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Author Topic: Vocal processing techniques  (Read 8544 times)

Ysbryd

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Vocal processing techniques
« on: January 13, 2016, 07:01:23 am »
What do you guys do to get vocals to sound full and wide in a track? I can get them to cut in mixes and mesh with other elements, but I can't get them to have a wide, """fat""" (for lack of a better term) sound. What do you guys do to vocals to get them to sound the way you want them?

For some examples of what I mean by a full and wide vocal, here are a few examples:

Cinders by LuQuS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Wm_848c96g

Lontalius - Comfortable (Subranger Remix):
Singularity - Horizon ft. Nilu (DCarls Remix):

Flores - Afterglow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCYMqyDn1LE

I know these songs are all pretty different from each other, but something they all have in common is the vocal processing makes it sound wide and full and it is done in such a way that it harmonizes with the track perfectly. Any help would be greatly appreciated and so would just hearing about how you go about vocal processing in general!
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neoesoteric

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2016, 06:12:54 pm »
double the vocal channel, slightly offset the two and have them each panned to a different side
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noidywgnivek

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2016, 07:48:15 pm »
Quote from: neoesoteric on January 13, 2016, 06:12:54 pm
double the vocal channel, slightly offset the two and have them each panned to a different side
don't do this. You're vocal will get screwed in mono.

CLA vocal is a really easy way to get a great sounding vocal like that in my experience. You should check out the demo if you like it. It's a bit expensive though.

Other ways you can archieve this effect is lot's of multi tracking then panning the individual stems in the stereo file. Then adding some distortion to brighten up the highs and adding chorus for some smear.
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Mussar

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2016, 08:03:09 pm »
If you're working with your own vocalist (also works great with guitars), I suggest double tracking when you want things to be super wide - record two separate passes for each line, and hard pan them left and right. Since they're singing the same notes everything is gonna glue together, but since each pass is going to have minor variations due to the natural imperfections of live performance, they won't phase cancel when you compress to mono.

Alternately playing with reverbs, delays, chorus, or just simple harmonizing can often add extra weight to a vocal track without having to overly process them.
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lyteside

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2016, 09:26:07 pm »
it's all about multiple takes of the same phrases panned left and right for the natural phasing/chorusing, as said above! :) Even when they are turned down so you can barely hear them, it still does wonders for the widening

If you don't have multiple takes, you can simulate them by doubling up the tracks and stretching parts of the them in places (shrink some words, stretch out others, etc.) and then pan those versions left and right, making sure your consonants are synced up (so a little slice work is gonna be needed).

Also, have you checked your other instruments? It's possible that some other panned instruments aren't leaving enough room for your widened vocals.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2016, 09:30:58 pm by lyteside »
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dominique

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2016, 01:34:26 am »
try soundtoys' microshift. 30 day free trial!
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dontloveme

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Re: Vocal processing techniques
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2016, 03:00:51 am »
Quote from: dominique on January 14, 2016, 01:34:26 am
try soundtoys' microshift. 30 day free trial!

i second this one. just started using it a week ago and its great.

also this is a duplicate thread sorta. i created a thread about this in the mixing/mastering section a bit ago. has some good tips in there.
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