How do I achieve this vocal effect? (Like a telephone in a way).

S

stpauler

New member
There's a song by Rilo Kiley called "The Good that Won't Come out" that uses an effect on the vocals that reminds me a bit of a telephone. Here's a link to where you can hear a clip on Amazon.com, It's the first song ( http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/clipserve/B00006LLN5001001/0/002-9180353-8952845 ) It sounds distorted, without bass and a bit of static. A friend said that it was a harmonizer or a compressor, but on another message board ( http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=203776 ) they said that it wasn't a harmonizer or a compressor. Anyone know how to achieve this effect?
Thanks,
Josh
 
There is compression there, and it sounds like quite a bit, but that's only part of the solution. Most of this effect is through EQ. Most plug ins have a "telephone" setting that will simultate the bandwith of a telephone. They usually make the bandwith very narrow and eliminate all the lows and most of the hi's You might be able to get away with a hi-pass filter. It also sounds like a bit of overdrive on there as well.
 
Freeform said:
There is compression there, and it sounds like quite a bit, but that's only part of the solution. Most of this effect is through EQ. Most plug ins have a "telephone" setting that will simultate the bandwith of a telephone. They usually make the bandwith very narrow and eliminate all the lows and most of the hi's You might be able to get away with a hi-pass filter. It also sounds like a bit of overdrive on there as well.
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A parametric with "Q" settings will get this sound exactly.
 
i wouldn't spend 100 bucks when you could just record your telephone...are you going completely analog? if not just use a parametric eq plug in on your computer
 
Just use any EQ and turn down the lows and highs. If possible add a little compression and a touch of distortion. If that is too much to do then just send the signal out through a cheap speaker, guitar amp or some headphones and record the speaker with a mic.
 
Freeform said:
i wouldn't spend 100 bucks when you could just record your telephone...are you going completely analog? if not just use a parametric eq plug in on your computer
Click to expand...

I'm using a Fostex VF80 for recording (I'm very much a newbie and just stepping up from completely dry recording on a 4 track tape deck and recording in a kitchen or a closet were what created the sonic changes, sad, ain't it). Right now, it's just me, a mike, an amp, some cables and 19 instruments.

So, to do some of the below it looks like I could just get an EQ, plug the output into the Fostex and then plug a mike into the EQ and do it that way, or am I totally off?
 
stpauler said:
So, to do some of the below it looks like I could just get an EQ, plug the output into the Fostex and then plug a mike into the EQ and do it that way, or am I totally off?
Click to expand...

No, you need to plug the mic into a preamp first. Doesn't your fostex have EQ? Or just rerecord the signal coming out of the headphones.
 
TexRoadkill said:
No, you need to plug the mic into a preamp first. Doesn't your fostex have EQ? Or just rerecord the signal coming out of the headphones.
Click to expand...

I'm reporting this from under a rock....
I looked in the olde user manual and lo and behold, yes, the Fostex has an EQ as well as a range of effects. Well, that saves me on EQ, many, many thanks...
Now I gotta learn about preamps though.
:o)
 
I remember reading an interview with the White Town guy, and he used a Radio Shack mic to record the lo-fi vocal in "Your Woman". It sounds a bit like a telephone
 
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