Dave Otero’s Allegaeon Vocal Mix: Plugins, Width & Polish

Allegaeon’s vocals, delivered by the incredibly versatile Riley McShane, are a force of nature. They shift from guttural lows to soaring highs, demanding a mix approach that can handle immense dynamics and deliver clarity and power. We got a peek into how legendary producer Dave Otero (Flatline Audio) tackles these “majestic” vocals, specifically from their Nail The Mix session. If you’re looking to elevate your own metal vocal productions, Dave’s techniques offer some serious gold.

Let’s break down how he builds that massive Allegaeon vocal sound, from initial tone shaping to the final polish. You can check out the full session here.

Setting the Stage: Mic Emulation and Pre-Compression

Before diving deep into EQ or effects, Dave establishes a solid foundation for the vocals. Interestingly, the raw tracks he worked with in the video didn’t have the Slate VMS (Virtual Microphone System) emulation baked in yet, so that was his first port of call.

Finding the Right Virtual Mic: The Slate VMS Touch

Dave often leans towards the FG-251 model within the Slate VMS. While he auditions others, the 251 is a frequent go-to for its character. He also adds a touch of the Neve preamp modeler from the VMS collection, finding it imparts a desirable “weight” to the vocal.

A key part of Dave’s workflow is that he tracks vocals with compression engaged before the microphone modeling. He acknowledges this might not be the “technically correct” way to use the Slate VMS, but hey, rules are meant to be bent if the results speak for themselves! He’s used to tracking vocals with compression, likes the sound and control it offers from the get-go. This early compression helps tame peaks and provides a more consistent signal to work with. If you’re curious about how compression can shape your sound from the very beginning, check out these metal compression secrets beyond just making it loud.

Building the Wall of Sound: Vocal Doubles and Stereo Width

Modern metal vocals often rely on carefully crafted doubles to create a wide, impactful sound. Dave’s approach for Allegaeon is no exception, utilizing pre-tracked doubles that are then enhanced with specific plugins.

The Core: Lead Vocal and Strategic Doubles

Dave works with a main center vocal and then various doubles, including some labeled “60 double” and “100 double.” These numbers refer to how wide they are panned and processed. The goal is to have the main vocal punchy and clear down the middle, while the doubles create an immersive stereo field.

Tools for the Spread: ADT and Imagers

To achieve the desired width on these doubles, Dave employs a combination of tools loaded from his track presets:

1. Automatic Double Tracker (ADT): He uses an ADT plugin (like the classic Abbey Road aural exciter or Waves’ own version) which creates the illusion of doubled tracks. These plugins often feature slightly detuned and delayed versions of the original signal, with “floating playheads” that introduce random variations to make the doubling effect sound more natural and less like a static chorus.
2. Waves S1 Imager: To push the width even further, especially on the “100 double” tracks, Dave adds the Waves S1 Stereo Imager. This allows him to pull the sides out, making the vocal sound incredibly expansive.

The combination of a naturally performed double, further enhanced by an ADT and then spread wide with an imager, results in that huge, enveloping vocal sound that fills the speakers.

Vocal Bus Processing: Unifying and Refining the Sound

Once the individual vocal tracks are set up and widened, Dave routes them to a vocal bus for group processing. This is where he glues everything together and applies overall tonal shaping and effects.

Sculpting with EQ: Clarity and Control

First up on the bus is some EQ for corrective work and general shaping. Using FabFilter Pro-Q 3, Dave makes a few key moves:

• High-Pass Filter: An essential move to clean up any low-end rumble or plosives that aren’t contributing musically. He uses a Pro-Q 3 shortcut for this: double-clicking below the 20-30Hz line automatically creates a high-pass. He then often sharpens the slope by holding Shift+Alt and clicking the node to cycle through Q/slope types – a real time-saver!
• Taming Mids: He identifies and gently attenuates any “pokey” or resonant mid-range frequencies that make the vocals sound harsh or muddy.
• Potential Low-Pass: Sometimes, a gentle low-pass filter is used to remove any unnecessary high-frequency noise.

The goal here is to reshape the sound a bit before it hits the rest of the mix, ensuring it sits well with the other instruments.

Dynamic Resonance Suppression: Soothe to the Rescue

Riley McShane’s vocals cover a massive dynamic and tonal range. When he pushes his voice, it can introduce some peaky mid-range frequencies or that “vocal cord distortion” that, while cool, can sometimes be a bit much. Enter oeksound Soothe2.

Dave anticipates using Soothe to keep these elements in check and maintain a more level playing field across the different vocal styles. He typically solos the vocals to dial in Soothe, ensuring it’s only catching what’s necessary. For settings, he often keeps oversampling off for mixing (to save CPU) but finds the “Resolution” option in Soothe can provide beneficial results without a significant CPU hit. Higher oversampling might be reserved for mix bus or mastering applications.

Adding Ambience: Reverb and Delay

To give the vocals space and depth, Dave introduces time-based effects:

• Reverb: A touch of reverb is added to help the vocals sit in the mix and create a sense of environment. The specific reverb plugin isn’t detailed in this clip, but the application is about finding a suitable space that complements the track.
• Quarter-Note Delay with Slate Repeater: Dave is a fan of a baseline quarter-note delay on vocals, feeling it adds a nice polish when blended subtly. His go-to for this is often the Slate Digital Repeater Delay. He praises its tonal options, the “Color” knob for character, and its built-in high-pass and low-pass filters. He almost always low-passes his delays a bit (e.g., around 10kHz) to remove any harsh sibilance from the delay trails and help them sit back in the mix. While he notes that most plugin delays can have artifacts over tempo changes, he generally finds ways to work around it with Repeater.

The aim is for these effects to be felt more than overtly heard, adding a professional sheen without cluttering the mix.

The Otero Philosophy: Workflow and Sound First

Throughout the process, Dave Otero’s approach highlights a pragmatic and sound-focused philosophy:

• Preparation is Key: He emphasizes getting tracks prepped and sounding good individually so he doesn’t have to constantly jump back and fix fundamental issues later.
• Workflow Efficiency: He values tools and techniques (like Pro-Q 3 shortcuts or track presets) that speed up his workflow.
• Sound Over “Rules”: As seen with his pre-VMS compression, he prioritizes what sounds good and what works for his process over rigidly adhering to “correct” technical methods.

Want to See Dave Otero Mix Allegaeon In Full?

These insights into Dave Otero’s Allegaeon vocal mixing provide a fantastic glimpse into how a pro tackles complex metal vocals. From the initial Slate VMS choices and strategic compression to the intricate widening techniques with ADT and the Waves S1 Imager, and finally, the bus processing with Pro-Q 3, Soothe, and Repeater, every step is deliberate and serves the song.

If you’re blown away by these techniques and want to see Dave Otero apply them to the entire Allegaeon track from start to finish, explaining every decision along the way, then you need to check out Nail The Mix. Each month, NTM gives you the raw multitracks from a massive song and a live, interactive masterclass where the original producer mixes it from scratch. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to learn directly from the best in the business.

Imagine having Dave Otero, Will Putney, Jens Bogren, or Nolly Getgood as your personal mixing mentor. That’s what Nail The Mix offers. You get to see exactly how they unlock their sound and mix modern metal beyond presets. Don’t just read about it; see it happen and get your hands on the Allegaeon multitracks with Dave Otero today!