Dave Otero’s Zenith Passage MIDI Drum Techniques: Hybrid Mixing

Mixing MIDI drums for a technical death metal behemoth like Zenith Passage presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. When you’re dealing with intricate patterns and the need for both surgical precision and raw power, how do you make programmed drums sound like a cohesive, pummeling force? We dove into how producer Dave Otero tackled this exact scenario, crafting a monster drum sound that’s 100% MIDI. Get ready to learn some pro strategies you can apply to your own metal productions.

The cool part? Dave started with the MIDI programming largely provided by Justin McKinney (Zenith Passage guitarist/programmer), leveraging the malleability of MIDI to sculpt the sound throughout the mix. This meant he could tweak kick velocities or hi-hat nuances on the fly, a huge plus for complex arrangements.

The MIDI Foundation: Starting with Programmed Drums

When your source is entirely MIDI, library choice becomes paramount. Dave Otero employed a clever hybrid approach, selecting different libraries for shells and cymbals to get the best of all worlds.

The Cymbal Conundrum: Why Superior Drummer 3 Was Key

One of the trickiest parts of translating MIDI drum performances between libraries is the cymbals. As Dave pointed out, there’s no universal standard for how things like hi-hat pedal articulations (from tightly closed to sloshy open) or ride cymbal hits (bell vs. bow) are mapped. Since Justin’s original programming for Zenith Passage was done in Toontrack’s Superior Drummer 3 and featured a ton of detailed cymbal work, trying to port that intricate performance to another library would have been a nightmare.

So, the call was made: cymbals would remain Superior Drummer 3. Dave mentioned using a mix of options from the SD3 core library and the Death & Darkness SDX to pick and choose the perfect crash, china, and hi-hat sounds. He essentially disabled the shell pieces within this SD3 instance, focusing it solely on delivering those crucial, detailed cymbal articulations.

Shell Shock: Bringing in GetGood Drums Krimh Drums for Punch

With cymbals locked in, Dave turned his attention to the shells – the kick, snare, and tom. For this, he opted for GetGood Drums Krimh Drums. Why this choice? Dave is a big fan of the inherent sound of this library, particularly the way the room interacts with the shells and how the drums are tuned. It provided a fantastic “natural kit” foundation.

While he experimented with Krimh’s cymbals (and even liked them!), the sheer complexity of remapping the detailed MIDI from SD3 made it impractical. Shells, however, translate much more easily between libraries.

Building the Beast: Augmentation and Hybrid Power

So, we have Superior Drummer 3 handling the cymbals and GetGood Drums Krimh Drums providing the core shell sounds. This two-library combo effectively replaced what Dave would typically have from a live acoustic drum recording. But he didn’t stop there.

Sample Layering: The Pro Touch with Trigger

Just like he would with a real recorded kit, Dave augmented the kick and snare with his own samples. Using Slate Digital’s Trigger 2, he blended a “giant mix mash of kick samples” with the Krimh kick and did the same for the snare. This layering technique is a staple in modern metal production, adding consistency, punch, and character that perfectly complements the more natural-sounding MIDI libraries.

This approach allowed Dave to stay within his comfort zone, essentially treating the MIDI instruments as his raw tracks and then applying his usual sample reinforcement workflow.

Routing for Realism: Mimicking an Acoustic Kit

To manage this hybrid setup, Dave’s routing mirrored how he’d process a multi-miked acoustic drum kit. This is crucial for applying bus processing and achieving a cohesive sound.

• Kick Drums: The MIDI kicks from Krimh Drums were routed to a “Kick Mics” fader, while his Triggered kick samples went to a “Kick Samples” fader. Both of these then fed into a master “Kick Bus” for overall kick processing.
• Snare Drums: A similar setup was used for the snare. The Krimh snare hits went to a “Snare Mics” fader, and his augmented snare samples from Trigger went to a “Snare Samples” fader. These, too, were summed into a “Master Snare Bus.”
• Toms: All tom sounds came directly from the Krimh Drums library.
• Overhead Alchemy: This is where things get interesting. The main left/right overheads and close-miked cymbals (splashes, Chinas, hi-hats, rides) from Superior Drummer 3 were grouped. Then, the overhead tracks from the Krimh Drums library were also fed into this same “Overhead Group.” This created a blended, “pretend overhead” sound, combining the strengths of both libraries for a fuller cymbal picture.
• The Room Mic Revolution: Unprecedented Control: Here’s a game-changing benefit of this MIDI approach. The room sound primarily came from the shells in Krimh Drums, with a separate, smaller amount of room sound derived only from the overheads and cymbals in Superior Drummer 3. These were kept on separate tracks.

Why is this so cool? Traditionally, when you crush room mics for that explosive shell sound, you’re limited by cymbal bleed, which can quickly become harsh and overwhelming. By having shell room and cymbal room separate, Dave could slam the shell room mics to get all that punch and space without the cymbals turning into a fizzy mess. He mentioned using the Kazrog Korn F Top Back Limiter to get that crushed room vibe, focusing on what he wanted from the shells and then blending in the cymbal room to taste for cohesion. This level of control is a huge advantage when you want powerful, yet defined, drum ambiance. For more on how compression shapes metal, check out our metal compression secrets beyond just making it loud. And if you’re looking to fine-tune those room tones further, understanding EQ strategies for mixing modern metal is key.

Adding Character: Parallel Processing Power

On top of this intricate routing and sample layering, Dave also incorporated his go-to parallel compression setup for drums. He utilized two hardware compressors, an Empirical Labs Compex and a Decomp (likely another Empirical Labs unit, perhaps a Distressor in a specific mode, or a custom unit), alongside the Soundtoys Devil-Loc Deluxe plugin. These three units were set up as separate parallel compressors, fed independently via sends from the drum tracks, allowing him to blend in different flavors of aggression and sustain.

The Takeaway: MIDI Drums, Maximum Impact

Dave Otero’s approach to mixing the MIDI drums for Zenith Passage showcases how flexibility, smart library choices, and a workflow rooted in acoustic drum mixing principles can yield incredibly powerful and realistic results. By:

• Sticking with Superior Drummer 3 for intricate cymbal programming.
• Using GetGood Drums Krimh Drums for impactful shells.
• Augmenting kicks and snares with Trigger 2.
• Employing a hybrid routing strategy that separates shell and cymbal room mics for ultimate control.
• Adding character with parallel compression (hardware Compex, Decomp, and Soundtoys Devil-Loc).

He crafted a drum sound that’s both technically precise and devastatingly heavy.

Want to see exactly how Dave Otero put all these pieces together for Zenith Passage’s “Datalysium”? You can watch him mix the entire song from scratch, explaining every plugin, every decision, and every fader move, exclusively on Nail The Mix. Grab the multitracks from this session and try these techniques yourself by checking out the Zenith Passage session on Nail The Mix.

If you’re ready to go beyond presets and truly understand how pro mixes are crafted, dive into our comprehensive courses like Unlock Your Sound: Mixing Modern Metal & Beyond Presets and see more sessions like this one with Zenith Passage on NTM.