Speech Enhancer?

[Zachyboy4]

I recently recorded a rapper, and on one of his tracks i plugged in a "speech enhancer" which comes included with logic. It made his voice sound better i must admit, but i am starting to think that it doesnt sit as well in the whole mix.

so my question is what exactly does something like a "speech enhancer" do to a track? and do people usually use these?

thnx

 

[Bobbsy]

I don't know the Logic version but most things claiming to be a "speech enhancer" are simply a combination of EQ to bring out the mid range where the intelligibility is plus some compression, often multiband, again to enhance the mids.

Bob

 

[mewsician2]

I don't know the Logic version but most things claiming to be a "speech enhancer" are simply a combination of EQ to bring out the mid range where the intelligibility is plus some compression, often multiband, again to enhance the mids.

Bob

....And it's usually intended for spoken word, as in a radio, or TV commercial.

 

[rfahey86]

Its probably an exciter, de-esser, and an EQ of some kind all combined together. Not 100% sure because I never had a use for one.

 

[diggy_dude]

It's AutoTune with a special anti-abuse algorithm built in.

 

[rfahey86]

It's AutoTune with a special anti-abuse algorithm built in.

You mean to tell me people abuse AutoTune? How cruel............ to the listeners I mean!

 

[miroslav]

I recently recorded a rapper, and on one of his tracks i plugged in a "speech enhancer"...

I didn't know they made a plug-in that corrects the English language....

 

[rfahey86]

I didn't know they made a plug-in that corrects the English language....

A-fucking-plus on that comment! I'm still rolling on the floor laughing. HAHAHA

 

[D_Vincent]

Not really answering your question but...

Ive been using the split harmonizing effect on most vocals I mix these days.

Its bacically pitch shifting a few doubled vocal tracks and delay...I usually have to nudge one of the vocal tracks slightly so the vocals wont sound centered...you can then pan the pitch shifted vocals hard left and right...sometimes the lead vocal wont sound centered however you can pan main (unpitched) vocal track slighty or turn down one of the pitched vocals to balance and get things centered.

Not sure if this effect would work well with rap or not however it does enhance the lead vocal track a lot.

You just need the right plugin and pitch shift delay settings that work.

I also use echos or verbs to pitched tracks (and unpitched) to get even more effect however that goes without saying I guess.

 

[illsoulprod]

Not really answering your question but...

Ive been using the split harmonizing effect on most vocals I mix these days.

Its bacically pitch shifting a few doubled vocal tracks and delay...I usually have to nudge one of the vocal tracks slightly so the vocals wont sound centered...you can then pan the pitch shifted vocals hard left and right...sometimes the lead vocal wont sound centered however you can pan main (unpitched) vocal track slighty or turn down one of the pitched vocals to balance and get things centered.

Not sure if this effect would work well with rap or not however it does enhance the lead vocal track a lot.

You just need the right plugin and pitch shift delay settings that work.

I also use echos or verbs to pitched tracks (and unpitched) to get even more effect however that goes without saying I guess.

Actually I do that with rap mixes all the time and it adds a certain low end to the vocal and even bass tracks that sit very well when mixed low enough. I usually also put my other 2 main effects on the send tracks on my split harmonizer (reverb & delay) to help blend the over all use of the other effects throughout the track. I'm using the waves doubler with about 200 rolled off and anywhere from 10-12k rolled off the top so just the mid section is helping to give me that forward full sound