In Flames’ Guitar Power: Joe Rickard’s Amp Layering & DI Blending
Nail The Mix Staff
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Ever crank an In Flames track and wonder how they get those guitars to sound so immense yet defined? It's a wall of sound that hits hard but still lets every riff shine. We got an inside look at how mixer Joe Rickard approached the guitars for an In Flames track, originally recorded by the band's own Mike Spreitzer. It's a masterclass in blending real amps with DI amp sims, surgical EQ, and a touch of creative processing. Let’s dive into how you can apply these techniques to your own metal productions.
Want to see these kinds of techniques in action? At Nail The Mix, we bring you into the studio with a new top-tier producer every month, mixing a real song from scratch.
The Foundation: Killer Amp Tones from the Source
Joe started with some fantastic raw tones captured by Mike. Having great source material makes the mixing process smoother and more about enhancement than repair.
H3: The Core Rhythm: 50W Wizard Power
The primary rhythm guitar tone came from a 50 watt Wizard amp. Mike kept it simple, going straight into the amp.
- Mics: A Shure SM57 was the main mic on the cab, complemented by a KSM32.
- Preamp: These signals ran through a Neve 8058 console, with no EQ applied at the tracking stage. This gave Joe a pure, strong foundation to work with.
H3: The Dominant Force: Mike's Modded 5150
The tone that Joe ended up using more of, what he called the "triple quad second tone," was a beast: Mike Spreitzer's personal modded Peavey 5150. And get this – it’s an original 5150 that Eddie Van Halen used, and EVH's own guitar tech modded it for Mike. Talk about legendary!
- Signal Chain: Bjorn Gelotte plugged straight into this fire-breathing 5150.
- Mics: The cab was captured with a combination of a Shure SM57 and a Sennheiser MD421.
- Preamp: Again, this went into the Neve, with no EQ added upfront.
Adding Bite: Strategic Amp Sim Blending
Even with these stellar amp tones, Joe felt the rhythm guitar (the Wizard track) needed a little something extra – more bite and pick attack. Instead of just EQing, he turned to a DI and an amp sim for a blended approach.
H3: Why Blend with an Amp Sim?
The goal wasn't to replace the amp tone, but to subtly enhance it. By blending in a carefully sculpted amp sim sound from the DI signal of the rhythm guitar, Joe could add that specific aggressive character he was after.
H3: Prepping the DI for Amp Sim Glory
A crucial step when working with DIs, especially for re-amping or amp sim processing, is ensuring the DI itself is top-notch. A clean, well-played, and well-recorded DI makes all the difference. Joe noted these DIs were excellent, requiring minimal cleanup.
To get the DI ready for the amp sim, Joe employed a classic trick using a Transient Master plugin:
- Sustain: Turned all the way down.
- Attack: Cranked all the way up.
This move accentuates the initial pick attack and tightens up the signal significantly, perfect for adding aggression without mud. Joe loves this for chunky riffs!
H3: Dialing in the Amp Sim
With the DI shaped, Joe fed it into an amp sim, aiming for a tone that would cut through:
- Amp Sim Settings:
- Sustain: Turned down (complementing the Transient Master).
- Gain: Pushed all the way up for maximum aggression.
- EQ (on sim): Boosted mids and treble, with no "depth" or excessive low-end.
- Overdrive Pedal: An overdrive pedal emulation within the sim was engaged for extra saturation and tightness.
- Cab Sim: A Shure SM57 emulation was chosen, again, to emphasize cut and presence.
The resulting amp sim tone wasn't meant to sound amazing in solo; its job was to add a specific texture and attack when blended with the real amp. Joe found he didn't even need to nudge the DI for phase coherency, simply blending it in by volume. Think of it as using the DI and amp sim almost like a very specific, characterful EQ.
Shaping the Wall of Sound: EQ and Dynamics
With the core tones and the DI blend established, Joe moved on to EQ and dynamics to make everything sit perfectly in the mix.
H3: DI Track Treatment
The processed DI/amp sim track was printed to a new audio track.
- EQ: A small "whistle" frequency that was bothering Joe was notched out.
