Deconstructing Devin Townsend’s Epic “Genesis” Multi-Tracks

Let’s be honest, opening a Devin Townsend session file is an experience. It’s not just a song; it’s a journey into organized chaos. The man is a legend for his wall-of-sound production, and his song “Genesis” is a prime example of his creative madness. When we first opened these raw multi-tracks, the session almost unboxed us. It’s a six-minute epic that careens through a dozen genres, from cinematic orchestral sections to disco-metal, 8-bit video game breaks, and straight-up prog insanity.

Mixing a track this dense might seem intimidating, but digging into the session reveals some powerful production strategies you can apply to your own mixes. It’s a masterclass in arrangement, automation, and committing to bold sonic choices. Let’s break down what’s going on under the hood.

Navigating the Session: How Pre-Baked Stems Tame the Chaos

The first thing you notice is the massive track count. We’re talking walls of synths, layers of vocals, and sound effects ranging from kittens to cows. Trying to mix every single element from scratch would be a CPU-crushing nightmare.

This is where the first major lesson comes in: the power of stems.

Devin provided several key elements as pre-baked stereo stems. The entire drum kit, for example, is delivered as a single stereo track. The massive intro choir is also a printed stereo file.

Why is this a smart move?

• Focus Your Energy: Instead of spending hours tweaking individual mic placements on a virtual drum kit or balancing 50 choir voices, you can work with a great-sounding, pre-balanced stem. This frees you up to focus on the truly complex parts of the mix—like making a disco beat flow into a metal riff.
• Workflow Efficiency: It forces you to think more like a mixer and less like a sound replacer. Your job is to make the provided drum stem fit, not to rebuild it. This is a common practice in professional workflows to keep projects moving forward. You work with the sounds you’re given and make them shine.

Dissecting the Printed Guitar Tones of ‘Genesis’

One of the most revealing aspects of this session is that there are no DIs. All the guitar tones are printed, meaning Devin’s exact amp and effects settings are baked right into the audio files. This is a bold, commitment-based approach to production.

The Core Tone: EVH Crunch

The main rhythm guitar tone is labeled “EVH Crunch.” It’s no surprise, as EVH and 5150-style amps are the backbone of modern metal, delivering the perfect blend of saturation, punch, and clarity needed to cut through a dense mix. The tone is aggressive and mid-focused but not overly saturated, leaving room for all the other orchestral and synth layers.

The Axe-Fx & Kemper Stereo Trick

Things get more interesting with the layered guitars. Devin uses a classic pro technique for creating a massive stereo width: running two different modelers. He pans an Axe-Fx to the left and a Kemper to the right. While they might be running similar amp models, the subtle differences in how each unit processes the sound create a wider, more complex, and more engaging stereo image than simply double-tracking with the same rig.

The Power of In-Context Effects

There’s a moment in the track where the guitar suddenly gets this wild, almost bit-crushed, lo-fi sound. If you were to solo this track, you might think something was wrong. It sounds thin and filtered. But in the context of the full mix, it’s genius. This move carves out specific frequencies, allowing the massive synths and vocals to punch through. It adds a unique texture and makes the overall arrangement sound bigger by creating a momentary contrast. It’s a perfect reminder to always make your mixing decisions in context, not in solo.

Automation Over Processing: The Film Score Approach

“Genesis” feels less like a standard rock song and more like a film score. It shifts moods and dynamics dramatically, from whisper-quiet moments to cataclysmic walls of sound. You can’t just set a compressor and a static EQ and expect it to work across the entire track.

Manual Compression and Volume Automation

This song is a textbook case for using manual compression. Instead of slapping a compressor on a track, this means meticulously riding the fader or writing volume automation. This approach gives you absolute control over the dynamics, ensuring every element sits perfectly in the mix at all times. You can gently lift the Atari synth during its feature, then seamlessly tuck it back under the guitars when the riff kicks in. This is a critical technique for achieving natural, breathable mixes that don’t sound over-processed. If you want to master this, understanding how an audio compressor works is key.

Blending Genres with EQ

Making steel drums, 8-bit synths, and distorted guitars coexist requires smart and often drastic strategies for equalization. Throughout the session, the goal of the EQ isn’t just to “fix” frequencies; it’s to creatively carve out space. You might need to high-pass a synth pad aggressively to keep it out of the guitar’s way or use a narrow cut in the guitars to let a specific vocal melody shine through. Every part has its own space in the frequency spectrum, which is essential for maintaining clarity in such a busy arrangement.

Bring On the ‘Genesis’ Multi-Tracks

Reading about these techniques is one thing, but getting your hands dirty with the actual files is where the real learning happens. Mixing a song like “Genesis” pushes you to think like an arranger and a producer, not just an engineer. It will challenge your skills in automation, EQ, and balancing dozens of unconventional elements.

If you want to take a shot at mixing this masterpiece yourself, you’re in luck. At Nail The Mix, we give you the tools to do just that.

You can download the complete, raw multi-track session for Devin Townsend’s “Genesis” and see for yourself how it all fits together. This isn’t just a learning exercise; it’s a chance to step into the producer’s chair on a truly epic track. See if you can tame the creative beast that is “Genesis” and create your own powerful mix.

Get access to the Devin Townsend multi-tracks now!