How It Was Recorded

Nickelback · Album, 2003

The Long Road

This is an album-level record: the sources describe how the album as a whole was recorded, not one song. Where a detail belongs to a single song, the row says so.

Songs this record stands for: Someday. We found nothing specific to this song, so this album record is the closest account we have.

Lead vocalAcoustic guitar on SomedayElectric guitar ampsBass ampsDrum kitVerified1Reported14

What the sources do and do not say

One Mix feature from 2003 on the sessions for The Long Road; only the acoustic guitar paragraph is tied to Someday, the rest describes the album sessions generally. Most rows are the journalist's narrative, so they are reported. Mixing (Randy Staub, SSL 4072) is mentioned but tied to harmonies, so no row. The Sound On Sound piece covers Silver Side Up and was not used.

Lead vocal

Chad Kroeger

Microphone

RØDE NTK

Reported

Lead vocal microphone, a tube model, used in the upstairs vocal booth.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Input chain

Neve 1084

Reported

Preamp that the lead vocal microphone ran through.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ

preamp and EQ

Model of the 1084 preamp and EQ module, made with AMS Neve.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves Scheps 73 (Models the 1073, the closely related module with fewer EQ frequency choices).

UREI 1176

Reported

Compressor in the lead vocal chain after the preamp.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection

compressor

Models several revisions of the 1176, including the blackface units.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (Models two 1176 revisions (blacky and bluey)).

Avalon 737 SP

Reported

Mic processor at the end of the lead vocal chain.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Emulation of this unit

Universal Audio Avalon VT-737 Tube Channel Strip

channel strip

Made with Avalon as a model of the VT-737sp channel strip.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Acoustic guitar on Someday

Instrument

Gibson Jumbo acoustic

ReportedOne song

Acoustic guitar that cuts through the heavy mix, recorded without an amplifier.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. A guitar is the source of the sound, not a process applied to it. No plugin stands in for it.

Microphone

Coles Ribbon microphone (model not stated)

ReportedOne song

One of two microphones on the acoustic guitar.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Neumann M147

ReportedOne song

The other of two microphones on the acoustic guitar.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Electric guitar amps

Amplifier

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier

Reported

One of the guitar amps, with a 4x12 cabinet.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

Covers this kind of unit

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5

amp and cabinet simulator

An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear.

Get the plugin ↗What else it stands in for

Also worth a look: Native Instruments Guitar Rig 7 Pro (An amp and cabinet simulator that covers a wide range of amplifiers and speaker cabinets of this kind. It is not a model of this unit, so pick the nearest one in it by ear).

Line 6 Amp Farm

Verified

Amp modelling used on the clean DI'd guitar tracks, so the drummer could re-track against guitars with no spill.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. This is already software, so the stand-in is the thing itself. No product link has been added for it yet.

Microphone

Shure SM57

Reported

Close microphone on the guitar amps, one per cabinet.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Bass amps

Mike Kroeger

Microphone

Shure SM57

Reported

Close microphones on the bass amplifiers, blended down to one track beside a direct signal.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.

Drum kit

Ryan Vikedal

Microphone

AKG D112

Reported

Inside kick drum microphone.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The D112 is still made.

Shure SM7

Reported

Hi-hat microphones.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. Its successor, the SM7B, is still made.

Sennheiser MD 421

Reported

Microphones above each tom.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The MD 421 is still made.

Coles Ribbon microphone (model not stated)

Reported

One of the drum room microphones.

Source: Mix, accessed 15 Nov 2026

No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.

Sources

  1. In the Studio With Nickelback, Mix, 2003-11. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
Verified

Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.

Reported

Stated by a reputable secondary source.

Inferred

An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.

Disclosure: plugin links currently go straight to the maker and earn us nothing. If that changes, affiliate links will be marked here. Suggestions are chosen on fit, never on commission, and are kept separate from the recording facts. More.