How to achieve this vocal

Sounds like a voice in front of a mic.

Seriously. That's about as vanilla-plain as it gets.

Not counting the weird (I assume they're there on purpose) glitchy stuff that starts a couple minutes in...

(EDIT) Just listened at a "more normal" level (semi-cranked). Super vanilla. I mean barely anything. Thin, sparse verb, no spatial effects, no obnoxious compression...

The reason it sounds like he's singing right into your head is that he was singing right into a mic and left it alone. Now, we could go on and on about the contrast -- the piano sounds like it was recorded from damn-near another room entirely, the harmonies sound like they were backed off a foot or two... Not counting all the weird stuff going on (and there's a lot of it) once the vocal is gone...

But otherwise - Voice in front of a mic.
 
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I can't listen right now, but I have achieved the in your head vocal by having the vocal close to the mic (no room sound) and a very dry vocal (no reverb), in the headphones it sounds like you are singing the song. In fact one song I did this on was me singing the song LOL.

Alan.
 
Yeah, this is pretty standard for capturing an intimate vocal. The singer was most likely an inch away from the mic giving a very personal performance.

Keep in mind, too, that almost all vocals will sound like they are between your ears (inside your head), because they literally are when listening through headphones. The more intimate the performance, the more drastic the effect.

If you listen on a good set of monitors, you notice that the vocal is very upfront and present (despite some verb), and the like Masive Master said, the track is much further back in the mix.

All the best
 
Cheers all..

On another note, the song is still quite loud for the type of music. If little compression has been used on the voice then how has the overall level been achieved without causing the limiter to smash things (intersample peaks and lots of gr)

I know the video is subject to normalisation as it's on YouTube but compared with similar music on there it's much louder, or fuller...?

Hmm
 
Making mixes that sparse ridiculously loud is generally ridiculously simple (and usually ridiculous, which is why most sparse mixes like that aren't made that loud -- It just doesn't "fit the mold").
 
Yep. All that has been said.

Also a very very good vocal chain. Great mic. Great preamp. Good room. Probably a booth.

And not messed with.

I get this every time out if it's called for.
 
Good room. Probably a booth.

Pointing out that unless it's a good booth don't bother LOL, no singing in the wardrobe, I just use my recording room, or if it's me the control room.

If the room is a bit live or dodgy you could try a Refection screen behind the mic?

Alan.
 
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