Effects for vocals

[ZoelVazra]

What effects are good for a decent vocal track?
I used some reverb 40m room, 1.8ms and 8% mix. Its not sounding good. What shall I use?

 

[guitarplayr82]

It's super hard to recommend you some settings when we can't hear the track in context. Plus, all reverb plugins are different. Those settings on my reverb plugin could sound totally different on yours. Could you possibly post up the song you are working on and we could give you some pointers as to how you can improve the track?

 

[TripleM]

Anyone remember Walters?

 

[RAMI]

What effects are good for a decent vocal track?
I used some reverb 40m room, 1.8ms and 8% mix. Its not sounding good. What shall I use?

That's really impossible to answer. As mentioned above, it will be different for every tune. Reverb, delay, compression, EQ, etc....are all used or not used, depending on what you think the track needs or doesn't need.

The most inportant thing is capturing a good, and good sounding, performance before worrying about what effects you're going to add.

 

[snus]

ALL effects could be decent for a particular vocal track! That is why they are called "recording artists" and not "recording procedures". The artistic side is figuring out what makes your track RAWK!

So, try different effects.

Here is some advice. Don't use the same effect for every lead vocal within a collection of work, unless the genre just screams for a similar effect every time (such as HUGE reverb on the guitar for surf music). You may use a reverb for one song, a short delay for another, and a long delay for yet another. You might combine effects (a short delay with a reverb, or a chorus with a longer delay, etc....)

I will say that a majority of big label releases you hear have SOME kind of time based effect on the lead vocal. Very short doubling delays probably being the most used.

 

[Toastedgoat]

maybe post up a short clip of the vocal without effects. and one with the reverb you used. an maybe a clip of a portion of the song with all the parts including the vocals with effects.

 

[Chili]

Also, this thread should be in mixing section and not the MP3 clinic... and so I shall move it there.

peace,

 

[TheLemonAid]

I am not an expert on this, I am a beginner my self. But what helps me a lot is watching many different video tutorials on youtube. It helps me to get all the basics and some idea of things such as difference between mixing female and male vocals and such. Also, there are many videos on some cool effects that you can try to apply to your own mixes and see how they work out for you. For example, recently I've come against this video, it explains how to get the Split Harmonizer effect, which is handy if you're going for an 80s sort of vibe... It's a Logic Pro video, maybe it's not the software you use, but it's all a similar principle, I suppose. Split Harmonizer effect in Apple Logic Pro 9 - YouTube

So things like this slowly help me to get where I want with my mixes.

Hope it helps!

 

[mixsit]

.. explains how to get the Split Harmonizer effect, which is handy if you're going for an 80s sort of vibe... It's a Logic Pro video, maybe it's not the software you use, but it's all a similar principle, I suppose. Split Harmonizer effect in Apple Logic Pro 9 - YouTube ..

Fun stuff. And if I'm not mistaken (.. I have once already today , you get an example of the Haas pan image shift effect in there as well.

 

[dbogdan]

That's a hard one to answer because it depends on the tune and what you're trying to do with the voice. AND it depends on the voice you are recording. Experiment! Have some fun with it. You may discover some combination that nobody is using and it will become the defacto standard for future recordings.

 

[ZoelVazra]

Thank you to everyone. I thought one setting will be good for most of the vocals. I am just learning about these things and I have figured it out that different situations may need different settings.

 

[RollTape]

A vocal spreader will greatly improve the track.You need a stereo multi-effects plug-in or external hardware processor,...I use the Digitech Studio 400 multi-effects processor.You then program the left and right channels with different reverbs,very short delays,pre-delays,pitch shift.Because each channel has different settings the vocal track will widen significantly and with the proper settings for a specific track will have the vocal cut through a mix and sound larger than life.This method has been used for years in the recording industry and once you have incorporated the method into your recordings you will be able to recognize the effect when listening to commercial recordings with ease.I will post an example of settings I use including what milli seconds I use on various effects.

You can also use alone or in combination with the above the Behringer Sonic Exciter,Aphex Aural Exciter and many other similar external and plug-in signal processors.The Aphex products are very good and have been used in many major commercial studios since the 70's.It was considered the secret magic box to enhance just about any track or stereo mix.I use these regularly during mixdown and mastering in combination with a TC Electronics Finalizer Plus and the results are amazing.

 

[RAMI]

Oy vey..........

 

[jaynm26]

That's a hard one to answer because it depends on the tune and what you're trying to do with the voice. AND it depends on the voice you are recording. Experiment! Have some fun with it. You may discover some combination that nobody is using and it will become the defacto standard for future recordings.

Correct. Song, singer, style, genre, what the vocal needs, and most important what do "You" want the vocal to sound like you are an artist as an engineer it is your job to build and sculpt the vocal to taste. Most young eng forget that they always want to do with the next guy is doing what do you want?

 

[jaynm26]

A vocal spreader will greatly improve the track.You need a stereo multi-effects plug-in or external hardware processor,...I use the Digitech Studio 400 multi-effects processor.You then program the left and right channels with different reverbs,very short delays,pre-delays,pitch shift.Because each channel has different settings the vocal track will widen significantly and with the proper settings for a specific track will have the vocal cut through a mix and sound larger than life.This method has been used for years in the recording industry and once you have incorporated the method into your recordings you will be able to recognize the effect when listening to commercial recordings with ease.I will post an example of settings I use including what milli seconds I use on various effects.

You can also use alone or in combination with the above the Behringer Sonic Exciter,Aphex Aural Exciter and many other similar external and plug-in signal processors.The Aphex products are very good and have been used in many major commercial studios since the 70's.It was considered the secret magic box to enhance just about any track or stereo mix.I use these regularly during mixdown and mastering in combination with a TC Electronics Finalizer Plus and the results are amazing.

Hard to use all these steps without basic knowledge of vocal production

 

[jaynm26]

Oy vey..........

LMAO You bet not RAMI, you bet not let him make it on this...Are you seriously gonna give this guy a pass? lol..This is ALL you have to say? Come on I want to hear exactly what you have to say to see if your gonna say what Im thinking please respond.

 

[snus]

Hard to use all these steps without basic knowledge of vocal production

I have been doing recording for about 30 years now. What is "basic knowledge of vocal production"? I have produced vocals with/without condensers, compressors, eq's, effects, automation, talent. I have had good/bad results with any combination of the above.

 

[mixsit]

Thank you to everyone. I thought one setting will be good for most of the vocals. I am just learning about these things and I have figured it out that different situations may need different settings.

Good you came back. So often a really wide open question (like your oiginal is dropped in here and never followed up on.
Best thing to do likely would you to pose more specific bite sized questions -just to narrow things down, then we could get into verbs' vs delays etc, and then expand into the when/why & 'wheres.

 

[derekp]

What are you working with? Hardware? Software?

 

[jaynm26]

That's really impossible to answer. As mentioned above, it will be different for every tune. Reverb, delay, compression, EQ, etc....are all used or not used, depending on what you think the track needs or doesn't need.

The most inportant thing is capturing a good, and good sounding, performance before worrying about what effects you're going to add.

Zoel, RAMI is being modest he can give you advice on your vocal without seeing "OR" even hearing it, bet he can even guess the words of the song right now (trust me he is that good). RAMI can mix a whole track with his mind. Those motorized faders really are not moving by themselves, RAMI Gandalf... Mmmmmuuuuuhahahaha!!!