upfront vocals

[djclueveli]

i love this site because someone always has the correct answer . anyways can someone help me with this problem with the vocals? does anyone know how to make the lead vocals sound upfront everything else and still centered and wide without having to do more than 1 vocal take, using reverb, or using a chorus effect? I want the 1 take vocal to sound dry. upfront and wide. how would i do this? is there a stereo effect professionals use on the vocals to get them to sound upfront and wide while still dry sounding. I tried waves Stereo imager but that doesnt work to well with how i want the vocals to sound. i want to do this without having to do more than 1 take of my vocals or double tracking the vocals. anyone have any ideas on what i can do or any idea of where or what plugin i can use to get the vocal to sound upfront everything else. O yea what plugin is use to center the vocals too. thanks for the help guys!

[Ford Van]

If you can score an Eventide H3000, there is a preset called "Dual Shift", and with a minmal of tweaking, it will do what you seek! I have yet to replicate this effect any other way where it sounds as great as the Eventide does it.

Basically, it is a pitchshift. Both left and right channels are delayed around 25ms. One side is pitch shifted up, the other down. How much you pitch shift and how delayed it is warp the effect in many directions. You pan the two channels all the way left and right.

[altitude909]

Try sidechaining a compressor

[djclueveli]

what do you mean by that

[lomky]

Originally Posted by altitude909

Try sidechaining a compressor

Sidechain based on what? The rest of the instruments? I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, I'm just wondering? I've nerver gotten sidechaining to work properly.

[greezyc]

Originally Posted by djclueveli

does anyone know how to make the lead vocals sound upfront everything else

I don't know about widening the vox, but if you want them to sound up front, don't add alot of reverb...
Instead, try some medium to heavy compression on the vocals with a slow attack, fast release setting and see if that puts them more up front.

[nonfat]

Originally Posted by djclueveli

i love this site because someone always has the correct answer . anyways can someone help me with this problem with the vocals? does anyone know how to make the lead vocals sound upfront everything else and still centered and wide without having to do more than 1 vocal take, using reverb, or using a chorus effect? I want the 1 take vocal to sound dry. upfront and wide. how would i do this? is there a stereo effect professionals use on the vocals to get them to sound upfront and wide while still dry sounding. I tried waves Stereo imager but that doesnt work to well with how i want the vocals to sound. i want to do this without having to do more than 1 take of my vocals or double tracking the vocals. anyone have any ideas on what i can do or any idea of where or what plugin i can use to get the vocal to sound upfront everything else. O yea what plugin is use to center the vocals too. thanks for the help guys!

I would suggest to look at mic placement and preamp gain levels first and foremost. If the source track is recorded with a "far back" sound, it would take some gymnastics to change that in the mix.
If you are happy with the source track, maybe use EQ to carve out a space for the vocals to sit.

[The Green Hornet]

Yo CLUE:

If you have a dynamics feature in your rig, you can put your vocal up front with no problema.

When I mix tracks, I insert the vocal track into the dynamics/compression patch on my 2816 and then boost the stereo out until the vocal is where I want it.

You can also boost the stereo out when mixing; however, this pushes up all the recorded tracks. It works, if needed, when you have balanced the tracks to your liking.

Of course, you can run the vocal to a decent mic pre amp, then from there to an RNC and from there into the recording box or rig--then adjust when mixing. If you take some time when mixing, you should be able to get your vocal to where your ears like it before you burn the CD. It might take 20 minutes or 13 hours--oh, the joy of mixing.

Happy New Year
Green Hornet

[Alexbt]

I'd be very interested to know the mic used, mic placement, and what the room is like.

I've found that these 3 items are the most important parts of getting the vocal sound you want.

[altitude909]

Sidechain based on what? The rest of the instruments? I'm not trying to sound sarcastic, I'm just wondering? I've nerver gotten sidechaining to work properly.

You run the orignal vocal along side the same vocal through a compressor

[djclueveli]

is the 2816 a plugin? if so where can i find it. is there any plugin i can download that can boost out the stereo or dynamics.

[grn]

http://www.recordinginstitute.com/R2KREQ/excomp.htm usually works

[Scottgman]

Have you tried singing very close to the mic? Proximity effect can be the difference between a vocal sounding thin and "roomy" and sounding fat and "in your face." If you aren't doing it already, try getting really close to the mic (within a couple inches) while you sing.

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Clue:

The 2816 is the Yamaha 2816 SIAB-DAW, whatever.

Studio in a box--digital audio workstation [not a PC program]

However, the 2816 fuctions in similar fashion to PC DAWs--it has a smaller screen, cursor movements and programs built-in: reverb, "dynamics" and EQ.

So, to answer your question, the 2816 is not a "plug-in." Sorry I didn't make that clear first time around.

You can also pan the music a little left/right and keep the vocal in the middle of the stereo field--this will, among several other things, put your vocal "up front." If you can listen to almost any Sinatra recording, you will hear the vocal up front.

Green Hornet

[SonicAlbert]

I'd say put a stereo delay on the voice track. Leave the original track relatively dry (not too much reverb, and use a short reverb decay time), and then pan the delays hard left and right. The delays will give the vocals size, but won't wash them out. The lightly used reverb will give a little ambience which is probably necessary, but the key is not to overdo it.

[mistarags2006]

Either an Avalon 737, or an Universal Audio La-610...does the trick everytime..makes mixing vocals ALOT easier...

[djclueveli]

whenever i change the pitch and pann them, i get a phase when i listen to it in mono. how much should i change the pitch by and how much should i pann so i wont get phase problems in mono

[SonicAlbert]

Man, I really wish you hadn't started two threads on exactly the same subject. It's a lot easier to deal with if it's all in one place.

I think you need to experiment. Set up your listening in mono and then play with various detunings until you get what you want.

I personally am not convinced that detuning is what you are looking for, but it is certainly worth a try.

Once again, I'd suggest you use delays on the voice. Leave the track in the center where you want it, and then pan the delays wide left and right. Again, you'll have to experiment with delay times and levels to get what you want. Ideally, the delays times will be locked to the tempo of the song.

[ds21]

I would like to know what sound your going for, ie: singer/band, song. I mean as you've seen there are many ways to go about it and each would probably sound better within a certain genre. But I'll add pre-delay into the mix (pardon the pun)

[djclueveli]

the genre is hiphop

[ds21]

Originally Posted by djclueveli

the genre is hiphop

I would say What SonicA said with really short delays and some compression. but as was mentioned if the vocal sounds distant to begin with it's going to be hard.