7 Vocal Tricks

[john]

Hi

 

The presenter focuses on EDM but the techniques could be used in many genres. I posted this clip because it demonstrates a number of common vocal tips and techniques pretty well, without getting too bogged down or by being too genre specific.

 

 

What vocal techniques do you use?

Cheers

 

John

[Palmiro]

Nice resource... The technique I can relate to most is stacking. I often pan center the main vocal, and then slightly to the left and to the right I have duplicates, one sung one octave below, the other one octave up (whenever I can I actually sing them instead of just changing the octave with the DAW, it's a good vocal exercise and great fun).

 

For certain songs I sometimes add also a track whispering the lyrics. I also add often a distortion bus, sometimes it increases punch and helps with intelligibility... but it has the disadvantage that, depending on the compression, it can accentuate the esses too much and then you have to tweak the deesser, do a new round of volume automation...

 

Another technique from the video I've used sparsely is the vocoder, only because a particular song demanded a robotic voice... Never to autotune any note, that's just slander because I always always always sing on pitch 

[john]

10 hours ago, Palmiro said:

Nice resource... The technique I can relate to most is stacking. I often pan center the main vocal, and then slightly to the left and to the right I have duplicates, one sung one octave below, the other one octave up (whenever I can I actually sing them instead of just changing the octave with the DAW, it's a good vocal exercise and great fun).

 

For certain songs I sometimes add also a track whispering the lyrics. I also add often a distortion bus, sometimes it increases punch and helps with intelligibility... but it has the disadvantage that, depending on the compression, it can accentuate the esses too much and then you have to tweak the deesser, do a new round of volume automation...

 

Another technique from the video I've used sparsely is the vocoder, only because a particular song demanded a robotic voice... Never to autotune any note, that's just slander because I always always always sing on pitch 

 

All good.

 

Another to try with centre vocal, use a stereo slap back delay with left and right set at 1/64th note and 1/32nd, returns at 2/3 & 1/3  of main vox. A great, high clarity alternative to reverb. Use sidechain to duck any clashing instrument so vocal cuts through. Adding EQ to sidechain makes ducking trigger frequency sensitive. Using a multiband compressor makes for EQ band cuts in target track.

 

Another centre vocal, simple. Centre panned main vox. Create 2 track duplicates panned Left and Right. Add a little delay, I like slap back for this. Then apply a low cut,  about 400-600 Hz. It gives a nice bright thickening of the vox without mid loss of clarity or low, and low mid hot frequencies skewing the mix.

 

There are a load more!

[Palmiro]

Good tips... As I learn, I'm favoring more and more delay over reverb. It really goes a long way to solve muddiness sometimes.