Ways to get cool netherworldly vocal effects

  • Thread starter Thread starter Seafroggys
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Seafroggys

Seafroggys

Well-known member
So in my album I have a 'ghost' character that sings. Obviously I want the voice to be highly processed. I know the best way is to just experiment with different effects, and I plan on doing that (reverse reverb, etc.). I'm just curious what other people have done or might do if they were in a situation like this.
 
Vocoder? Chorus? Flanger? I've used them all some time or another...
 
I would definitely go with reverse reverb for a ghost type thing. Also, maybe double track it, and pitchshift one of the tracks. Maybe record another track of the vocals being whispered and add that too? That could work especially well with the reverse reverb. As could a layer, lower in the mix, of the vocals being screamed. I always like the multi-voice effect when it comes to ghosts in movies and such.
 
No effects; in my book, there's simply no substitute for a real, professional, session ghost. Record them with a condenser mic so you can use phantom power, and you're golden.

But if you're absolutely stuck with having to fake it, double tracking the vocal with the second track being a slightly off-speed loud whisper either flanged or swirled a bit with variable phase (or both). I personally believe the reverse reverb as mentioned can be a nice addition, too (though real, old school session ghosts kind of look down at that as kind of grandstanding.)

G.
 
legionserial said:
I would definitely go with reverse reverb for a ghost type thing. Also, maybe double track it, and pitchshift one of the tracks. Maybe record another track of the vocals being whispered and add that too? That could work especially well with the reverse reverb. As could a layer, lower in the mix, of the vocals being screamed. I always like the multi-voice effect when it comes to ghosts in movies and such.
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Yes! Reverse reverb is awesome.
 
legionserial said:
I guess any sentence involving the words 'Phil Collins' and 'totally gay' pretty much goes without saying.
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Apart from any sentence along the lines of "Phil Collins is not totally gay". That would be news to me.
 
Hey thanks guys. Well I was done tracking by the time I checked back. I ended up doing reverse verb and a phaser, pretty cool sounding.

No effects; in my book, there's simply no substitute for a real, professional, session ghost. Record them with a condenser mic so you can use phantom power, and you're golden.

But if you're absolutely stuck with having to fake it, double tracking the vocal with the second track being a slightly off-speed loud whisper either flanged or swirled a bit with variable phase (or both). I personally believe the reverse reverb as mentioned can be a nice addition, too (though real, old school session ghosts kind of look down at that as kind of grandstanding.)
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Haha, I tried looking for session ghosts, none of them e-mailed me. Although I did have some funny dreams....

I guess any sentence involving the words 'Phil Collins' and 'totally gay' pretty much goes without saying.
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To give him credit, he is a killer drummer.
 
Seafroggys said:
Haha, I tried looking for session ghosts, none of them e-mailed me. Although I did have some funny dreams....
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Try guaranteeing pork rinds, all-yellow M&Ms, and ectoplasmic goo in a contract rider and hang that doc in your studio. Switch the phantom power on on your mixer or interface, and just lay back and wait. :)

G.
 
If you want to stray away from the "usual", record a vocal, load the recorded wave in a convolution reverb and put some kind of a synth impulse through it.
 
Nothing does the "ghost" thing better than a fader pulled all the way down..........
 
Or you could just dub some Michael Jackson vocals over it.


Sorry. Couldn't resist.
 
LouieV702 said:
Or recording with your mouth duck taped!
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I don't think that would have the same effect. :D

For those that have never tried fader down effects, you really should try them out. Some of my favorite tricks involve pulling the fader either most of the way down, or all of the way down. Just make sure your sends are pre fader.
 
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