Deconstructing Tosin Abasi’s Guitar Sound: Mixing Techniques from Animals As Leaders’ “Red Miso”

Alright, let's talk about a monumental task: mixing the intricate, mind-bending guitar work of Tosin Abasi from Animals As Leaders. This isn't your average guitar mixing session. Tosin is a guitarist who has redefined what's possible on the instrument, pioneering techniques like the "thump" that have left jaws on the floor worldwide. Getting to peek behind the curtain at how these groundbreaking tones are shaped for a record is a treat, and that's exactly what we're doing, looking at insights from Nick Morzov's approach to tracks like "Red Miso."

If you've ever wanted to understand the layers of processing and decision-making that go into such iconic sounds, you're in the right place. Nick shared a wealth of information, and we’re breaking down his strategies. For those who want to see Nick mix the entire Animals As Leaders track "Red Miso" from scratch, you can dive into the full session over at Nail The Mix.

The Foundation: Nailing Tosin's DI Signal

Before even thinking about amps and cabs, Nick emphasized the importance of the Direct Input (DI) signal. With playing as dynamic and often clean-leaning (even when it sounds heavy!) as Tosin's, a consistent DI is paramount.

Pedal Power: Sculpting Before the Amp

Nick detailed a specific pedal chain used to treat the DI signal, referencing settings Tosin himself uses live but with some crucial studio tweaks.

Cali76 Compressor: Taming Dynamics

First in line was a Cali76 compressor pedal. The goal here wasn't to squash the life out of the signal, but to make the DI as consistent as possible. Tosin's playing has a huge dynamic range, and this pedal helped even things out, ensuring that the amps and subsequent processing received a more manageable signal. While Tosin had his marked live settings, Nick made adjustments for the recording.

Proton Dead Horse Pedal: Unexpected Tone Shaping

Next up was a Proton Dead Horse pedal. Interestingly, this wasn't used for its drive capabilities. Instead, Nick cranked the tone knob all the way up and dropped the gain (or drive) all the way down. He then pulled back the volume output from this pedal. This stage was purely about tone sculpting, almost like an EQ pedal, to shape the signal before hitting the main drive sources.

Building the Drive: The Freedman and the Morgan Amp Platform

With a solid DI signal established, it was time to introduce the gain.

The Freedman: Core of the Thump and Lead Drive

The real "bread and butter" for all the thump and lead tones came from a Freedman pedal (likely a Friedman BE-OD or similar). This pedal was responsible for generating the core distortion character that defines so much of Animals As Leaders' heavy sound.

Morgan Amp: The Neutral Canvas

After the drive pedal, the signal hit a Morgan amp. Nick described the Morgan as a fantastic, neutral pedal platform. While an initial clean tone on the record might have come from a Dual Rectifier, the Morgan was the go-to for heavier tones. This approach allowed them to sculpt a wide variety of sounds using different pedals while running everything through the same consistent head, providing a reliable sonic foundation.

Cab & IR: The Unsung Heroes

The amp head was then fed into an old 90s Slant Mesa 4×12 cabinet. A crucial detail for consistency across the album was the use of the same Impulse Response (IR) for pretty much the entire record. This ensures that all the guitar tones, despite variations in pedal settings or playing style, share a common spatial and resonant character.

EQing Tosin's Tones: Broad Strokes and Surgical Precision

EQ is where Nick truly refined and polished Tosin's guitar sounds. He has a general philosophy but also gets incredibly specific. For more deep dives into EQ strategies, check out our EQ hub page: Carve Your Core: EQ Strategies for Mixing Modern Metal.

The "Guitar Starter" Philosophy: Nick's Go-To EQ Moves

Nick often starts with what he calls his "Guitar Starter" EQ settings, which he then adapts to the specific tone he’s working on. These generally include:

• Mid-Range Punch: A boost around 1kHz to 1.5kHz (e.g., 1.1k, 1.2k) to help the guitars cut.
• Low-Mid Foundation: A lift around 200Hz to add body.
• Low Shelf: Often a hefty boost, somewhere between 80Hz and 100Hz.
• High Shelf: A boost around 10kHz for air and presence.
• Filters: A high-pass filter (low cut) typically around 100Hz (though this varies) and a low-pass filter (high cut) around 12kHz, sometimes lower if fighting top-end harshness.

The key is that every guitar part needs to "sit in its own territory," so these starting points are always adjusted.

Taming the Thump: EQ for Clarity and Punch

For the signature "thump" tones, while the general EQ moves were similar (like a 1.2kHz boost and a 200Hz lift), Nick sometimes opted out of shelves. The real focus here was on surgical cuts to eliminate "the annoying shit."

