Clean heavy metal vocals processing

[PeterFranks]

Hi everyone,
I'm quite new here and recently discovered this great forum, I tried to search and read as many tips I can, maybe I didn't look at the right place but it seems there are more tips for guitars and drums than for vocals!
I'd like to know which basic vocal processing are the most used in today's productions : type of reverbs, delays (short, long, stereo...), doubling...
Thank you

 

[The StabbinCabin]

All of those effects are usually sent to their own bus to be automated accordingly. I just listen to producers I like and try to apply similar techniques to my recordings. But anything is ultimately up to you can what you think works.

 

[PeterFranks]

thank you. The fact is that I'm only a newbie and it's hard for me when listening to a song with vocal tracks in a mix to determine which effects are used and with which settings (type of reverb, decay, early reflexions, type of delay, time, feedback, stereo, doubling...)

 

[nezvers]

When you are newbie it's awesome to just guess.
If you like some certain sound just make some guesses how that could be archived, than try those ideas. Even if you won't get it right like you wanted you can get something different and new for you.

 

[PeterFranks]

I tried different things.
Apart from a fast delay to "double", do you combine several delays? For exemple a fixed-time slap back (60ms? 80ms? 100ms?). One or several tempo relation stereo echos (for exemple 8th left 8th triplet right, or quarter left quarter triplet right, or 8th left and 8th + 20ms right...)?

 

[Kellii]

Doubling all vocals is a good idea, even if you don't plan on using both you can experiment if you have two good takes of each vocal track. Tune if needed, then probably start with De-essing then a Limiter, Saturation from a plugin sounds great along with stereo widening. Take the Eq easy.

Sometimes its best to just keep the vocals simple and not try too many tricks, I often find vocals become thin sounding if you try and do too much.

Then send to a good delay and reverb.

If you have the vocals doubled theres no need for using delay to double the vocals. You're just using that delay to emulate the same effect.

My 2 cents haha.

 

[PeterFranks]

thank you
when you say "stereo widening" is it with "echo" delays? I don't know when to use quarter note delays, eighth note delays, if I have to combine them... If I have to add a fixed time slap delay (for example 80ms)...

 

[Kellii]

I usually use the plugin in Cubase called stereo widen (there are various otheres for both cubase and protools).I think it basically works on the delay idea but its a much simpler control system.

For doing it with delay,You use a stereo delay with a short delay time (somewhere between 5 and 15 ms this article says) With a short interval(16/ 32 or 64 or faster just play about with the note intervals and find what you think is best).

This article goes into more detail about using delay to stereo widen along with other ways to stereo widen a track.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep10/articles/pt-0910.htm

 

[Nimvi]

Mixing vocals is very similar to dating.
I usually get to know it a little, listen to its problems until my ears start to ring...and at the end of the night I will compress the SHIT out of it, put it on a dark tape, and make those highs scream and bounce off my dungeon walls.