Sleeping With Sirens: Kris Crummett’s Ampex Tape Magic on “If You Can’t Hang”

Ever listen to a Sleeping With Sirens track and wonder how they get that polished, powerful sound that still hits hard? A lot of it comes down to killer songwriting, performance, and, of course, a stellar mix. We got an inside look at how legendary producer Kris Crummett (known for his work with Dance Gavin Dance, Issues, and, of course, Sleeping With Sirens) uses analog tape to bring extra life to a mix, specifically on their track “If You Can’t Hang.” Spoiler: it’s not just about nostalgia; it’s about tangible sonic improvements. Let’s dive into how he juices a mix with his trusty tape machine. Check out the full session here.

The Timeless Appeal of Tape

In an era of pristine digital audio, why bother with analog tape? For many producers like Kris Crummett, tape offers unique characteristics that are hard to replicate. It can add warmth, “glue” tracks together with subtle compression, introduce pleasing harmonic saturation, and give the low-end a satisfying roundness and depth. When done right, it can take a great mix and make it “pop” even more. For the “If You Can’t Hang” mix, Kris demonstrated how tape can inject that extra bit of energy and cohesion.

Setting the Stage: Kris Crummett’s Tape Workflow

Getting that desirable tape sound isn’t just about hitting record. Kris has a specific setup and approach when integrating his Ampex ATR-102 tape machine into his modern mixing workflow.

The Gear Rundown

Kris’s weapon of choice is an Ampex ATR-102, a classic half-inch mastering deck. If you’re a UAD plugin user, you might recognize the name, as they have an emulation. However, Kris notes the hardware sounds “extremely different.” He’s running SM900 tape from Recording The Masters (a modern equivalent to the old RMGI 900 formula) at 15 inches per second (15 IPS), a common speed for achieving a good balance of fidelity and tape character.

His particular ATR-102 has a bit of history: it’s a ’70s machine converted from a 4-track quarter-inch to a half-inch 2-track in the late ’90s, featuring aftermarket Flux Magnetics heads. These heads were popular for adding low-end heft to digital recordings, which could sound thin back then. This means his machine has a pronounced “head bump,” or low-frequency emphasis, which plays a role in his EQ decisions.

Signal Chain: Strategic Placement

For “If You Can’t Hang,” Kris places the tape machine on his master bus. Crucially, it’s inserted before his master bus compressor (in this case, a C1-style compressor). The signal flow looks like this: DAW Master Output -> Ampex ATR-102 -> C1 Compressor -> Rest of Master Chain. This allows the tape to color and compress the sound before it hits the final bus compression stage.

Input vs. Repro: Hearing the Magic

Tape machines like the ATR-102 have different monitoring modes:

• Input Mode: The audio passes through the machine’s electronics (like its preamp circuitry) but not the actual tape. This is useful for setting initial levels and A/B comparisons, as the electronics themselves can add gain and a subtle character. There’s no delay in this mode.
• Repro Mode: This is where the magic happens. The audio is recorded onto the tape by the record head and then played back milliseconds later by a separate playback head (the repro head). This allows you to monitor the sound from the tape in real-time. You’ll hear a slight delay or “skip” in the audio when switching to repro due to the physical distance between the heads, but this is how you hear the actual effect of the tape itself.

Kris uses the tape machine like an outboard processor, sending audio out from his DAW and right back in.

Dialing It In: The Art of Tape Saturation

Once the machine is patched in, the real work begins: sculpting the sound with tape.

Gain Staging is Key

The Ampex ATR-102, even in input mode, boosts the signal significantly due to its electronics. To manage this, Kris employs a clever gain staging strategy:

1. Post-Tape Trim: He adds a trim plugin after the tape machine in his DAW. The purpose is to attenuate the signal coming back from the tape machine so that it hits the C1 compressor (and the rest of the master bus) at the same level as the unprocessed signal. This ensures a fair A/B comparison and prevents the tape machine’s gain boost from simply making the compressor work harder, which would skew perception. He eyeballs this to get it close.
2. Pre-Tape Drive (Optional but Awesome): To get more of that desirable tape compression and saturation, Kris sometimes adds another trim plugin before the tape machine. This allows him to “slam” the input of the tape harder, driving it into that sweet spot where it starts to compress and add harmonic richness. How much to push it is entirely done by ear. This creative gain staging is crucial for controlling how much character you impart from the tape. You can learn more about controlling dynamics effectively by exploring metal compression secrets beyond just making it loud.

Taming the Lows: EQ Before Tape

Tape isn’t transparent; it EQs the signal. With his Flux Magnetics heads known for their “head bump,” Kris often finds the sub-frequencies a bit too intense. To counteract this, he applies corrective EQ before hitting the tape. For “If You Can’t Hang,” he mentioned pulling out some of the “over the top low end,” maybe around 60Hz. He likes what the tape does to the low-mids (around 100Hz), but the very deep subs can get overwhelming without this pre-EQ. This proactive approach ensures the tape enhances, rather than muddies, the low end. For more insights into EQ strategies, check out Carve Your Core: EQ Strategies for Mixing Modern Metal.

It’s worth noting that tape is expensive! Kris mentions you wouldn’t typically leave the tape rolling for an entire mix session due to cost and wear. Instead, you might loop a section, dial in your tape sound, and then print it.

The Sonic Payoff: What Tape Brought to the Mix

So, was it worth the effort? Absolutely. Kris found that running the “If You Can’t Hang” mix through the Ampex ATR-102 brought several benefits:

• Thickness and Glue: The tape provided a noticeable “thickness” and helped “glue” the elements of the mix together.
• Enhanced Low-End: The low frequencies felt more cohesive and gained more depth.
• Overall Energy: For a relatively simple and sparse mix like this one, the tape added a significant amount of energy, making the whole thing “pop out.”
• Intention Realized: The tape helped to further realize the intended vibe of the mix.

However, Kris also cautions that tape isn’t a magic bullet for every mix. On denser, more complex arrangements, the smearing effect of tape can sometimes be “too much.” But for this Sleeping With Sirens track, it was just the ticket.

Want to Hear More of Kris Crummett’s Mix Techniques?

Hearing about these techniques is one thing, but seeing them in action on a full mix is another level. Kris Crummett’s approach to tape saturation on “If You Can’t Hang” offers a fascinating glimpse into how analog gear can elevate a modern metal mix.

If you’re itching to see more from Kris and learn how he crafts those powerful Sleeping With Sirens sounds, you’re in luck. You can watch him mix the Sleeping With Sirens track “Bloody Knuckles” (featuring Tilian) from start to finish in his exclusive Nail The Mix session. You get the original multitracks and an 8+ hour video where Kris breaks down every decision, plugin, and technique. It’s an unparalleled opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business.

At Nail The Mix, we bring you these kinds of deep dives every month with the world’s top metal producers. If you’re serious about improving your mixes, and want to move beyond presets to truly unlock your sound in modern metal mixing, then Nail The Mix is where you want to be. See how pros like Kris Crummett get those release-ready sounds!