Double tracking vocals

[koalamo]

Or screams do you guys generally only double certain parts or are you doing doubles and triples of the whole performance?

Because it really takes me a long time to get even one usable performance let alone two that are perfectly on time with each other

 

[vespiz]

Vocalign or judicious editing on the double! (whoa, pun not intended!)

I'm mostly doubling choruses, or tripling/quadrupling. Then if I feel like it, or there's some narrative purpose, I'll pick out words and/or phrases here and there. Whatever the song requires.

 

[Heabow]

When I sing I usually double every vocals (including most of backing vox too) I really like these natural phasing.
When I record other singers, it depends of the song/guy but as vespiz said, I usually at least double the choruses (sometimes a stereo delay can also do the job well)

Just a quick note: I noticed that if I ask the singer to redo his take immediately after the first one (without explain what you do exactly) - I obtain two takes pretty similar and good with the same feel. I often asked the guy to actually double his part and it failed. Can ya say psychology?

 

[vespiz]

^ Yeah, I do that too! Most of the doubles etc I do are from extra takes!

 

[Kohugaly]

Just a quick note: I noticed that if I ask the singer to redo his take immediately after the first one (without explain what you do exactly) - I obtain two takes pretty similar and good with the same feel. I often asked the guy to actually double his part and it failed. Can ya say psychology?

I've got a funny story about this... my friend was recording screams and we were experimenting a little... i tried to make it more full by double tracking it and hard pan left/right (we tried it on only one part of song)....and lol :-D the vocal tracks were almost totally phase coherent. most of the time it seemed practically mono only some phrases were slightly different to do the wide sound trick usually used for guitars.
since then I tell him to sing second track a bit differently (unlike other singers which i tell exact opposite).

 

[bryan_kilco]

I havent dont a whole lot of vocal tracking, but when I was recording our ex-vocalist, I had him do a take of lows, take of highs, then punch in any iffy spots, then redo another full take of lows. Worked out pretty well. Sometimes I'd end up with a shitload of full takes for just one song and have to sort through and compile which took the longest.

 

[kool98769]

Because it really takes me a long time to get even one usable performance let alone two that are perfectly on time with each other

This. And for some reason my singer freaks out when he can hear his own voice from another take and literally quits singing. Makes me wanna stab myself.

 

[bryan_kilco]

This. And for some reason my singer freaks out when he can hear his own voice from another take and literally quits singing. Makes me wanna stab myself.

Yeah......and I can't stand singers who need to hear themselves live/at practice louder then the rest of the band just to scream. Or, should I say, WAYYYYY TOO FUCKING LOUD WHERE THE SINGER IS OVERPOWERING EVERYTHING.

 

[Tommy Evans]

I constantly tell them to do it again without explaining. No vocalist ive worked with has ever questioned it. So I end up having 2-3 of every line. Comes in handy when it comes to layering/panning/picking the best take.

And that's funny you mention singers freaking out when they hear themselves on a diff track while recording. Happens to me all the time.

 

[corybrunnemann]

i STRIVE to double everything, screams are easier, but some singers just DON'T have the ability to get 2 takes close enough (sad, i know). in that case i'll just double the chorus.

i've also begun to be pretty proficient at editing takes to align, quickly, and on the spot, so i'm not fucked after the session. i've done that before

 

[AndrewB]

It totally depends on the situation for me. I can't even begin to explain what I'd do in each situation, but sometimes I'll end up double tracking the lead vocals, and each of two harmonies. Sometimes I'll AT LEAST double track every word of the song. Sometimes I'll go for a totally "live" feel and just go with one track the whole time (I'll still end up "comping" the vocal track, but I won't play two takes at once).

Also, I never play the singer's previous take(s) while they're recording a new take.

 

[kool98769]

And that's funny you mention singers freaking out when they hear themselves on a diff track while recording. Happens to me all the time.

I just don't get it. He also literally cannot do harmonies. He has trouble understanding the concept of matching a mouth shape so it's not dissonant sounding. He has such a great sounding voice and a good range, but goddamnit, frustrating to work with.

I on the other hand have absolutely no trouble doubling my own vocal tracks or doing harmonies, but I don't really have the "lead singer voice" if you know what I mean. I'm just another kid who was in choir.

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

I usually have the singer do anywhere between 4 and 12 takes of every part, at least until I feel I have 2 perfect takes. I mark the ones I think were good for quick take selection. After tracking I slice every take into phrases, listen to all takes phrase by phrase, pick the best parts together, compile them to a lead vocal track and compile the second best for a double track and edit where needed.

 

[Clark Kent]

Depends on the genre. In rap you can have two takes and both of them panned almost center. That just works. Other than that I'd say one has got to be CENTER. So if there's doubling I feel like there must be a triple so it'll be balanced. So three takes with one CENTER and two on sides.

 

[OneDaySky]

I double track all vocals, line for line until there are 2 full equally usable takes, that way I can concentrate on pitch and performance and worry about which words I want to use the double for. And I use the 2nd take of clean vocals purely as a wet signal underneath the other dry layer.

 

[Vinny]

For singing, are you guys using the second take with a doubler to get a stereo feel, or do you just keep it in the middle with the original, OR are you guys tripling and have 1 take in the center and two takes L/R manually (in place of using the doubler)? I find it extremely hard getting the singer to do 3 takes near perfectly so I just use a doubler on the second track -_-

 

[Leon--]

Im about to record the vocals for my hellenic black metal band.
Double tracking will be used mainly on choruses,or other special parts like when a guest singer performs,or when there are black and death vocals together.
As for panning it really depends,sometimes i put 2 vocal lines in the center,sometimes 50 L/50 R.
Dont follow any rule on that you can do exactly what you want
cheers

 

[bryan_kilco]

I think vocals sound weird if they are panned......I prefer them up the center, unless going for some really atmospheric type vibe.....

 

[Terminus]

Sometimes as an effect it's cool to pan vocals a little bit L or R, but I wouldn't do that for a whole song. I know on the newest Cynic release there are sections where the vocals are not centered, but they're also hi-passed much more than normal (like the telephone effect, but not so extreme).

 

[AndrewB]

Could be wrong here, but I think Joey Sturgis said at one point that sometimes for choruses he will record 3 tracks, pan one 50 L, one center, and one 50 R.