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Vocal Processing
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| muzikislife |
Vocal tracks just amaze me
The production is very different from an instrumental track.
The vocals are now the key element.
Does anyone have tips on how to process these vocal (Trance Genre) in a track ?
What frequency spectrum should one aim for ?
What effects should be applied on vocals ?
Any secret tips to make vocals cut through a mix ????
Super Duper thanks in advance. |
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| Lindo |
Let your imagination run wild...you can do anything with vocals just think about it. Just like you can do anything with your synth sounds and create some really crazy textures, you can do the same with vocals.
Processing vocals is a different story. Record in a high quality, on a good mic, in a good room, and record the track a few times. This allows you to take 3 or so different versions, convert into 1 track, and it'll sound very full and almost with some chorus. This is a result from the different timings on the 3 different tracks since they're not all sung the same way.
For the frequency spectrum, you'd really have to check your frequency analyzer. The voice can has some deep undertones in it or have some high overtones in it. Mainly focus on the mid range to low high range frequencies though. Maybe add some boosts around 6khz for some clarity. Remember to use a de-esser too to remove those hard consonants!
Some basic effects are some delay echoes, panning, chorus, and all different types of filters. Try different things and see how it all works out for you. There isn't one way to do it, so experiment. |
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| muzikislife |
that's very good advice.
I'll try something out.
Thanks for the help. |
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| RivalMan |
| quote: | Originally posted by Lindo
Processing vocals is a different story. Record in a high quality, on a good mic, in a good room, and record the track a few times. This allows you to take 3 or so different versions, convert into 1 track, and it'll sound very full and almost with some chorus. This is a result from the different timings on the 3 different tracks since they're not all sung the same way.
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If you do experiment with double (and triple etc.) tracking vocals, you should really be cautious about your transients. If the vocalist is not extremely experienced (or just talented) the timing will be slightly off on some of the takes. With transients this could cause some unwanted effects - especially if you are sending tracks to reverbs and delays too.
What I would recommend you to do is either turn down the "double-tracks" during transients or use an aligner plugin (such as VocAlign). You will still get the effect of double tracking, but if the tracks are aligned you won't have the problem with transients.
Another thing you can do is to pan the double takes to each side, to get a wider image.
Remember to run your vocals through an intonator-plugin unless you have a really great vocalist (but really try to avoid the over-used cheezy auto-tune "Cher"-effect).
Also, you should (as always) high pass all vocal takes in order to avoid anything that will clash with the bass and drum. Especially important for EDM to avoid low rumble on vocal takes.
Otherwise just go crazy and experiment with different effects. If you are having problems with getting to vocals to sit in the mix, try to eq other tracks rather than the vocals first in order to "make space" for the vocals to fit in.
Regards |
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| LENG |
| i've always liked that cher's effect thingy... how do you actually do it? |
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| RivalMan |
| quote: | Originally posted by LENG
i've always liked that cher's effect thingy... how do you actually do it? |
It was cool ... but that was in 1997 - 1998 :haha: But who knows - it might get back in style...
Basically the easiest way to achieve the effect is by using Antares Auto-Tune and setting the Auto-Tune to extreme settings (i.e. "very fast"). This will give you an effect that will be very much like the one used on Believe. But it wasn't actually the way the producer Mark Taylor (Metro Productions) originally achieved the effect.
He used a "Digitech Talker" and ran Chers vocal through that unit to get the vocoder-like effect. He used a tone from the Nord Rack as a carrier signal. The notes the Nord were playing were sequenced from Cubase (probably the VST32 version) to follow Cher's vocal melody.
He played around with shifting the notes a little bit back and forth relative to the actual melody-line. If the notes were spot on, the effect would almost be inaudible, so he ended up having the notes play a little bit early (a fraction) to get that extreme effect.
After this he printed the vocoded track to a new track and used automation to blend it with the original unprocessed vocal track. Most of the time it's actually the unprocessed track that was used throughout the song. Only certain places was the "vocoded" track brought out. I think it is the shifting between unprocessed and processed vocals that really gives an interesting and "unexpected" feel to the track.
Another effect Mark used on "Believe" was to low- and high pass the vocals very much to get a telephony-like effect on Cher's voice. I guess this is what makes her voice cut through the mix very clearly.
I haven't got the track anywhere near right now, so I can't really say for sure about delays and reverb, but as far as I remember her voice was very dry compared to that of others in dance music at that time. This also may have helped to distinguish the track from the competition at that time.
But I think the thing to learn here is not really how to achieve the "Cher-effect" but rather that something very good can happen to you if you just play around, go crazy, and do something new and different.
Regards |
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| fabio_trevez |
| quote: | Originally posted by RivalMan
...Another effect Mark used on "Believe" was to low- and high pass the vocals very much to get a telephony-like effect on Cher's voice. I guess this is what makes her voice cut through the mix very clearly... |
I read somewhere that she requested this effect. Cher and the label changed producers a couple of times because they didn't like the music at all, Mark and his team are the responsibles of the published version.
I love vocals, but working with it it's a mess! Specially when suddenly you have a new idea or another mix-version and the key of the recorded vocals doesn't work very well. Too much processing can result in something un-natural. Also mic choice is crucial to achieve a good recording, it depend on the room acoustics, the tone of the voice, desired effect, etc.
Above and Beyond made a clever trick in their remix of Madonna's "What it feels like for a girl", where they chopped and mixed parts of the original vocal with the tempo-changed vocals, then a couple effects to unify it.
Other good example on chopped vocals that work very good is Tori Amos's voice in BT's "Blue skies" where a lot of words where 'created' from others.
People from Lasgo and Ian Van Dahl always record the vocals in big studios, because for their kind of music the voice track is really important. |
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| PutBoy |
First. LP Filter out at about 200-300 or something.
Then cut some dB at about 3000 on all other channels for more clear vocals.
Stereo Delays are a must almost when dealing with vocals as well. Also, have fewer melodies than you normally would, at least when the vocals are running. Vocals tend to have very complex melodies.
That's pretty much all I can say. |
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