Dave Otero’s Archspire Drum Impact: Triple Parallel Compression

If you've ever wrestled with getting extreme metal drums to sound both insanely powerful AND clear, you're not alone. For bands like the technical death metal titans Archspire, the drum performance is a relentless barrage of precision and power. Capturing that energy in a mix requires some serious firepower. Enter Dave Otero, the producer/engineer who’s no stranger to crafting monstrous metal tones. He recently peeled back the curtain on his Archspire drum mixing process, and a key ingredient is his unique take on parallel compression – specifically, a three-headed beast of a setup.

Forget just slapping one compressor on a drum parallel bus; Dave Otero’s method is about surgical sonic enhancement. Let’s dive into how he uses three distinct parallel compression chains to make those Archspire drums absolutely slam.

The Power of Three: Dave Otero’s Parallel Drum Philosophy

Parallel compression is a go-to technique for adding punch, sustain, and overall energy to drums. You blend a heavily compressed version of your drums back in with the original, uncompressed (or less compressed) tracks. But Dave takes this a step further. Instead of a single "one-size-fits-all" parallel comp, he runs three different parallel compressors, each tailored to achieve a specific sonic goal and fed with a custom mix of drum elements. This gives him incredible control over the final character and impact.

Prepping the Signal: Gain Staging with VCC & Tremor

Before those drum signals even hit the parallel compressors, Dave ensures his gain staging is on point. While he sometimes uses console emulation like Slate Digital's VCC on the tracks, a crucial tool in his arsenal for this setup is Soundtoys Tremor.

Why Static Hardware Settings Rule

Here’s a pro tip: Dave uses Tremor primarily as a gain control before his hardware compressors. Why? He likes to find the sweet spot on his analog gear and leave the knobs untouched. By adjusting the input level hitting the hardware using a plugin like Tremor in his DAW, all his gain adjustments are saved with the session. The physical boxes remain perfectly dialed in, session after session. This is a smart way to maintain consistency and speed up your workflow if you’re working with outboard gear.

The Parallel Chains: Meet the Compressors

Alright, let's get to the heart of the matter – the three parallel compressors Dave employs. Two are hardware units, and one is a plugin. Each gets a unique blend of drum signals.

Chain 1: The Compex F760 – Punch and Character

First up is a hardware unit, the Compex F760 (Audio Scape makes a fantastic modern version of this classic). This compressor is all about adding a ton of attack.

• The Vibe: Think fast release and a relatively slow attack, hit pretty hard. This lets the initial transient snap through before the compression clamps down, exaggerating the punch.
• Crafting the Compex Send: This isn't getting the whole kit. Dave sends it:
  • A tiny bit of kick.
  • A lot of snare – he mentions even pushing the send level over unity for the snare.
  • Some toms.
  • A bit of overheads and room mics.
• What it Excels At: The Compex shines on snare, giving it that aggressive crack. It also does cool things to high-end sources from the overheads and rooms, but Dave cautions to be mindful, as cymbals can get out of control quickly if you send too much.

Chain 2: The Audio Scape Decomp – Balanced Attack

Next in line is another hardware piece, the Audio Scape Decomp. Dave mentions this was one of the units that made him fall in love with hardware parallel compression.

• The Vibe: Similar to the Compex in its attack-enhancing role, but with a slightly different flavor. A key feature is its built-in side-chain high-pass filter, which means it can be less reactive to super low-end material if you want.
• Dialing in the Decomp Send:
  • A little more kick drum compared to the Compex.
  • Still getting a healthy dose of snare.
  • Some toms (though in this specific Archspire mix, the tom send was similar to the Compex).
• What it Excels At: It provides a more balanced overall punch. Dave describes it as "almost a little pokey" but with a tiny bit less overt character than the Compex. The side-chain filter makes it a good candidate for handling more low-frequency information without pumping too hard.

Keeping it Clean: Gating the Hardware Returns

A crucial detail when slamming hardware compressors like this: they can get noisy. The Compex, in particular, can introduce some hiss or line noise. To combat this, Dave runs a gate after each hardware compressor return in his DAW. This ensures that when the drums aren't playing (like during a quiet guitar part), the noise floor from the aggressively processed hardware doesn't sneak into the mix. Smart!

Chain 3: The Soundtoys Devil-Loc – Aggressive Squash

The third parallel chain utilizes a plugin: the infamous Soundtoys Devil-Loc. This one is less about nuanced attack and more about pure, unadulterated squash and character.

• The Vibe: As Dave puts it, it's a "good squasher." Think extreme, distorted, and vibey.
• The Devil-Loc Send for Archspire: For the relentless assault of Archspire, this chain is also getting mostly snare.
• Alternative Uses: Dave mentions that for material that isn't "so goddamn insane," he'll often send room mics and maybe some overheads to the Devil-Loc to really accentuate a big, blown-out, squashy room sound.

Blending for Impact: Your New "Excitement Faders"

So, you've got these three parallel channels, each sounding pretty extreme on their own. The magic, as with all parallel processing, is in the blend. Dave doesn't just set and forget; he uses these parallel tracks like "excitement faders."

By carefully blending these heavily processed signals back in with the direct drum tracks (which are already individually compressed), he adds layers of punch, pop, push, and intensity. This multi-layered approach gives the drums a huge, aggressive, and lively sound that can cut through a dense metal mix. Want to dive deeper into how compression can transform your metal mixes? Check out these Metal Compression Secrets Beyond Just Making It Loud.

It's important to note that because Dave tailors the sends to each compressor – with a heavy emphasis on snare for these Archspire tracks – A/B-ing the parallel compression isn't always straightforward. Muting these parallel busses will likely make the snare feel quiet in the overall mix, as they contribute significantly to its presence and power.

The Result: That Brutal Archspire Drum Sound

When all these elements come together, the result is that signature Archspire drum impact. Every hit, even during complex patterns like the "three over four snare thing" Dave points out, lands with authority and aggression.

He also offers a valuable insight for anyone mixing heavy music: you often need to make your snare (and other elements) a bit more extreme in the mix than you think, because the mastering process can sometimes tame those transients. Pushing the punch a bit pre-mastering helps ensure it survives the final squeeze.

See Dave Otero Mix Archspire Drums from Scratch

Hearing about these techniques is one thing, but imagine watching Dave Otero himself dial in these compressors, tweak the sends, and blend them into an actual Archspire track. That's exactly what you get with Nail The Mix.

In his exclusive Nail The Mix session, Dave Otero mixes Archspire’s "Drone Corpse Aviator" from the ground up, and you can grab the full multitracks from this session to practice these techniques yourself. You'll see firsthand how he applies this triple parallel compression strategy and countless other tricks to achieve that devastating Archspire sound.

If you’re serious about taking your heavy mixes to the next level, learning from the pros who are actively shaping the sound of modern metal is invaluable. Nail The Mix offers a unique opportunity to do just that. For more insights into mixing modern metal, be sure to explore resources like Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets.

So, give Dave Otero's triple parallel compression approach a shot on your next drum mix. You might just find it’s the key to unlocking a new level of punch and excitement! And if you want to see exactly how it’s done on an Archspire track, you know where to go: Nail The Mix with Dave Otero.