- Routing: Interestingly, Joe routed this DI amp sim track straight to the main mix bus, bypassing the main guitar bus. This is a cool trick to make certain elements pop and have their own space without being affected by the group processing of the main guitars.
H3: Taming and Enhancing the Amp Tracks
H4: Rhythm Guitars (Wizard)
The main Wizard amp tracks received some focused EQ and dynamic control:
- EQ:
- A similar "whistle" frequency was notched out here as well.
- Low Pass Filter: Rolled off the very top end around 8kHz to remove unnecessary fizz.
- High Pass Filter: Cut frequencies below 60Hz to clean up low-end rumble.
- A small 0.4dB boost to the top end was added for a touch of air.
Dynamics (Plugin's Dynamics Section):
- Attack: Fast.
- Release: Super fast.
- Joe mentioned cranking the threshold all the way down and then adjusting the ratio to taste, aiming for about 2.3dB of gain reduction to control peaks and add punch.
H4: Main Guitars (Modded 5150)
The dominant 5150 tones also got some love:
- EQ:
- A couple of specific frequencies that became apparent when all guitars were playing together were carefully notched out.
- An 8kHz boost was added for clarity and aggression.
- A similar 2.3dB gain boost (likely post-EQ or in a gain stage) was applied, matching the rhythm guitars for consistency.
- Joe often cuts some top end on guitars to remove hiss and fuzz that isn't musically useful.
H3: Gluing it Together: Guitar Bus Compression
The main miked amp tracks (both the Wizard and the 5150s) were sent to a dedicated guitar bus. Here, Joe applied some API-style compression.
- Purpose: This wasn't about heavy smashing, but more about gelling the different guitar layers together, adding a bit of tightness, and some overall excitement.
Adding Depth and Space: The Reverb Touch
To give the guitars a sense of space and prevent them from sounding too dry or disconnected, Joe turned to reverb.
H3: Why Reverb on Metal Guitars?
While super dry, in-your-face guitars are common in modern metal, adding a touch of reverb can bring back some of the "amp in a room" feel that can be lost, especially when using amp sims or very close-miked cabinets. It adds depth and can help glue the guitars into the overall mix, much like the ambience you'd hear on older records like Seether's "Gasoline," where you could almost feel the cab resonating.
H3: The Go-To Reverb: Howard Benson Vocals
For this task, Joe consistently uses the reverb section of the JST Howard Benson Vocals plugin.
- Settings: He uses a "massive" size setting, indicating a large, spacious reverb, though likely blended in subtly. This specific reverb has become a staple in his guitar mixing workflow.
The Best of Both Worlds: Amps & Sims United
Joe is a huge advocate for blending real amps with amp sims. He appreciates the raw power, imperfection, and "air movement" you get from a cranked amp and a speaker cone moving in a room – something he feels you can't quite replicate with sims alone. That "human" element is vital.
However, amp sims offer incredible convenience, consistency, and that ultra-tight, direct sound that's become a hallmark of modern metal. They can be very "in your face" and are fantastic tools.
By blending the two, you get the best of both worlds: the organic character and depth of a real amp, supported and enhanced by the precise attack and aggression of an amp sim. Even if it's just one amp sim track blended with multiple real amp tracks, that bit of dryness and directness from the sim can help the whole guitar sound feel modern yet natural. It’s about finding that balance to make guitars sound powerful and contemporary without feeling artificial.
Take Your Mixes to the Next Level
The techniques Joe Rickard used on these In Flames guitars—combining killer source tones, strategic DI blending, targeted EQ and compression, and thoughtful use of reverb—are all things you can experiment with in your own productions.
Want to see exactly how pros like Joe Rickard build these massive metal tones from the ground up, explaining every plugin choice and mix decision? With Nail The Mix, you get to be a fly on the wall. Every month, we provide the raw multitracks from a real song by a major artist, and you get to watch the original producer mix it from scratch in a live, interactive session. It’s an unparalleled chance to learn directly from the best in the business. Plus, you can dive deeper into crafting powerful metal mixes with comprehensive courses like Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets.
Check out the full In Flames Nail The Mix session to see Joe Rickard break down his entire mix!
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