Double-tracking methods:

Besides the real thing? Nothing. I recently got to use the UAD Ampex ATR-102. It's a cool plugin but the ADT was not particularly exciting.
 
Real thing. But for non-doubling fattening up the sound, the Abbey Road dual stereo delay trick, and on certain heavier rock songs, the 'Ozzifier' plug-in that comes with Reaper.
 
As a fattening effect, I do the dual pitch shifter. One side down a few cents and the other side up.a few cents. With predelay on each. The longer predelay on the lower tuned one, to even out the weight. (The higher pitched or longer delayed one will stick out more, so you put the longer delay on the lower pitched one to even them out)
 
I hate doubled vocals. I tried it a few times and realized I suck at it. Then I listen to others and I realize they suck at it too. The only time I like doubled vocals is when they are done so well you can't hear it.

I do like when a singer harmonizes with themselves then added in as a subtle layer under the vocals. I even like the whispering effect; it can sound great when done correctly.

I simply use a slapback delay and reverb and call it good.
 
I have the doubler waves plugin SOS used as an example, and while it can be tweaked enough to get an acceptable effect I don't find it works very well with vocals (guitars and other instruments it's better). I also have the Waves ADT plugin, and it gets used rarely for anything but vocals as it created too much flange or chorusing with instruments. I have an older 'throat' plugin that mimics throat length/width as an effect, which acts as a form of doubling. It does a decent job with certain types of vocal parts.

Basically, if you're going to use a plugin, each has their strength / weaknesses and you have to either read reviews before buying or tinker later. I've found some great plugins but you have to do a lot of testing.

I don't like doubled vocal parts either. I have added harmony parts that aren't technically a double because the notes being sung are different, even though their delivery is as close to the original/main track as possible. Been lucky up to now - most vocalists I know and have worked with don't like doubling either. I find subtle use of chorus to be enough to get the results I think most try to achieve with doubling (added presence/depth?).
 
Yeah....I'm good with adding harmony vocals to the lead, and you still want them to be tight with the lead...but I've never been big on doubling lead vocals. Some people do that a lot, on most of their songs...but I find that it only works well once in awhile. Most times I'm just not crazy about how it sounds, even if the two tracks are really tightly locked.

I find that when I do use it...it works best with the second track pulled back quite a bit...so it's just shadowing the lead, rather than really doubling up on it.
 
I like to track a double whether I use it or not. Often I'll only use it to emphasize something like a phrase or bridge. And pulling the double back from the main vocal helps a lot. There are other tricks, like compressing it extra hard or taking out some HF so the definition of the double doesn't conflict with the main.
 
I love the little microshift. When I want a double-like effect tighter than I can perform I just drop that in and adjust the mix % to taste.

I'd love to get a vocal aligner at some point, I think that would make doubling so much easier for me.
 
Chili said:
I hate doubled vocals. I tried it a few times and realized I suck at it. Then I listen to others and I realize they suck at it too. The only time I like doubled vocals is when they are done so well you can't hear it.

I do like when a singer harmonizes with themselves then added in as a subtle layer under the vocals. I even like the whispering effect; it can sound great when done correctly.

I simply use a slapback delay and reverb and call it good.
Click to expand...

Yes....... My understanding (such as it is ) is that if the listener can tell that you doubled it, you haven't done it right.
 
...which brings me to this post:

andrushkiwt said:
+1, unless it's a stereo chorus underneath the main vocal. that only serves to widen and fatten (phatten?) the vocal up, though, and not to really double it.
Click to expand...


and the more I think of it, I'm not sure that I understand the difference between doubling and fattening.


:(
 
Eleanor Fudd said:
...which brings me to this post:




and the more I think of it, I'm not sure that I understand the difference between doubling and fattening.


:(
Click to expand...

They can accomplish the same thing, it all depends on intent/how it's mixed. With pure chorusing/fattening though, you can obviously get the vocals much wider than simply adding another vocal underneath. But I don't hear that use of chorus on a lot of mixes, most of the time chorus is used sparingly much in the way a double vocal would add a smidgen of depth.
 
easlern said:
I love the little microshift. When I want a double-like effect tighter than I can perform I just drop that in and adjust the mix % to taste.

I'd love to get a vocal aligner at some point, I think that would make doubling so much easier for me.
Click to expand...

The Microshift is one of my go to plugs for a while now for such.

I bought VocALign Pro a year or so ago. Used it once. Forgot about it... What an expensive thing to forget about. lol
 
bouldersoundguy said:
I like to track a double whether I use it or not. Often I'll only use it to emphasize something like a phrase or bridge. And pulling the double back from the main vocal helps a lot. There are other tricks, like compressing it extra hard or taking out some HF so the definition of the double doesn't conflict with the main.
Click to expand...

Ditto.

Even if I have a perfect take, I like to do one or two more. Sometimes this can be used for double tracking; other times it's got me out of a hole when a couple of days into the mix I find a slight error in the supposedly perfect take--I have material to edit to.
 
Here's a sample of what I do with almost every verse vocal. Underneath the main vocal track is a separate track, about 12db less, that is a stereo track with a chorus vst. The chorus plugin is set to around 6ms delay, full pan, 130hz-20khz, using the "fullness" preset. To my ears, it adds (like the name implies) fullness to the vocal, and it widens it across the stereo field. There's probably a million ways to do this, but it seems to work fine for me. But judge for yourself.

With stereo chorus:

View attachment Mix - Stereo ChorusVox.mp3

Without:

View attachment Mix - Without Chorus.mp3

edit: there's EQ, reverb, and a slight delay on the vocal bus. I didn't want a true double here, I save those for the chorus lines. If the second clips' vocal sounds quieter, it's because the chorus effect track adds a couple db.
 
Bobbsy said:
Ditto.

Even if I have a perfect take, I like to do one or two more. Sometimes this can be used for double tracking; other times it's got me out of a hole when a couple of days into the mix I find a slight error in the supposedly perfect take--I have material to edit to.
Click to expand...

Oh for sure...I always do a minimum of 3 good takes for my lead vocals. If it's a difficult one that pushes my range, I'll do 5 good takes.
So I always have the option to double up...I often use those extra takes for comping, of course...and sometimes I decide after the fact that like...the chorus sounds better doubled up, etc.

I've gone well past the days of believing in the so-called "prefect single take". :D
It's amazing how much shit you end up hearing after you have the takes, and you start doing your mixing...and then you realize there a glitch here, a sour note there, wrong phrasing in one spot...etc.

Back in the 4-track and even 16-track tape days...you kinda HAD to shoot for those "perfect single takes"...and you might record 2-3 on separate tracks, but then you end up having to pick one because you needed the tracks for something else.
With DAWs...fuck...just do 2-3 takes of anything you feel a bit unsure of or uncomfortable with...you can always delete them later.
Even now when I track to tape on my 24-track...I'll save at least 3 tracks for the lead vocal takes.
 
miroslav said:
With DAWs...fuck...just do 2-3 takes of anything you feel a bit unsure of or uncomfortable with...you can always delete them later.
Click to expand...

... I hit about 13, on average. My voice is gone at the end. My best takes are typically around track 7-10. Warmed up, but not yet dead.

It certainly doesn't help that up until recording time, I don't ever sing the tunes out loud. I really don't even know if they'll be in my range or not until it's time to record. All up in the noggin' til the last minute.
 
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