Mixing Dayseeker Vocals: Henrik Udd’s Pro FX & EQ Techniques

Nail The Mix Staff

Let's be honest, Rory Rodriguez’s vocals on Dayseeker tracks like "Sleep Talk" are emotionally charged and incredibly polished. They soar, they whisper, they hit you right in the feels. Ever wondered how that vocal magic comes together in the mix? We got a peek into the process as acclaimed producer Henrik Udd (Architects, Bring Me The Horizon, Imminence) broke down how he took Rory's already stellar performance, tracked by Daniel Bronstein, and elevated it to new heights.

This isn't just about slapping on a reverb and calling it a day. It’s about understanding the layers, from the initial tracking chain to the intricate effects and EQ moves that make a vocal sit perfectly in a dense modern metal mix. Let’s dive into some of the key techniques Henrik shared.

The Foundation: Daniel Bronstein's "Pre-Cooked" Vocal Chain

Henrik kicked things off by giving props to Daniel Bronstein for the "excellent work" on the initial vocal tracking. These "pre-cooked" vocals already sounded great, forming a solid base for Henrik to build upon. Here’s a glimpse into Daniel's tracking chain:

Taming and Tuning from the Get-Go

Right off the bat, the vocals were cleaned up.

  • A Noise Suppressor was in play, a smart move to keep any unwanted hiss or room noise at bay, especially for those dynamic vocal parts. Henrik noted Daniel used a similar approach for Spiritbox.
  • Some vocal tuning had already been applied. The tracks Henrik received were already committed, likely after initial tuning passes, ensuring pitch accuracy from the source.

Adding Shine and Control Early On

Daniel didn&#39t stop at just clean and tuned. He started shaping the tone right at the tracking stage.

  • The Waves Renaissance EQ (RAxx) was used for a significant top-end boost, adding that initial air and clarity.
  • A touch of classic distortion was introduced – just enough to add some subtle grit and harmonics, helping the vocal cut through without sounding overly processed.
  • A De-esser (specifically, the Waves Renaissance DeEsser or a similar "Sir" type plugin) was employed to keep any harsh sibilance in check, crucial after that top-end EQ boost.
  • Finally, an LA-2A style compressor was used to gently "round off" the vocal and provide smooth, musical compression. This is a classic choice for a reason; it just works. For more on how to leverage compressors, check out our guide to metal compression secrets.

Daniel’s approach involved committing these processing steps, essentially printing the effects onto the audio. This locks in the sound and provides a clean, processed stem for the mixing engineer.

Henrik Udd's Toolkit: Crafting "More Special and Magic" Vocals

With a solid vocal track from Daniel, Henrik Udd then stepped in to weave his own magic, aiming to make the performance "even more special" and align it perfectly with the emotion of the track. This involved a combination of carefully chosen effect sends and detailed insert processing.

Building Ambiance: Henrik's Go-To Effect Sends

Henrik has a versatile palette of effects on sends, ready to be blended into the mix. These aren&#39t just slapped on; they&#39re integral to creating depth and space.

  • Core Vocal Reverb: The main workhorse here is the Avid ReVibe, set to around 2-3 seconds. Henrik mentions it’s often close to factory default with minor tweaks – proving you don’t always need to reinvent the wheel if a plugin sounds good out of the box.
  • Essential Delays:
    • A quarter-note delay using Soundtoys EchoBoy (a go-to for many pros) with some low and high cuts to help it sit in the mix.
    • A long delay, also EchoBoy, dubbed the "Snedker-run" style, used for creating distance or those epic "wow wow wow" tail-outs on vocal phrases or guitar solos.
    • Another EchoBoy set to a half-note for different rhythmic delay textures.
  • Adding Width and Character:
    • A chorus effect from Soundtoys (likely MicroShift or similar) to add subtle width and movement.
    • A medium vocal delay (again, probably Soundtoys) with a "medium random hole" setting and a decay of about two seconds, offering another layer of temporal interest.
  • Ethereal Textures:
    • A Shimmer Reverb (think Valhalla Shimmer or similar) is a key player, often set to "dual and big stereo" with the mix at 100% wet. This one is "always in the mix" for Henrik, providing a constant ethereal backdrop.
    • An Eventide Blackhole-style reverb is also in the arsenal, used similarly to the shimmer for those vast, atmospheric sounds, though perhaps more selectively.

