Animals As Leaders “Red Miso” Mixing Tutorial: Mastering Low-End Guitars & Intricate Drums

Nail The Mix Staff

Alright, let's dive into the sonic labyrinth that is Animals As Leaders. Specifically, we're unboxing the multi-tracks for their instrumental epic, "Red Miso," and holy smokes, it's a journey. Mixing a band this technically proficient, with their unique blend of prog, metal, and jazz-infused wizardry, is a dream for some and a delightful challenge for all. We got an inside look at these tracks, and there are some serious lessons to be learned, whether you're a seasoned pro or just honing your metal production chops.

What's super cool about this particular Nail The Mix session is it features dual mixers: Nick Sampson and the band's own Javier Reyes. Getting to see how a band member approaches their own material in a mix context is invaluable. So, let's break down some of the key hurdles and cool opportunities you'll face when tackling a track as dense and dynamic as "Red Miso."

Taming the Low-End Beast: Extended Range Guitars

First up, those iconic Animals As Leaders extended-range guitars. Tosin Abasi and Javier Reyes are masters of the 7, 8, and even 9-string guitar, and "Red Miso" is no exception. This immediately presents a unique mixing challenge.

The Sub-Frequency Challenge

When guitars dip into baritone and even bass territory, they pump a ton of energy into the sub-bass region (think below 80Hz). This is awesome for that gut-punching weight, but it can quickly turn your mix into a muddy mess if not handled correctly. The sheer depth of these guitars means they're fighting for space with the actual bass guitar and even the kick drum.

Strategies for Clarity

So, how do you keep the power without the mud?

  • Strategic High-Passing: Don't be afraid to use a high-pass filter (HPF) on the guitars. You might start around 60-80Hz, but listen carefully. The goal isn't to make them thin, but to remove rumble that doesn't contribute musically and just eats up headroom. Use a plugin like FabFilter Pro-Q 3 with a gentle slope (12dB/octave) and sweep it up until you just start to hear the tone thin out, then back it off a touch.
  • Bass Guitar Carve-Out: The bass guitar needs its own space. Identify the fundamental frequencies of the bass (often 50-150Hz) and consider a slight, narrow dip in the guitars around that area if they're clashing. This is where a good EQ strategy becomes crucial.
  • Multiband Compression: For really unruly low-end, a multiband compressor (like the Waves C6 or FabFilter Pro-MB) can be a lifesaver. Target just the sub-100Hz range on the guitars and apply gentle compression only when those frequencies get out of hand.

The Chameleon Guitar Tones of "Red Miso"

Unlike a traditional metal song with one or two core rhythm tones, "Red Miso" is a sonic chameleon. The guitar tones shift and morph throughout the track, adding another layer of complexity.

More Than Just One Sound

You’ll find super low, deep distorted chugs, glassy clean passages, and wild effected lead lines. Each of these tones was meticulously crafted, with the band noting they spent as much time dialing in tones as they did mixing the entire song. This means each section almost needs to be approached like a mini-mix within the larger song.

Section-by-Section Sonic Sculpting

The challenge here is making each guitar tone shine in its respective section and ensuring smooth transitions between them.

  • Automation is Key: You'll likely be automating EQ, levels, and even send effects as the song progresses. For instance, a clean, ambient guitar part might need more reverb (like a Valhalla VintageVerb or Eventide Blackhole) and delay than a tight, percussive rhythm part.
  • Reference, Reference, Reference: Keep your overall drum and bass sound relatively consistent as an anchor, then fit the guitars around them for each section.

Your Chance to Reamp: DIs and Tone Creation

One of the coolest things about these multi-tracks is the inclusion of Direct Input (DI) signals for the guitars. While the amped tones provided are stellar (they’ve even printed awesome whammy pedal effects directly into some tracks!), the DIs offer a fantastic learning opportunity.

  • Beat the Tones (If You Dare!): Try reamping the DIs yourself. Use your favorite amp simulators (like Neural DSP's Archetype series, a Kemper Profiler, or an Axe-Fx) or even real amps if you have a reamp box (like a Radial JCR). Can you create tones that work as well or even better? This is incredible practice for developing your own tone-shaping skills.
  • Experiment with Mics: If you're reamping with real amps, try different mic combinations. The classic Shure SM57 is a go-to, but pairing it with a Royer R-121 or a Sennheiser MD421 can yield fantastic results.

Decoding Matt Garstka's Intricate Drumming

Matt Garstka is an absolute monster behind the kit, and "Red Miso" showcases his incredible precision and creativity. Mixing his drums is both thrilling and demanding.

The Cymbal Conundrum: Accent vs. Bleed

Garstka's playing is full of intricate cymbal work – stacks, splashes, accents galore. The challenge is making these cut through without letting cymbal bleed wash out the close mics on the shells, or making the overheads sound harsh.

