A Good Vocal Double Box

[steve350]

I am looking for a good vocal doubler. Any suggestions?

 

[TexRoadkill]

Save your money and just track the vocal twice.

 

[grinder]

Yup, that's the way to do it, if the singer is good enough to get a tight second take.

 

[Tonewoods]

Any opinions as to how to pan the results?

 

[grinder]

I usually start panning them apart, until I find the sweet spot. It might end up only slightly panned or it could end up hard panned. You have to find the spot that sounds best for the vocal and still works for the rest of the mix.

 

[TexRoadkill]

If it's just to thicken up the lead I'll usually just keep them panned center. For backup vocals I'll pan however sounds good.

 

[Robert D]

Panning dubble tracked vocals sounds like a good idea, but isn't. Rather than providing a wider, fatter vocal, what it does is enables the distinction of the two takes, giving away the concealment of the effect. A properly mixed dub vox track sits just under the radar, not quite discernable, but you miss it when you mute it. There are exceptions, where you actually want it obvious, but for most vocals it should be the Lead vocal, panned center, mixed to stand on it's own, and then the dub vox track also centered, mixed way under the Lead Vox. Fix any places it pops out with compression or wave editing, and make sure it is either sung perfectly in time with the lead vox, or fix any timing errors with wave editing.

That's how I do it anyway,
RD

 

[Rev E]

Great suggestions so far. I'll add that the key is doing a take that you agree is the keeper take (or a composite take that has all the best parts of the takes). Then, get the singer to learn this winner/composite take.

I have a client that I record somewhat regularly and he like to do doubles on the spot. Sometimes they work out, other times they don't. When they don't it's usually because he's doubling a take that we'll end up comping with something else. So just an FYI to you.

 

[grinder]

If it's just to thicken up the lead I'll usually just keep them panned center.

When I go that route, I will go for a completely differant sound for the second take. I'll use a differant mic, pre and eqing, then compress the hell out of it.

 

[Robert D]

When I go that route, I will go for a completely differant sound for the second take. I'll use a differant mic, pre and eqing, then compress the hell out of it.

I do two different tequilla shots for each take. It's easier than changing mics, pres, and EQ's.

 

[steve350]

Thanks for all of the advice but, any recommendations on a good vocal double rack?

 

[noiseportrait]

No, nobody uses them....

 

[grinder]

One of these units should produce the sounds you're looking for.
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PCM81/

 

[mrface2112]

some would consider shania twain to be a good double vocal box.


seriously, anything automated or done by a "box" won't have the realism as a take that's actually sung again.

i don't sing very well (working on that!) and have a very hard time matching myself take after take. however, i've found that i can bring up a couple of the "lesser" takes underneath the main vocal track and as long as i bury them behind the main vocal, the "inconsistencies" in the other takes serve to fatten out the main vocal. just don't bring the "lesser" takes up enough so that they're discernable--but like RobertD said, you miss it when it's not there.


cheers,
wade

 

[mjhigg]

Elliott Smith (RIP), my favorite musician in recent memory, used vocal doubling to great end. The guy was an absolutely amazing guitarist and songwriter/arranger, but really he didn't have a very good voice. Almost everything you hear from his studio albums is (at least) doubled. On the album XO, you can even hear where he is a little out of time with himself. Doubling the vocals really gave his otherwise weak and out-of-tune voice a full and unique quality.

You can also hear where a lot of vocalists are using pitch correction devices to pull their melodies back into alignment, and it has a little chorus-y, doubling type effect to it. I have heard of just using chorus effect on vocals, and also some people will split their vocals into several tracks and pitch shift each one by a couple of semitones, and then mix them together.

Whatever other people do, I completely agree with the opinions previously stated. For fatter vocal tracks, you totally cannot beat just recording a second vocal track, panning both center, and adjusting comp, EQ, and volume to taste.

 

[nwsoundman]

Eventide H3000. Depends on the style. I like it on rock / alternative vocals.

 

[pjh6467]

Double tracking

The only real good vocal double box you could get, you probably can't afford. And that would be to hire George Martin to produce your songs. He worked with a British group in the 60's and was an innovator in this technique. And it became a trademark effect for for John Lennon's voice. But anyway, like the other guys suggest, and if you have track space, record it twice. My two cents. Pj