. It’s not about fighting for space. It’s about finding what complements the guitar tone, not competes with it.
Pads, Movement, and Atmosphere
The other side of synth work is about subtlety. Pads, drones, background melodies. These don’t double the guitar. They support the mood. Add space. Introduce movement.
Mike uses his classical training to bring more musicality into this part of the production. He plays with voicings, builds chord progressions that add counterpoint, and creates harmony that glues sections together.
You don’t need to be a concert pianist, but some theory really helps here. A power chord stretched over a synth pad can sound lifeless. Shift the voicing, add a third, move the harmony under the riff, and suddenly the whole section breathes.
Mixing It All Together
Making synths and guitars work together is part art, part technical. Mike doesn’t rely heavily on post-processing. He builds the right tone at the source. Once that’s in place, he uses a few key tools to get the mix right.
Multiband compression can duck the guitars slightly when the synth takes focus, or vice versa. He’s a fan of TrackSpacer for dynamically carving out EQ in real time. And of course, he uses EQ to ensure that both elements live in their own space.
The trick is to make conscious choices. Which sound leads? Which supports? Once you answer that, the mixing becomes easier.
Breaking Out of the Metal Mould
One of the things Mike and I both get excited about is the idea of not sounding like every other band. There’s a formula now that dominates a lot of modern metal. And while there’s nothing wrong with tight, polished productions, we both think there’s room for more creativity.
Adding synths thoughtfully is one of the best ways to do that. Whether it’s something industrial and aggressive, or something eerie and melodic, synths give you an emotional range that guitars alone can’t always cover.
In the course, Mike shows examples from bands like Spiritbox, Currents, Aviana, Silent Planet, and more. Each has their own way of incorporating synths, and he explains how they do it.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Mike Trubetskov is doing something that I think is going to inspire a lot of people. He’s giving metal producers the tools to go beyond the basics. To create something that feels cinematic, layered, and genuinely new.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been producing for years, I highly recommend checking out his course at Kohle Audio Kult. You’ll walk away with new ideas, new sounds, and a better understanding of how to craft something that stands out.
This is the kind of content I wish I had when I was starting out. It’s focused. It’s musical. And it’s really well put together.
Go check it out: https://www.kohleaudiokult.com/courses/ModernMetalSynths
