need help cracking a specific vocal technique

[indymusician]

Hey all.

I usually have a pretty good ear for picking out little techniques that I hear on recordings that I am fond of. If I hear something cool or unique, I will usually just sit down and try to recreate it so I have it in my tool box if I ever think it might work with a tune I am producing.

One song in particular has one of the coolest vocal tricks that I have ever heard. It messes with your head just enough to make it cool without giving you a case of vertigo. The song I speak of is "One Man Army" by Our Lady Peace. The effect is very clear throughout the first verse. I have tried Automated panning of a double and even triple vocals, I have even tried automating the eq along with the panning and have come up with some cool sounding things, but haven't really been able to get close to sound they get on that recording. After a few years of putting it away then coming back to it with no luck, I thought this might be a good place to get some insight on what I might be missing with this vocal track.

If anyone would like to share their thoughts or experiences, it would be greatly appreciated. I think it's just become personal between myself and this track and I sure would like to break it down before I die. I would find it hard to believe that no one else has listened to that album very closely and found the production and mix provocative and inspiring.

Arnold Lanni engineered and produced the album if anyone might be familiar with his techniques.

Thanks everyone.

Ken

 

[moresound]

Dude....I'm more into like Lady GA GA

I'm just joking there with ya Indy......do you have a link to this song or that part of the song with the FX part that you speak of?

 

[indymusician]

Here is YT link

The weird ambient effect comes in and out in the first verse. You can hear it come in on the words "people...read" then again on "anything" again on "sincere" after that a high double comes in that sounds like it is in the same ambient space as the effect as well. I know they are automating a double into and out of the mix but the treatment is hard to pin down because it seems to phase and move around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVq57Z6Dhe0

 

[ocnor]

I believe that the volume is raised as the signal pans one direction and lowered as it pans the opposite direction.

 

[moresound]

I believe that the volume is raised as the signal pans one direction and lowered as it pans the opposite direction.

Yup....but there is something else going in there as well...
Dam it Indy! I do the same thing and now you have me going on this quest!

Maybe a very fast ping pong delay with what seems like a megaphone effect as well.

What do you think?

 

[indymusician]

Ha

It's cool right?

I think I will try flying it around with some sansamp automation and see what comes of it. I do see the ping pong thing that you are talking about now. I think I agree that it is certainly a delay in lieu of a verb that is giving it that far away ambiance.

It's just one of those little things that I have always loved and like to have in the ole hip pocket to break out on something. Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall the day they mixed that vocal track.

Really appreciate the input.

 

[benage]

The main thing on it I notice seems to be a very fast delay i.e a quarter beat or less which gives it that 'sung in the bath' feel which reminds me of phil Collins 'in the air tonight'. I don't know if it's this part of it your after, I personally don't really like it prefering a half beat delay which gives a stadium effect or a full beat delay giving a spacey feel but it's subjective and I may find a song I like it on one day.

 

[moresound]

It's cool right?

I think I will try flying it around with some sansamp automation and see what comes of it. I do see the ping pong thing that you are talking about now. I think I agree that it is certainly a delay in lieu of a verb that is giving it that far away ambiance.

It's just one of those little things that I have always loved and like to have in the ole hip pocket to break out on something. Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall the day they mixed that vocal track.

Really appreciate the input.

Ya Indy. One never knows unless your there at the mix.
Could very well have been a guitar FX stomp box for all we know ....but properly wasn't due to the higher end of the production of every thing else on this collaboration (you know those Canadians).

 

[benage]

Hi, had another listen to the track to try and see what you guys are hearing, I think your right that there's a double track on certain words which is knocked back and I think it's this that has the quick delay on. To me the vocal and double track sound stationary with no left to right movement, I do however hear a few stuttering sweeping synth sounds moving about I don't know if it's this giving you the feeling the vocal is moving, But maybe I'm missing something.