These effects are set up as sends, meaning Henrik can dial in the perfect amount for each vocal track, keeping the mix clean and controlled.

Polishing the Lead: Insert Processing on Dayseeker's Vocals

On the individual vocal tracks themselves, Henrik adds another layer of processing to refine the tone and ensure it punches through.

  • The "Whoa" Factor with More Compression: Even after Daniel's LA-2A, Henrik often adds another compressor for an "extra push." He describes it as a tool that, when your vocal already sounds good, can just add that "extra level of, whoa, that's good."
  • Dialing in Track-Specific Reverb: While global reverbs provide overall ambiance, Valhalla Room was used as an insert or a more dedicated send for the main vocals on this track, with the mix set quite subtly around 16%. For backing vocals, this might be wetter to push them further back.
  • Surgical and Sweetening EQ: This is where the real sculpting happens.
    • A cut around 234 Hz to take away a bit of "mud" or "topping" as Henrik puts it.
    • The classic Altec Pro EQ (think a Pultec-style plugin like the Waves PuigTec EQP-1A) for that magic touch:
      • Boosting 10kHz for air and presence.
      • Employing the famous Pultec trick of boosting and attenuating the same high-frequency band to get a smooth, rounded top end.
      • A subtle boost around 100Hz – even if there isn't much vocal information there, it "does something nice" to the overall tone. Henrik notes this type of plugin can also add a dB or so of level by default, something to be aware of!
    • As an alternative to the classic Pultec emulations, Henrik shouted out the NoiseAsh Rule Tec Heritage Pro as a new favorite that "sounds amazing."
    • Beyond broad strokes, small, specific EQ dips are used to clean up resonances. If you're looking to master your EQ game, our EQ Strategies for Mixing Modern Metal hub is packed with insights.
  • Taming Resonances with Automation: For those powerful, long sustained notes from Rory, a common issue is a buildup of nasty frequencies, often around 1kHz or 800Hz. Henrik’s solution? Add a new EQ and automate a narrow dip (e.g., -3dB) specifically at that problematic frequency, just for the duration of the note. This is especially crucial when dealing with doubled or layered vocals where these frequencies can stack up.
  • The EQ Match Trick for Consistency: What if one song's vocals just sound better? Henrik shared a pro tip for when Rory mentioned the vocals on another track ("Drunk") had a preferable quality. Instead of guessing, he used an EQ matching plugin (he prefers iZotope RX's module over FabFilter's for this specific task).
    1. Capture the frequency spectrum of the "better" reference vocal.
    2. Put the EQ match plugin on the track you want to improve.
    3. Capture its current frequency spectrum.
    4. The plugin generates an EQ curve to make the target sound more like the reference.
      The key here is to use it conservatively – a 100% match can sound weird, but blending it in subtly can help bridge the sonic gap between different vocal recordings.

Bringing It All Together: The Dayseeker Vocal Sound

Crafting a vocal sound as compelling as Dayseeker's involves meticulous attention to detail at every stage. It starts with a great performance and solid tracking (kudos to Daniel Bronstein) and is then elevated by a skilled mixer like Henrik Udd who knows how to layer effects, sculpt frequencies, and control dynamics to serve the song's emotion.

From subtle distortion and foundational compression during tracking to intricate effect sends for ambiance and precise EQ moves for clarity and punch, every decision contributes to that final, polished vocal.

These are the kinds of advanced techniques that separate good mixes from truly professional, impactful ones. If you’re itching to see exactly how Henrik Udd applied these principles (and a whole lot more) to Dayseeker's "Sleep Talk," you absolutely need to check out his full mixing session, complete with the original multitracks, right here on Nail The Mix.

Want to go deeper and learn from the best in the business? Explore our comprehensive courses like "Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets" to truly master these concepts. And for more focused learning on critical mixing tools, our EQ strategies hub and metal compression guide are invaluable resources.

Ready to transform your own vocal mixes? Dive into the Dayseeker NTM session and see how a world-class producer makes it happen. This is your chance to learn directly from the pros who are shaping the sound of modern metal. Don't just listen to great mixes – learn how to create them with Nail The Mix.