  • Overhead Perspective: Interestingly, the overheads for this session were recorded from an "audience perspective." This means the hi-hat will be on the right and the floor tom on the left if you're picturing the drummer from the audience. This can offer a different feel than the more common drummer's perspective.
  • Getting Accents to Pop: You'll likely need to use automation on the overheads or dedicated spot mics (which are thankfully provided for the stacks!) to bring out those quick, dynamic cymbal hits. Be careful not to make them overly loud or unnatural.
  • Taming Bleed: Gentle gating or expansion on the snare and toms (using something like FabFilter Pro-G or the SSL G-Channel's gate) can help clean up cymbal bleed, but be cautious not to kill the natural decay or ghost notes.

Utilizing Spot Mics and Room Options

You’ve got a wealth of drum mic options here:

  • Spot Mics for Stacks: These are crucial for making those short, sharp stack cymbal hits articulate.
  • Parallel Rooms: There are some explosive-sounding parallel compressed room mics provided. Blending these in can add serious size and aggression to your drum sound. Try sending your main drum bus to an aux track with a heavily slammed compressor (think an 1176 "all buttons in" vibe with a plugin like the Arturia Comp FET-76) and blend it in subtly. Learn more about metal compression techniques.
  • Mono Rooms: Mono room mics can add focus and punch. Experiment with blending these different room options to create diverse ambiences for different sections of the song.

MIDI Triggers: To Use or Not To Use?

MIDI tracks for the drums are also included. This gives you the option to reinforce or replace sounds with samples if you desire more consistency or a different sonic character (e.g., using Slate Trigger or Superior Drummer 3). However, the raw drum recordings are excellent and very dynamic. It’s a balancing act: retain the human feel and dynamics or go for ultimate punch and consistency? The choice is yours, and it’s great practice to explore both paths.

Layering Bass for Maximum Impact

Just like the guitars, the bass guitar in "Red Miso" isn't a one-trick pony. You'll find different bass tones tailored to specific sections of the song.

Beyond a Single Bass Tone

There’s a cleaner bass tone for certain sections and a more aggressive, distorted tone when things get heavy. This is a fantastic production technique that helps differentiate song sections and enhance the emotional impact. You might have a punchy, clean DI for a verse (perhaps processed with an Ampeg SVT emulation like the Brainworx Ampeg SVT-VR Classic) and then introduce a gnarly distortion (like Soundtoys Decapitator or a Darkglass pedal emulation) for a heavy breakdown.

Practical Application

  • Multiple Tracks/Automation: You can achieve this by having multiple bass tracks with different processing or by automating your amp sim and distortion plugins on a single track.
  • DI is Your Friend: The provided bass DI is your clean foundation. You can then send this to various amp and effects chains. For example, one aux could have a miked Beta 52-style tone, another a Heil PR20, and yet another a gritty octave/fuzz.

Weaving Synths into a Dense Metal Mix

"Red Miso" also features some cool synth production, adding another textural layer to this complex arrangement.

Mid-Range Magic (and Potential Pitfalls)

Many of the synths sit in the mid-range. With the guitars tuned so low and no vocals to compete with, this often works well, allowing the synths to occupy a frequency space that might otherwise be crowded. However, you still need to ensure they don't clash with any upper-mid frequencies from the guitars or snare.

  • EQ Carving: Use precise EQ (like FabFilter Pro-Q 3) to carve out space for each element. If a synth pad is fighting with a guitar lead, identify the key frequencies of each and make small, targeted cuts or boosts to help them coexist.

Learning from the Masters: Analyzing Synth MIDI

Perhaps one of the most educational aspects is that the synth parts are provided as MIDI. This is an incredible opportunity to dissect how these complex synth layers are composed and arranged. You can load the MIDI into your DAW, assign your own synth sounds (try Serum, Massive X, or Arturia Pigments), and see exactly which notes, chords, and voicings are being used. This is invaluable for understanding modern metal and prog composition.

Beyond the Mix: Deconstructing a Masterpiece with Nail The Mix

Working with multi-tracks like Animals As Leaders' "Red Miso" on Nail The Mix offers an unparalleled chance to peek behind the curtain. It’s not just about practicing your fader moves; it's about understanding the why behind the production decisions.

  • Producer's Mindset: You get to see how the song was constructed, how layers were built, and how different tones serve different parts of the arrangement.
  • Arrangement Insights: By soloing tracks and seeing how they interact, you can learn a massive amount about arrangement and how to create dynamic, engaging instrumental music.

Elevate Your Mixing Game

Tackling a track like "Red Miso" is a fantastic way to push your skills. The sheer complexity and the quality of the raw recordings provide a perfect playground for experimentation and learning.

If you're serious about taking your metal production to the next level, getting your hands on these kinds of multi-tracks is essential. With Nail The Mix, you not only get the raw files for songs like this but also an in-depth masterclass from the actual producers (in this case, Nick Sampson and Javier Reyes!) showing you exactly how they mixed it. Plus, you join a community of passionate audio pros and aspiring engineers, all learning together.

Want to dive even deeper into mixing modern metal beyond just presets? Check out resources like Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets to build a rock-solid foundation. The journey of mixing complex music like Animals As Leaders is challenging, but with the right tools, knowledge, and practice opportunities like those on Nail The Mix, you can absolutely conquer it. Happy mixing!