Our engineer is using 2 vocal tracks for the mix??? what tha...

[frank_1]

Hi, my band is in the process of recording our demo. We finally got up to the vocals and to my suprise and the band's suprise , he is using two tracks for vocals! Now I can understand certain sections of a song benefit from doubled vocals, but the whole song!?! We hear that chorus effect from the doubled vocals in the second half of the song. Yeek!

My band and I had a meeting; we were discussing whether or not he is milk'in us for all our cash. What is your opinion on this matter?

THanks.

 

[chessrock]

Maybe he doesn't like your singer's voice, and thinks it needs help?

Or perhaps he just thinks it sounds cool.

Did you tell him you didn't like it or want to do it? If not, then you need to speak up sooner. If you did, and he insisted on double-tracking anyway, then I doubt he's trying to milk you for your money ... but he could be just a bit too much of a control freak and needs to listen to the wishes of his clients more.

 

[frank_1]

THe engineer had our singer in the bigger room instead of the vocal booth. After he banged out the first track, we could notice that it sounded a bit thin.

He's using Pro Tools, and he said that he can fix that chorus effect, is that even possible?

 

[northsiderap]

It's Faster

As a producer, I've found it's even faster to do two vocal tracks and cut between the two than cut the whole song line by line like many intense production scenarios end up as...

As for the chorusing, maybe it's just in the rough mix and will be edited to sonic perfection later. Tell your producer exactly what you want. TAKE NOTES AND GIVE YOUR PRODUCER A COPY. He is working for you. As a producer I love it when a band knows what they want to hear.

If you are really really suspicious of 'milking,' then make him get approval from you for every new track and every new mix. In fact, just get very informed and you'll be able to know what he's doing and why.

Unless he's done some majorly successful producing then make him work for his pay by compromising with you on your artistic ideas.

If you don't want two vocals in the final mix, tell him. Do some research. Tell him to try using one of the vocal tracks as a reverb/delay track and volume it down and pan it far left. Do some more research by listening to your favorite bands in a quiet room through headphones, then blasting it through your car stereo on '11' the next day.

Then you will be ready to hang with the producer on mixdown and lend your ears to the project. After all, you are paying him for the time.

Whoever says money can't buy happiness never stepped into a class-A studio with a good producer.

 

[crosstudio]

i prefer to have 3 strong takes of the lead vocal so that i can pick and choose whole passages for the comp vocal rather than having slice things up so much.

sometimes you may think your singer really nailed it, but when you start mixing and critically listening to what you have instead of being excited about what you are doing, you'll start to hear imperfections that may not be within your tolerance range for what you might consider to be a mistake that is filled with emotion and feel and thereby acceptable.

 

[Halion]

Dude, tell him what you want! You can't even expect him to do what you want if you don't tell him. Personally, I don't think there anything wrong with using 2 tracks but then again, I would tell him I wanted something like that

 

[EleKtriKaz]

You should clarify with him if he's trying to get a few good takes to edit with later, or if he's intending on having all the parts doubled. He may just want some options when it comes time to mix, like crosstudio mentioned.

 

[earworm]

same kinda situation here, but i'm the 'engineer' ,
i don't like keeping the vocals double tracked,
but i always have at least two or three takes that i keep,
to see whats best afterwards...

today i quickly cleaned up the vocals, but here and there i kept some "doubles" on the chorus or in the end of the songs,
the band really liked some parts, other parts were just fuc*** because of it,
the band AND i heard it emediately and it was fixed with ONE CLICK

ONE CLICK

but, there's a but, you gotto say this in time ! don't wait till you receive the final mix on the cd and the dude wants his money..
make sure you listen to the songs several times before the "end product",
then these things can be changed real quick...

i'm very chilled about receiving comments from the band
but i know engineers that don't want to give in one inch,
they want to do all the mixing alone..
i do mix alone, but i often have the singer come over for an hour or so to listen to what i'm doing..
but i don't charge per hour....no stress here

 

[xfinsterx]

My band and I had a meeting; we were discussing whether or not he is milk'in us for all our cash. What is your opinion on this matter?

THanks.

Dude, im sorry but that is totall bullshit!
You and your band had a meeting about it?
Fuckin' just tell the dude you dont want him to do it!
And if the singal vocal is thin sounding>>>start complaining.

You wimp.

 

[mattamatta]

If the single vocal is thin sounding, perhaps the singer is thin sounding....

Or if the rest of the mix is thick sounding, leave the vocal thin.

 

[IronFlippy]

Just ask the guy why he's doing what he is doing. Engineers usually have reasons for what they do. Also, listen to the track, see if it sounds good. If you don't like it, ask him to change what you don't like about it. Remember, you're hiring him for a service, and you have the right to speak up about it. It is your recording after all!

 

[boingoman]

Just ask the guy why he's doing what he is doing.

You, sir, are displaying way too much common sense. Leave now, preferrably without saying anything else that might be helpful.

 

[xfinsterx]

You, sir, are displaying way too much common sense. Leave now, preferrably without saying anything else that might be helpful.

HA!>>>>>>>