Double tracking

[miroslav]

An observation I've made over the years is that for lead vocals, double tracking just does not suit some voices and I concluded a while back that mine was one of those voices.

I fell the same way....though I'm planning to try some more "subtle" double-tracking techniques on my lead vocals.
When I just sing both tracks the same, it just doesn't work for me...I don't like the combined sound....but I want to do some double tracks where I use the second track for FX or pulling way back and doing some stuff with reverb, etc....and I have a couple of songs where I think it would work nicely....otherwise I tend to prefer a single tracked lead vocal for my voice....but I do multiple tracks on backup vocals when needed.

 

[aaronmcoleman]

I think it fits the voices that do it, and doesn't fit the voices that don't. Make sense? In other words, I think some guys do it a lot, so it is "their sound" (i.e. elliott smith, john lennon). For me I've just not done it much for my voice so it sounds weird to me. If I'd always done it, it would probably sound fine.

For Bground vocals I definitely double track. I kinda look at rhythm guitars and Bground vocals as similar, and lead guitar and vocals as similar.

 

[grimtraveller]

If I'd always done it, it would probably sound fine.

Well I did it for the best part of 18 years. I just think what's left of my voice sounds better in lead roles single tracked. The other thing is that I found that singing something exactly the same way twice was something I kind of recoiled at more and more. Then I asked myself why I was double tracking my voice and like when I was an atheist and asked myself why I was celebrating christmas, I could find no answer. Then I realized it had become a habit that I just 'did'. And that was anathema to me. I have absolutely no problem in double tracking backing vocals though. And I routinely double track everyone elses' leads ~ because they sound better.
In the summer I did try double tracking one lead vocal though. I still hate it.