Double Tracking Vocals?

[Alexchapel]

When you are double tracking screams (same phrase, screaming in the same style recorded twice. not like a high and a low, but a low and a low) what are some processing techniques you guys use?

Do you leave them the same volume and pan them very slightly out opposite directions, or leave them both in the center and have one a few db less than the other? Any other suggestions?

 

[Deebo]

I do 3 takes. 2 hard panned and slightly lower in volume and 1 in the middle. Sounds like THIS

 

[Joel4662]

I'd like to see some Tricks too here, as I suck at layering doubles.

 

[setyouranchor]

I'd like to see some Tricks too here, as I suck at layering doubles.

+1

I blow

Its not so much the tracking put the processing and compression without getting the vocals sounding too squashed and weird.

But at the same time get it to sound like one big vocal track rather than 3 tracks? If that makes sense?

I'm stoned. Gimme a break.

 

[jimwilbourne]

Do you leave them the same volume and pan them very slightly out opposite directions, or leave them both in the center and have one a few db less than the other? Any other suggestions?

both.

 

[ahjteam]

The thing with double tracking is similar to quad tracking... put the double/triple a few dB's quieter and pan wider. Works similarly when you want to do like a gang vocal track; Either get like 10 friends in a booth and track a few times, or do it yourself, but do it differently every time and don't edit the timing, because that is what makes it sound like a big gang. We did like 11 tracks (1 main lead, 2 doubles and 8 gang vox with just 2 guys, 4 takes each):

at 0:56 (now that I listen to it, we maybe left the gang vox a bit too quiet)



just the gang vox: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1338211/ahjteam/_vanhat/ahjteam_latenightmystery_v06_ringtone.mp3

 

[OneDaySky]

Do how ever many takes of the same thing, and vocalign everything!

 

[Backe]

10L 10R, drop the group a db or so, I always send the delay to the group track so that it doesn't go out of sync

 

[Seth Munson]

Fuck Vocalign

Alex, stay away from that shit.
And I would have to say its all about the feel for that part, do you want it to sound like a double tracked hard panned section/phrase? do you want it to just add some beef? or both? or something else? Because for me all of that matters and hopefully I can give you a better answer knowing those

 

[jval]

VOCALIGN rules!!!!

 

[Folkrav]

Fuck Vocalign

Alex, stay away from that shit.
And I would have to say its all about the feel for that part, do you want it to sound like a double tracked hard panned section/phrase? do you want it to just add some beef? or both? or something else? Because for me all of that matters and hopefully I can give you a better answer knowing those

Been looking for this Vocalign thing without being too enthusiastic over it. You tried it? Till now, I'm sticking to manual timing, I was just wondering if it could faster up my workflow by making the bigger part of the job, with only minor artifacts to correct afterwards. Your comment is now making me wonder if it is any good at all...

 

[jval]

vocalign is amazing. I used to edit harmonies / doubles with elastic audio by hand and it takes FOREVER. With Vocalign that has literally been cut down to 2 mouse clicks. and it's pretty transparent. It's worth 3x what it costs... wouldn't live without it.

 

[Joshua Wickman]

vocalign is amazing. I used to edit harmonies / doubles with elastic audio by hand and it takes FOREVER. With Vocalign that has literally been cut down to 2 mouse clicks. and it's pretty transparent. It's worth 3x what it costs... wouldn't live without it.

Yep, i did the 3 month payment plan at Sweetwater to buy the pro version. This plugin is a must have!

 

[Seth Munson]

It completely kills the effect of having that multiple/double take sound. especially with AT and this is all a matter of my opinion and personal usage of the plugin.
If you're using it to align a part that has a double underneath it for some beef I can understand that but for what I wanted it for was aligning sections that had 5+ vocals with pans all over the place. then with the pans everywhere and everything perfectly timed together + Auto Tuned, the phase of the vocals was wacked out of its mind and the pan was getting shot around everywhere and ultimately sounded like shit.

Jordan and Josh, I absolutely love your guy's productions and Im sure it works for you guys but in my personal experiences I am going to have to turn it down.

 

[jval]

well that can be true... often if I have a straight up vocal double I'll choose the let one element be looser - either the tuning or the timing, so that it will sound 'bigger' and not just end up identical to the lead. Just depends whether the singer has better timing or better pitch...
But for harmonies I vocalign everything to the lead, and for scream doubles / layers it works flawlessly with no weird phase issues.

 

[s34nsm411]

vocalign is amazing. I used to edit harmonies / doubles with elastic audio by hand and it takes FOREVER. With Vocalign that has literally been cut down to 2 mouse clicks. and it's pretty transparent. It's worth 3x what it costs... wouldn't live without it.

out of curiosity what was your workflow to do this in two clicks?

I used vocalign in cubase a while back but I remember I had to route a send from the input track to the track to be aligned, then analyze and let it fix it, then solo out my track/turn off all fx and bounce down the affected audio. Definitely a lot more than 2 clicks and it really turned me off to it. I could just chop up the vocal in the time it takes me to do all that. Do you use PT maybe and its a lot easier or something?