• He specifically targeted around 2kHz and then the region between 3kHz and 4kHz. He mentioned this could have been a wide bell cut, but in the heat of the moment, he used multiple narrower cuts.
• The goal with these cleaner, yet heavy, tones that inherently have a lot of top end is to manage harshness. These precise cuts clean up the guitars significantly and, crucially, make room for elements like cymbals. A little boost in the "throaty mid-range" also helps them stand out.

EQing Heavier Riffs and Selective Picking

For even heavier parts or sections with more selective picking, the EQ approach shared themes but adapted.

• Similar boosts at 1.2kHz and a 10kHz shelf were common.
• Sometimes the low-mid boost shifted, for instance, down to 166Hz, reacting to the incoming tone.
• One particular tone had a "much more slicey higher frequency," which Nick aggressively cut.

Solo and Lead Guitar EQ: Brightness and Bite

Lead tones received their own specific treatment.

• Often, the amp tone might be set darker, with EQ used to bring in brightness – for example, a bell-shaped boost starting around 4kHz to add bite.
• A decent amount of "mid-tier" frequencies were added.
• A high-pass filter around 100Hz kept the low end tight, without boosting it further.
• He even boosted around 260Hz and made a specific cut to address a "weird resonance" he identified by ear.

If Axe-FX units were used (often for clean tones), Nick mentioned the advantage of being able to EQ directly within the unit itself.

The Subtle Art of Compression on Progressive Metal Guitars

Compression on Tosin's guitars was generally applied with a light touch. The goal wasn't to heavily squash them but to provide control and subtle enhancement. Learn more about taming dynamics in metal with our Compression hub page: Metal Compression Secrets: Beyond Just Making It Loud.

Light Touch for General Tracks

For most guitar tracks, compression was super light. One of the heavier tones did get a bit more compression to help it sit.

Ducking Delays: Creating Space with Side-Chains

A very cool trick Nick uses involves delay. Tosin apparently likes his delays printed directly on the track. Nick showcased using multiple delays, often in milliseconds (e.g., 500ms and 900ms) and not synced to tempo.
For one specific 500ms delay, he implemented a clever ducking effect. He sent the dry guitar signal to a compressor that was on the delay track's return. This way, when Tosin was playing, the dry signal would trigger the compressor to "duck" the delay, making it less audible. When the playing stopped or paused, the delay would swell back in. This is a great way to get the spaciousness of delay without it cluttering the main performance.

Experimentation: The Key to Unique Tones

A recurring theme in Nick's workflow is experimentation and the willingness to make bold choices.

Knowing When to Say No

During the process, they experimented with various amps, including a Soldano SL-100. At one point, they tried layering the Soldano as a lower octave layer for some "hateful fuzz." However, Nick ultimately decided against it because it felt "fuzzy" and wasn't "additive" enough to the overall sound. He stressed that if he can take elements out to make room for other things without losing impact, he'll take that opportunity every time.

The Axe-FX Factor

For some clean tones, the Axe-FX was part of the signal chain. This highlights the hybrid approach often necessary to achieve the diverse sonic palette required by Animals As Leaders.

Bringing It All Together (And How You Can Learn More!)

Mixing Tosin Abasi's guitars is clearly a masterclass in attention to detail, smart gain staging, surgical EQ, and creative effects processing. From meticulously crafting the DI signal with pedals like the Cali76 and Proton Dead Horse, to building drive with the Freedman into a Morgan amp, and then shaping it all with precise EQ moves and subtle compression, every step is deliberate. The consistent use of a specific Mesa 4×12 IR and the clever ducking delay techniques further showcase a sophisticated approach to a complex sound.

These techniques, from Nick Morzov's "guitar starter" EQ philosophy to his pedal-platform amp strategy, offer incredible insights you can apply to your own productions.

But let's be honest, reading about it is one thing. Seeing a pro like Nick Morzov actually do it – dialing in these EQs, balancing the layers, and making those critical mix decisions in real-time – is where the real learning happens. That's precisely what Nail The Mix offers. You can watch Nick mix "Red Miso" by Animals As Leaders from start to finish, explaining every move, by checking out the full session: Animals As Leaders on Nail The Mix.

If you're serious about elevating your metal mixing skills and learning directly from the producers behind some of the biggest albums in the genre, it’s time to stop guessing and start learning from the best. Want to go beyond presets and truly Unlock Your Sound? Mixing Modern Metal Beyond Presets is a great place to continue your journey.