Andrew Wade’s A Day To Remember Lead Vocal Mixing Workflow

Alright, let’s dive into how the massive lead vocals for A Day To Remember get that polished, powerful sound that cuts through a dense mix. We’re peeling back the curtain on Andrew Wade’s approach, using insights from a session where he breaks down his techniques for ADTR’s lead vocals. If you’re looking to get your metal vocals sounding professional, these tips are pure gold.

Wade himself recorded these vocals, so he knows them inside and out. While watching a master at work is one thing, understanding the why behind each move is crucial. And if you’re serious about taking your mixes to the next level, seeing how pros like Wade tackle these challenges from start to finish is invaluable. That’s exactly what you get at Nail The Mix, where you can learn directly from the best in the biz. Check out the full session here. Let’s dive in!

The Raw Ingredients: Gear and Initial Tracking

Before a single plugin is loaded, getting a killer raw vocal recording is paramount. Wade laid down a solid foundation for the ADTR vocals.

The Vocal Chain: Mic, Preamp, and In-the-Box Compression

The signal path started with a Peluso U47 clone microphone. This choice aims for that classic, rich U47 character, known for its warmth and detail, which works wonders on rock vocals. This fed into a Chandler TG2 Special Edition Abbey Road preamp, a unit revered for its smooth, musical coloration reminiscent of the classic EMI consoles.

To keep things under control on the way into the computer, an 1176 compressor was in the chain. This iconic FET compressor is a studio staple for a reason – it can add punch and presence while taming peaks, ensuring a more consistent level to work with later. The goal here isn’t to squash the life out of the vocal, but to gently control dynamics and add a bit of that 1176 character right from the source. Even without much processing, Wade noted the initial recordings sounded “pretty cool.”

Sculpting the Core: Lead Vocal Processing

With a solid recording in hand, it’s time to shape the lead vocal to sit perfectly in the mix.

Stock Compressor Power

You might think a high-profile mix needs fancy, expensive plugins for everything, but Wade demonstrates that often, the tools you already have are more than capable. For the main vocal compression, he reaches for a stock compressor! Yep, the one that likely came with your DAW. As Wade puts it, “Freaking works bro.” This is a great reminder that it’s about how you use the tool, not just what the tool is. Effective compression is about controlling dynamics and adding vibe, and stock plugins can often deliver.

EQing for Impact: Clarity, Air, and No Mud

EQ is where the vocal truly takes shape. Wade uses an SSL EQ plugin (think Waves SSL E-Channel or similar) to make surgical and broad-stroke adjustments.

Cutting Low-End Rumble

First things first: get rid of unnecessary low-end. Vocals don’t need a ton of sub-bass information; it just clutters the mix and fights with the bass and kick. Wade employs a high-pass filter to “duck out some of the low end,” cleaning up that muddiness instantly. This is a fundamental EQ strategy for almost any vocal.

Adding High-End Sheen

To help the vocal cut through and have that modern presence, Wade boosts the high frequencies. This adds “air” and intelligibility, making the lyrics clearer and the vocal more exciting.

Nixing Nasty Boxiness

A common problem area in vocals is “boxiness,” often found around the 200Hz mark. Wade identifies this and scoops some of it out, which helps the vocal sound less congested and more open.

Smooth Sailing with De-Essing

With added high-end can come accentuated sibilance (“s” and “t” sounds). Wade throws a de-esser on the main vocal to tame those harsh frequencies, ensuring the brightness doesn’t become piercing. Just a little bit can go a long way to making the vocal sit more comfortably.

Building the Vocal Army: Doubles and Backups

Lead vocals rarely stand alone in modern metal. Doubles and backups add width, power, and texture.

Wide and Mighty: Crafting Doubles

For vocal doubles (where the singer performs the same part again), Wade has a few key tricks:

• Keep ’em Quieter: Doubles shouldn’t overpower the lead. They’re there for support and width.
• Pan ‘Em Out: Panning the doubles hard left and right creates a wide stereo image.
• Consistent Compression: He often copies the same compressor settings from the lead vocal to the doubles for a consistent feel.
• Aggressive De-essing: Especially for stereo doubles mimicking the main vocal, Wade likes to de-ess them aggressively. This prevents a build-up of sibilance when layered with the lead.

Supporting Cast: Processing Backup Vocals

Backup vocals get similar treatment to ensure they blend well:

• Compression: To “squish this stuff together” and make them cohesive.
• High-Pass Filter: Just like the lead, removing unneeded low frequencies is crucial.
• Aggressive De-essing: Again, to control sibilance from multiple vocal layers.
• Delay: A touch of delay can help them sit nicely in the mix and add depth.

These layered vocal techniques are essential for that big, modern metal sound. Seeing how a pro like Andrew Wade builds these layers and makes them gel is exactly the kind of insight you can get when you explore the A Day To Remember NTM session.

