What is a Harmoniser?

C

Call-Of-Ktulu

Rockaholic
Recently I read an article on Bob Rocks strategy for recording vocals. It was quite interesting -- his trick is that he spends LOTS of time chosing the right mic so he's barely touching the EQ at all, usually puts some minor compression on it, and likes to use "a good harmoniser" to "widen the sound" was the term he used. This sounds all fine and dandy but I've barely even heard of a harmoniser and when I did it was being used on an electric guitar sound.

What does it do and how does it work?

Thanks guys!
 
Think of an Octaver effect but it goes up fourth intervals instead of octaves

I used to love those sustaining notes in the Queen tunes...Jefferson Starship...and others...but Ive heard them used on vocals on some records...like in "Death on 2 legs" by queen.
 
darrin_h2000 said:
Think of an Octaver effect but it goes up fourth intervals instead of octaves

I used to love those sustaining notes in the Queen tunes...Jefferson Starship...and others...but Ive heard them used on vocals on some records...like in "Death on 2 legs" by queen.
Click to expand...

Hi.....
Good thread, good explanation!!!


I use to own an Ibanez HD1000 (Harmo-Delay) when it was new.......have they improved the 'tracking' and 'sound' of the added signal since then?
It's just that Mine was truly crap...turned me right off them!! (some 15-20 years ago!!)
But It did Make me learn how to actually play harmonised guitar/vocal parts, ......manually!! LOL! :cool:
Thanx!
 
Call-Of-Ktulu said:
Recently I read an article on Bob Rocks strategy for recording vocals. It was quite interesting -- his trick is that he spends LOTS of time chosing the right mic so he's barely touching the EQ at all, usually puts some minor compression on it, and likes to use "a good harmoniser" to "widen the sound" was the term he used. This sounds all fine and dandy but I've barely even heard of a harmoniser and when I did it was being used on an electric guitar sound.

What does it do and how does it work?

Thanks guys!
Click to expand...

A "good harmonizer" means Eventide or maybe TC Electronics, for hardware.

A good harmonizer does more than fourths. It will do any interval, up or down, and pitch shifts in cents, which are 1/100 of a semitone. Pitch shifts in the range of under about 20 cents won't sound shifted, but will allow you to pan them and hear the track as wider, fatter, etc. It is unlike just doubling, which just makes a track sound louder, or harmonizing with a musical interval like a fourth, which, well, sounds like a harmony.

The typical way is to use a stereo shifter, pitch one side up a few cents, and the other side down a few cents, pan to taste.
 
Actually I think most of Queens guitars tracks were recorded in harmony, one and one track combined.
He might have used some harmonizers live in the 80`s.
But I`m fairly sure that he did track on and one track, the same goes for the vox, If you listen to queens choir, they evolved quite a bit from the first album untill Night at the opera, I think its freddie doing most of the choirs though, appart from the highest pitched one, wich were done by Roger Taylor.


When I think of Harmoizers I allways think of Trevor Rabin the former Yes (destroyer) guitarist.
Listen to owner of a lonely hart and you will hear a harmonizer in the solo, its easy to spot.
 
boingoman said:
A "good harmonizer" means Eventide or maybe TC Electronics, for hardware.

A good harmonizer does more than fourths. It will do any interval, up or down, and pitch shifts in cents, which are 1/100 of a semitone. Pitch shifts in the range of under about 20 cents won't sound shifted, but will allow you to pan them and hear the track as wider, fatter, etc. It is unlike just doubling, which just makes a track sound louder, or harmonizing with a musical interval like a fourth, which, well, sounds like a harmony.

The typical way is to use a stereo shifter, pitch one side up a few cents, and the other side down a few cents, pan to taste.
Click to expand...


This is good stuff here. But I should add that you need to delay the shifted signals for the effect to work well.
 
Ford Van said:
This is good stuff here. But I should add that you need to delay the shifted signals for the effect to work well.
Click to expand...


the H3000 from Eventide lets you control the delay too. If you can find an old h3000 buy it, otherwise the new ones will set you back over 2g's.
 
boingoman said:
A "good harmonizer" means Eventide or maybe TC Electronics, for hardware.

A good harmonizer does more than fourths. It will do any interval, up or down, and pitch shifts in cents, which are 1/100 of a semitone. Pitch shifts in the range of under about 20 cents won't sound shifted, but will allow you to pan them and hear the track as wider, fatter, etc. It is unlike just doubling, which just makes a track sound louder, or harmonizing with a musical interval like a fourth, which, well, sounds like a harmony.

The typical way is to use a stereo shifter, pitch one side up a few cents, and the other side down a few cents, pan to taste.
Click to expand...
I dont know what everone uses for recording,but I am able to do this on
my yamaha aw4416.I'll dupe a track and dial it down a few cents.It sounds
good on some stuff.I never really checked to see how far out of wack I can
take it.Think I will go experiment and see if I can get the harmony thing
going.In fact I am sure that I can.I think I can only detune up to a semi
tone,but by printing the effected track and repeating I take it where I want.
Poor mans harmonizer!Thanks for the idea boingo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top