Devin Townsend: Mix Better by Trusting Your Ears, Not Old Rules

Devin Townsend. The name alone conjures images of wall-of-sound productions, genre-bending epics, and a fiercely independent artistic spirit. He’s a master of blending the brutal with the beautiful, the complex with the catchy. But how does he achieve that signature sound that’s unmistakably Devin? Hint: it’s not by religiously following every rule in the audio engineering textbook.

In a revealing session, Devin pulls back the curtain on his mixing philosophy. It’s a refreshing take that encourages you to cut through the noise (pun intended) of “supposed-to’s” and focus on what truly matters: the sound. You can check out the full Nail The Mix session here. Let’s dive in!

Demo Drums Done Right: The Power of Vibe Over Perfection

Ever agonize over getting the “perfect” demo, only to find the initial spark gets lost in translation? Devin’s approach to demoing, particularly for his track “Lightworker,” flips that script.

From Temporary Track to Final Foundation

The journey of “Lightworker” actually began as a completely different song, starting with just the verse. For demos, Devin often collaborates with his good friend, the phenomenal drummer Morgan Ågren. Morgan will track in his garden shed studio in Sweden – a setup that’s more about vibe than vintage gear lists. Devin typically gets back either a stereo mix or a simple four-track setup (kick, snare, and a room mic). The initial thought? These are just placeholders.

Why “Intimate” Demo Drums Can Beat a Big Studio

Here’s where it gets interesting. Devin and Morgan have a history of making records together. He’s found that the energy and intimacy Morgan captures when tracking solo in his own space often surpasses what they achieve in a more formal, large studio environment. For the verses of “Lightworker,” that initial stereo drum mix from Morgan’s demo? That’s what you hear on the final record. It just felt right, proving that sometimes the “demo” has the magic you’re chasing.

No Sacred Cows: Replacing “Perfect” Drums for a Better Mix

So, if demo drums can make the cut, what about those meticulously recorded tracks from a high-end studio? Surely those are untouchable, right? Not in Devin’s world.

When Pro Studio Cymbals Don’t Cut It

For other parts of the same song, like the choruses, the drums were tracked in a massive studio, complete with a smorgasbord of mics and drum choices. You’d think this would be sonic nirvana. Yet, Devin found himself not entirely vibing with the cymbals. Despite being recorded in an “incredible studio” with “incredible cymbals,” they just weren’t sitting right for him.

Digital Fixes for Sonic Clashes

What’s a Townsend to do? Instead of fighting it or blaming himself, he simply replaced them. He noticed the live cymbals were creating frequency clashes with some of the synth tracks, muddying the waters. So, he opted for digital cymbals to clean things up. Similarly, he found the recorded hi-hats a bit “trashy” and open for his liking. The solution? A digital closed hi-hat sample that served the song better. It’s a prime example of prioritizing the overall mix and the song’s needs over the pedigree of the source recording. If it doesn’t serve the song, it’s out.

Feel Your Mix: Devin’s Hands-On Approach with Tactile Controllers

One of the biggest takeaways from Devin’s workflow is his increasing reliance on tactile control surfaces. He’s found that getting his hands on physical knobs and faders helps him connect with the music on a deeper level, often leading to bolder and more effective mixing decisions.

The Gear: SSL Channel Strips and Softube Console One

You’ll spot a key piece of gear in Devin’s setup: a controller that mirrors an SSL channel strip plugin on every track. This gives him immediate hands-on control over EQ, dynamics (including a classic SSL-style compressor and gate/expander), and even a bus compressor. For more on taming dynamics in a metal mix, check out these metal compression secrets.

But that’s not all. He also incorporates the Softube Console One, which he has set up to emulate a Neve-style channel strip on his auxiliaries. This gives him that sought-after Neve character for things like high-frequency air or those classic Neve low-mids and a smooth low-end shelf. It’s like having an arsenal of classic console flavors at his fingertips.

Unlocking Bolder EQ Moves by Trusting Your Ears

Here’s the kicker: Devin admits that since integrating these tactile controllers, he’s found himself making EQ moves he never would have dared to make if he were just staring at a plugin GUI and a spectrum analyzer. He might crank 8kHz way more than he thought “correct” or aggressively carve out low-end.

The result? When he listens back, without the visual bias, he finds “everything gets bigger.” It’s a testament to how our eyes can sometimes fool our ears. By focusing on the feel and the sound, he’s less constrained by what the visual data suggests he should be doing. If you’re looking to refine your own equalization techniques, explore these core EQ strategies for mixing modern metal.

Visual Aids vs. Ear Candy: Devin’s Balanced View on Spectrum Analysis

So, does this mean Devin completely shuns visual aids like spectrum analyzers? Not at all. He’s all about a hybrid approach.

Spectrum Analyzers: A Tool, Not a Tyrant

While some old-school engineers might tell you to never look at an analyzer, Devin finds them incredibly useful – with a caveat. He uses them primarily as a sanity check, especially when he senses muddiness, often between the kick and bass. By soloing a track and looking at its frequency content (he keeps an analyzer on his master bus, so whatever is soloed shows up), he can quickly identify problematic build-ups or gaps he might have missed by ear alone.

The Hybrid Advantage: Listening First, Looking Second

Devin’s take is refreshingly pragmatic: “I like it, so fuck it.” If a tool helps him get to a better result, he’s going to use it. He loves the intuitive, listening-focused approach of tactile EQing and compression, but he also appreciates the ability to visually confirm or troubleshoot what he’s hearing. It’s about using every tool at your disposal to serve your sonic vision.

The Golden Rule of Mixing: If It Sounds Good, It IS Good

This brings us to Devin’s overarching philosophy, the one that ties all these techniques together. It’s incredibly simple, yet profoundly liberating.

Beyond Textbooks: Challenging Phase Coherency Dogma

Devin acknowledges the plethora of audio engineering advice out there, especially on platforms like YouTube, where rules about phase, gain staging, and “correct” EQ curves abound. But he’s learned that sometimes, even if something is technically “wrong” – maybe a couple of tracks are slightly out of phase – if it sounds great, then it is great.

Your Mix, Your Rules

Ultimately, the endless pursuit of technical perfection can sometimes stifle creativity. Devin’s approach encourages a return to the most fundamental aspect of mixing: Does it sound good to you? If the answer is yes, then you’ve succeeded. That’s the only rule that truly matters.

Bring Devin Townsend’s Wisdom to Your Mixes

Devin Townsend’s insights are a powerful reminder that mixing is as much an art as it is a science. It’s about intuition, experimentation, and having the courage to trust your own ears, even if it means breaking a few “rules” along the way.

• Embrace the vibe, even if it comes from an unconventional source.
• Don’t be afraid to replace sounds, no matter how “well-recorded” they are, if they don’t serve the song.
• Consider tactile controllers to connect more deeply with your mix and make bolder decisions.
• Use visual aids like spectrum analyzers as helpful tools, not unbreakable laws.
• And most importantly, let your ears be the final judge.

These are just a few nuggets from Devin’s extensive mixing session. To see him put all this philosophy into practice, dissecting his methods track by track, and explaining every decision in real-time, you absolutely need to check out his full Nail The Mix session.

Want to learn from more world-class producers like Devin Townsend every single month? Nail The Mix gives you access to the raw multitracks from massive metal songs, plus live-streamed mixing classes with the original producers. It’s an unparalleled chance to see how the pros really do it. And if you’re looking to build a comprehensive foundation in modern metal mixing beyond just presets, be sure to explore how you can unlock your sound. Now go make some noise!