gear

Shrapnel Sound Studio Tracking Room

June 2, 2026

The Sonic Blueprint: Inside the Gear and Tracking Behind Systimatik’s "Slay" 

In modern heavy music, achieving an uncompromising balance between devastating kinetic energy and razor-sharp studio clarity is a meticulous art form. On Systimatik’s latest sonic offerings—most notably the punishing track "Slay"—the band left nothing to chance. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by producer Stephen Shatzer at Shrapnel Sound Studio, the production workflow utilized a fascinating hybrid philosophy: pairing core organic tracking setups with cutting-edge digital sculpting environments.

To pull back the curtain on how their massive wall of sound was constructed, we are breaking down the complete gear manifest, tracking environments, and precise signal routing paths that defined the sessions.

Guitars: High-Gain Digital Precision

The core guitar assault on "Slay" relies entirely on excellent transient definition and precise low-frequency tracking. The tool of choice for the recording sessions was a Schecter Damien Platinum 6 played by Rune.  Outfitted with active pickups and optimized construction for low-tuned tension, the guitar delivered the highly responsive, aggressive note definition required for the band's dense rhythmic patterns.

Rather than using traditional microphoned guitar cabinets, the tracking workflow took a modern, high-fidelity approach. The Schecter was tracked strictly via Direct Injection (DI) straight into a premium Universal Audio Apollo x8p interface at Shrapnel Sound Studio. This ultra-clean DI capture was subsequently processed inside the box using industry-standard Neural DSP plugins. This flexible digital routing allowed Stephen Shatzer and the band to meticulously contour the mid-range bite, overdrive harmonics, and tight high-gain saturation to seamlessly interlock with the rest of the rhythm section.  The guitars were all quad-tracked for a thick, wall-of-sound type vibe.

Bass: The Dual-Channel Split Grime

The foundational low-end for the tracks was engineered in a completely different space—tracked entirely at bass player Sever’s house. To achieve a bass tone that could maintain a clean, sub-bass weight while aggressively slicing through the high-gain guitar layers, a classic multi-channel split routing architecture was deployed on a Mike Kelly Jazz Bass.

The signal was split into two parallel channels:

• The Clean Channel: A pure, transparent DI line captured directly to preserve the instrument's dynamic range and deliver a rock-solid low-frequency foundation.

• The Dirty Channel: A saturated, heavily driven parallel track sculpted by cascading two specific pedals: the Joyo Monomyth bass preamp (providing modern, articulate tube-style drive and EQ shaping) and a Black Arts Toneworks Pharaoh Fuzz (introducing a thick, broad harmonic texture and massive sustain).

By blending the pristine clarity of the clean channel with the violent grit of the dirty channel in the final mix, the low-end emerged incredibly massive, punchy, and clearly defined.

Drums: Studio Architecture vs. Live Presence

The rhythmic foundation of Systimatik’s studio recordings was tracked at drummer XXV’s house, utilizing an acoustic drum setup configured exclusively for studio dynamic responses. The primary kit was a Tama Superstar Classic Maple, selected for its bright projection, structural warmth, and natural resonance. For the critical snare tracks, the band brought in a Yamaha Musashi Oak snare drum—a legendary 7-ply oak drum highly sought after for its devastatingly sharp crack, loud projection, and quick decay.

The cymbal sound consisted of a hand-picked, custom blend of Sabian and Zildjian cymbals, providing a crisp, detailed high-end shimmer that avoided the harsh frequencies often associated with heavy tracking sessions.

💡 Note on Live Configurations: Fans watching Systimatik live or in their music videos will notice a distinct gear shift behind the kit. While the Tama and Yamaha setup is their dedicated studio weapon, drummer XXV exclusively plays a Gretsch Catalina Maple kit on stage and in film shoots, optimized to endure the extreme physical abuse and specific visual aesthetics of their live live show.

Vocals: High-Fidelity Microphone Modeling

Thrall's vocals form the dynamic and emotional centerpiece of "Slay," demanding a recording pipeline capable of translating extreme aggression alongside subtle mid-range detail. Tracked back at Shrapnel Sound Studio, the vocal tracks were captured using a Universal Audio (formerly Townsend Labs) Sphere L22 large-diaphragm modeling microphone system, routed straight into the premium Unison preamps of the Apollo x8p.

This sophisticated setup allowed the engineering team to capture an incredibly flat, pristine performance while maintaining the capability to model various classic, rare tube and ribbon microphones in post-production. The resulting vocal tracks sit beautifully on top of the mix with pristine, three-dimensional detail.  The vocals were double-tracked for each section of the song.

The Engine Room: Complete Integration inside LUNA

Synthesizing these disparate tracking sessions into a cohesive, crushing master required a unified software architecture. Recording, mixing, and mastering were executed entirely within Universal Audio’s LUNA Recording System at Shrapnel Sound Studio. Working alongside producer Stephen Shatzer, the band leveraged LUNA's built-in summing capabilities and analog tape extensions to tie the tracks together with classic harmonic warmth, resulting in the massive, polished, wall-of-sound production found on "Slay."