vocal effects

[Waysid]

Hey All,

I'm interested in getting some opinions on vocal effects, in particular reverb and delay. Both are common effects for vocals, but when would you want to use one over the other? ie. use reverb when you want to attain what type of effect, or when does it make more sense to use delay? I tend to always use a plate reverb on my vocals to "push them back" a bit, but what are other common applications for both reverb and delay.

I think this could be an interesting topic for newbies and people with a bit of experience.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Way:

Since each voice is very different and objectives in end result are very different, reverb and FX units offer the engineer many choices.

Usually, reverb gives a voice some ambience, some roundness, some stage presence and adds to the quality of the recording.

So, you need to familiarize yourself with reverb units and what they might give you.

FX units vary in price and, of course quality. I favor the Yam reverb products because some of them are very good.

I have two other reverb units in my studio to play with if I need.

When you consider that the 2:30 cut of a backup song I did yesterday took seven hours to record and six hours to mix and burn, well, man, that's why recording is so much fun.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Green Hornet

 

[Waysid]

I guess I am looking for examples of different choices, either in commercial tunes or in people own work. For eg, I've read on here that many people like to use a little delay on the lead vocal rather than reverb. Why? What are the difference in results?
Also there are lot of articles about doubling/stacking lead vocals, how does that sound different from using a delay or reverb...

maybe examples of different approaches would work best

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Way:

I agree with you. Delay is a pretty good device; however, there are many types and tweaks of delay you can use. You need to try a few, listen to a few, and then decide what you like.

The nice thing about doing your own studio is that "you" can decide what you like. And, do it. If I were a commercial venture, I'd cater to my clients. I have a few clients and try to do what they like to hear. I guess that's the name of the game.

Have fun,

Green Hornet