Adding Sparkle and Space: Ambiance and Ethereal Layers

Beyond the core vocals, ambient effects and special vocal textures play a big role.

Delay Tactics for Chorus Lift

To give the chorus vocals some “ambiance and bigness,” Wade adds delay. He mentions using a stock Pro Tools delay, demonstrating again that you don’t always need third-party plugins for great results. The key is to time the delay to the track and blend it to taste.

The “Oz” Factor: Handling “Oohs” and “Aahs” with Reverb and EQ

For those atmospheric “oohs,” “aahs,” and “la la las,” Wade treats them specially on a separate bus he calls “Oz.”

• Ambient Support: He thinks of these almost like an ambient supporting instrument behind the main vocals.
• Reverb Galore: These layers often get a healthy dose of reverb. He mentions using a Spring Reverb for a specific vibe on one part.
• Strategic Filtering: Similar to how he might treat a beatbox element, he’ll filter these “Oz” tracks, cutting some highs and lows so they sit in their own space without cluttering the main vocal.
• Balance is Key: High “Oz” parts and harmonies tend to cut through more, so he’s mindful of their level, turning them down if they become too prominent.

The Transition Tightrope: Nailing Filtered Sections (Like that Beatbox!)

One of the trickiest parts of mixing dynamic songs is handling transitions, especially when sections feature heavily filtered elements like an intro beatbox part.

The Common Pitfall: Filtered Sections vs. Full Mix

A frequent mistake producers make is having a filtered intro or breakdown sound either way too small or paradoxically bigger and more hyped than when the full band kicks in. This can make the main impact feel weak.

Wade’s Blueprint for Seamless Dynamic Shifts

Andrew Wade shared some killer insights on how to make these transitions work effectively, ensuring the filtered part feels distinct yet sets up the main section for maximum impact.

Keeping the Low-End Foundation

What often gives a filtered section its perceived size (like the “boomy kick” in the beatbox example) needs to be maintained. The trick isn’t to make it disappear but to ensure its level is comparable to its counterpart in the full mix. The low-end continuity provides the “bigness.”

Smart Filtering for Impact

Instead of just making the filtered section quiet, Wade uses filter EQs to cut out frequencies that are prevalent in the surrounding full mix—particularly the high-end. This creates a “closed-off” sound. When the highs and full instrumentation return, it feels like an explosion.

The “Just a Touch Smaller” Philosophy

The goal isn’t to make the filtered section drastically quieter, but rather “just a little bit smaller.” This subtle difference is often more effective.

Dodging the Mid-Range Boost Trap

A critical point: when you heavily filter a sound (e.g., cutting lots of highs and lows for a lo-fi effect), it naturally sounds quieter. The instinct is to turn it up. However, this can significantly boost the remaining mid-range. If the filtered section ends up with more mid-range energy than the full band section, the impact of the full band hitting can feel diminished in that crucial frequency area. Be careful not to overcompensate volume on lo-fi parts. Don’t scoop everything; leave some character and ensure there’s a clear, but not overblown, difference.

Pro Workflow Touches: Glue and Control

A few more workflow tips from Wade can make a big difference.

Unifying with Vocal Bus Compression

When you have many vocal layers (lead, doubles, harmonies, “Oz”), it’s crucial to make them feel like a cohesive unit. Wade emphasizes the importance of compression on the main vocal bus. This “glues everything together,” helping all the vocal elements sit well as one combined force. This is a vital step in many pro metal compression workflows.

Efficient Volume Tweaks: The Trim Plugin Trick

If a track already has detailed volume automation written, but you need to make an overall level adjustment, redoing all that automation can be a pain. Wade uses a simple but effective trick: insert a trim plugin at the end of the chain (or beginning, depending on your DAW’s gain staging) to raise or lower the overall volume without messing with the existing automation. Lazy, but smart!

Witness the Magic Firsthand with Nail The Mix

Andrew Wade’s approach to mixing A Day To Remember’s vocals is packed with actionable techniques: from the initial recording chain choices like the Peluso U47 clone and Chandler TG2 preamp, to using stock compressors and SSL EQs effectively, and strategically managing layers with de-essing, panning, and bus processing. His insights into handling dynamic shifts with filtered sections are particularly invaluable.

These are the kinds of details that separate an amateur mix from a professional one. Watching a seasoned pro like Andrew Wade meticulously craft these elements in real-time, explaining his thought process for every plugin choice and every fader move, is an unparalleled learning experience. That’s precisely what Nail The Mix offers with the A Day To Remember session. You don’t just get the theory; you get the multitracks and watch the original producer mix the song from scratch.

If you’re ready to move beyond presets and truly understand how to shape incredible metal mixes, resources like the Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets course can provide a fantastic foundation. Then, apply those concepts by diving into real-world sessions like Andrew Wade’s A Day To Remember mix on Nail The Mix, and see exactly how these techniques come together to create release-ready tracks.