Neck Deep’s “Roots” Raw Tracks: A Pop-Punk Mix Deconstruction

Ever cracked open a session from a band like Neck Deep and wondered what gold lies within those raw multi-tracks? We got a peek inside "Can't Kick Up The Roots," originally engineered and mixed by the legendary Andrew Wade, thanks to an unboxing by Eyal Levi. This track, a pop-punk anthem from their May 2016 Nail The Mix session, offers some awesome insights for any producer looking to sharpen their skills. Let's dive into what these raw tracks reveal and how you can approach mixing them.

If you're ready to get your hands dirty with these exact tracks, you can find them over at Nail The Mix.

Deconstructing the Drums: Real vs. Samples & The Power of Rooms

First up, the drums. Andrew Wade is known for getting killer sounds, and these tracks are no exception, even with the interesting fact that they were recorded in his kitchen at the time!

The Kitchen Drum Room Sound & Sample Reinforcement

You've got a full suite of drum mics: kick in, kick out (likely a sub kick too), snare top, and toms. What's cool is Andrew also included the samples he used – specifically some Slate Kicks and Slate Toms. While the raw drums sound pretty solid on their own, these samples are there for reinforcement, adding that extra punch and consistency without making the kit sound fake. The natural drum sound, especially from the rooms and overheads, is so dominant that a bit of sample layering just enhances, not replaces.

Why Your Snare Sounds Dinky (and How to Fix It with Overheads & Rooms)

Ever solo your snare top mic and think, "Why does this sound so thin and pathetic?" You're not alone. These Neck Deep tracks are a perfect reminder: the close mic on a snare is just one piece of the puzzle. It’s the overheads and room mics (both close and far rooms are provided here) that transform that "dink dink dink" into a full-bodied snare sound. The difference is night and day. Those room mics capture the shell's resonance and the overall kit ambiance, adding size and depth. Want to learn more about shaping these elements? Check out some advanced EQ strategies for mixing modern metal to really make your drums pop.

Tackling Tom Bleed & Cymbal Cleanup

The toms here are raw and un-gated, meaning you'll hear plenty of cymbal bleed and snare buzz in them. This is your job as the mixer! You’ll need to get in there with manual gating, strip silence, or your favorite drum editing tools to clean them up. Precision here is key to a tight, punchy drum mix. Similarly, the hi-hat track is raw and will need some attention, though the ride mic has been helpfully gated already. Interestingly, the ride cymbal actually sounds fantastic in the room mics, perhaps even better than its direct mic, which could be used to just add a touch of definition.

For overall drum impact, after you’ve balanced these elements, strategic use of compression can bring everything together, ensuring your drums hit hard and consistently.

Dialing in the Foundation: Bass & Rhythm Guitars

The Clean Bass DI Approach

The bass is a straightforward, clean DI. For quick listening or getting a vibe, throwing on an amp sim (as Eyal did in the unboxing) is a great move. This gets it into a "rock and roll" space quickly, even if you plan to re-amp or heavily process it later. The key here is a solid, consistent DI performance.

Andrew Wade's "Phenomenal" DI Guitar Tones

Speaking of DIs, Andrew Wade is praised for his guitar DI quality, and these tracks show why. They are clean, full, and ready for your favorite amp sims or re-amping setup. If you've ever wondered how your DI tracks should sound, these are a prime example.

The Art of Layered Rhythms: Appetite for Destruction Style

One of the coolest things about the guitar tracks is the interplay between the rhythm parts. There are multiple rhythm guitar tracks, and sometimes they're not playing the exact same riff. Instead, they play complementary parts, creating a wider, more interesting stereo image. Think classic records like Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, where Slash and Izzy Stradlin would often play slightly different but interlocking rhythm parts, panned hard left and right. It’s a technique not as common in modern productions, which often favor super-tight, identical quad-tracking, but it adds a unique character.

Finding the Right Drive: Panning and Amp Sim Choices

When approaching these DIs, you’ll need to experiment. Some parts might call for high gain, while others, as Eyal discovered, might suit a semi-clean, overdriven tone. Panning these distinct rhythm parts (e.g., Rhythm L, Rhythm R, and a "4th Rhythm" track) will be crucial in defining the guitar soundscape. Don't be afraid to try different amp sims and gain staging for different sections or layers to build a dynamic guitar arrangement.

Adding Pop-Punk Flavor: Keys, Vocals & The Andrew Wade Touch

Signature Stomps & Claps

Andrew Wade often uses stomps and claps to great effect, and they make an appearance here, especially to bring energy into the last chorus. It’s almost a signature move, adding that raw, gang-chant energy.

The Harmony Challenge: Creating Your Own Backing Vocals

This is where things get really interesting for aspiring mixers and producers. Andrew Wade included the main lead vocal track, which sounds great on its own. He also provided an "All Vocals" stem, which is pre-mixed with harmonies and effects.

The challenge? Use that "All Vocals" stem as a reference to create your own harmonies on top of the provided lead vocal. This is a fantastic real-world skill. As a producer or mixer, you'll often need to create or enhance harmonies, whether by singing them yourself, using vocal processing tools like Melodyne, or guiding a vocalist. This setup gives you a roadmap to practice exactly that.

The Mix Mindset: Avoiding the "Too Metal" Trap

A crucial takeaway from Eyal's unboxing is the genre consideration.

Pop-Punk vs. Metal: Understanding the Genre

"Can't Kick Up The Roots" is pop-punk. It’s under the heavy rock umbrella, sure, but it leans much closer to radio rock than to brutal metal. When the Nail The Mix competition for this song ran, many submissions came in sounding way too metal. You can't treat this like a deathcore track. The gain staging, the drum processing, the vocal effects – everything needs to serve the song's energetic, melodic, and slightly raw rock feel.

Leaning into Rock 'n' Roll Influences

Think more classic punk, straight-up rock and roll, or even bands like Guns N' Roses in terms of energy and some of the guitar interplay, rather than modern metalcore acts like A Day To Remember (who can get brutally heavy). The ride cymbal usage, the types of beats, the riffs, and the keys all point towards a more rock-oriented production.

Your Turn to Mix Neck Deep!

Deconstructing the raw tracks of a song like Neck Deep's "Can't Kick Up The Roots" offers a ton of learning opportunities. From understanding how drum rooms and samples interact, to appreciating quality DIs, crafting layered guitar parts, and tackling vocal production challenges, there's a lot to dig into. The biggest challenge might just be nailing that pop-punk energy without veering into overly aggressive metal territory.

These are the kinds of insights you get when you can dissect professional recordings. Imagine watching Andrew Wade himself mix this, explaining his thought process behind every EQ move, every bit of compression, and every creative effect. That’s the experience Nail The Mix delivers every single month. You get the raw multi-tracks from massive songs and watch the original producers mix them from scratch.

If you’re ready to take on "Can't Kick Up The Roots" yourself and see how your mix stacks up, grab the multi-tracks and get to work: Mix Neck Deep on Nail The Mix. It’s time to move beyond presets and truly unlock your sound by mixing modern metal (and pop-punk!). Happy mixing!