how do epic gang-shouts

[gabriel g.]

Hey guys I want to give something back to this great forum!!!!

First of all find 4-8 people who are willing to scream their lunges out.

Make groups of 2-4 people and everyone needs his own headphone.

Put the dudes around the mic ( omnidirectional ) at the same distance (like 1m)
Every group has to perform as tight as possible, check the waveform und put the takes exactly over each other.

Repeat with every group so you have 7-10 good takes.

Now put the takes in different locations of the stereo field like:
(example in logic : L max -64/ R max +63 )
1: 0
2: +50
3: -50
4: + 40
5: -40
6: + 30
7: -30

send the different takes to one group.
Effects on the group:
Gate
Comp (with a high ratio like 6:1 / fast attack/ fast release)
De-Esser
And eq to get rid of the lows (like lowcut at 300hz) and boost the high mids like 800hz and the highs at 10k)

Send the group to an AUX (pre-send means without the effects)

AUX effects:
DOUBLER (like waves doubler4)->Only use the different de-tuned voices not the real one
Comp with the same setting
Reverb (with a long reverb time)
Eq with the same settings

Now mix them together until the gangshouts seem big enough but still understandable.

Audio demo:

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1425397/gangshouts.mp3

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I had this bunch to contend with earlier this summer. Turned out MASSIVE.

 

[gabriel g.]

NIIIIIIICCCCCCCCEEEEEEEE!!!!

But nowadays I like smaller groups more because of all the laughing and shit

 

[KKuff]

I also like to have everyone do variations in pitch each time, for example, have each group do the shouts in a lower voice, then a regular voice, then a higher voice. In a mix, I'd probably have the regular pitch voice the loudest, but it's nice to have extra high and low ones to mix in at a lower level.

 

[Ermz]

Cool guide man.

I'm a bit simpler at heart and I just used a single instance of SSL E-channel and some delay on my last set. Comp was taking off about 6dB (though the distressor was taking off about 6 also on the way down). Only 2 takes of about 5 or so people shouting in the room, panned hard.

0:30 to 0:40 of this clip has them: http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/285689/beacons-test-3.mp3

Maybe a bit too 'blended' in the mix to tell, but I wanted the effect to be somewhat subtle and thickening more so than 'fuck there's a bunch of hobos screaming at me'.

Actually at 3:36 it's more obvious, right when it comes out of the big scream section.

 

[schust]

I had this bunch to contend with earlier this summer. Turned out MASSIVE.

a striking bunch of lads... did you hide the good china?

 

[egan.]

I can't recall when I did this but I had guys stand is a circle around a blumlein pair and it turned out pretty cool.

 

[Kevolicious]

This is my SECOND time referring to this thread to do groups. This should be stickied!!! Big ups and thank you!!!

 

[cloy26]

Can't you do gang vocals individually? say 4 different people maybe 2 times each... I have done the big group at once numerous times, but someone told me that when they went to a "pro" studio, the engineer had them in the booth one at a time...

 

[Kevolicious]

Can't you do gang vocals individually? say 4 different people maybe 2 times each... I have done the big group at once numerous times, but someone told me that when they went to a "pro" studio, the engineer had them in the booth one at a time...

I suppose you could if you had a REALLLLLY dead room. Otherwise you'd get a lot more room noise.

The problem with too many people tracking at once is timing. When they sing off time it lessens the clarity of what they're shouting. That's why he recommends headphones for each person though and editing the waves to start and stop at around the same time. This has worked really nicely for me, although I brought the comp ration down to about 4:1

 

[cloy26]

Yah I've messed around with the single tracks, but I have always had better results with groups. I actually have set the mic back a little to catch the natural reverb of the room we were in and came out pretty cool. I'm sure it would suck compared to all the pros in here, though. lol

 

[brianhood]

Can't you do gang vocals individually? say 4 different people maybe 2 times each... I have done the big group at once numerous times, but someone told me that when they went to a "pro" studio, the engineer had them in the booth one at a time...

that's so dumb that it pisses me off haha

I could see that being useful for something completely different, but not "gang vocals"

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/536384/Random/gang vox.mp3

This was 12 takes of 8 people. Panned 100<-80<-60<-40<-20<-10-10->.20->40->60->80
eq'd, Compressed, De Essed, and a bit of reverb

Listening to this now, i pretty much raped the gang vox with the de esser

 

[cloy26]

damn. you did a great job with that. I'll stick to the normal way of having everyone huddled around one mic. lol. Also, how did you get everyone on time? 8 sets of head phones? lol.

 

[brianhood]

damn. you did a great job with that. I'll stick to the normal way of having everyone huddled around one mic. lol. Also, how did you get everyone on time? 8 sets of head phones? lol.

everyone was in a semi circle around and AT4040(not too close to the edges though), and i had 6 pairs of headphones(one for me). two sets of people shared, so everyone had music/metronome to listen to while recording.

I also do each section of words separately to keep everything tight, and quantize each take

 

[AudioGeekZine]

that's so dumb that it pisses me off haha

I could see that being useful for something completely different, but not "gang vocals"

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/536384/Random/gang vox.mp3

This was 12 takes of 8 people. Panned 100<-80<-60<-40<-20<-10-10->.20->40->60->80
eq'd, Compressed, De Essed, and a bit of reverb

Listening to this now, i pretty much raped the gang vox with the de esser

Sounds great!

 

[brianhood]

Sounds great!

thanks!


here at 456 recordings, we take our gang vocals/choir parts very very seriously

 

[matt youwin]

don't be afraid to get some girls in the mix too, their (generally) higher pitched voices tend to help fill out the 'group' sound. Providing you can find some lovely ladies willing to yell in a room with a bunch of smelly dudes hahah

 

[AdamWathan]

Definitely record them as a group, you want it to sound like a bunch of people shouting so record a bunch of people shouting. Doing it one at a time is stupid.

When I've done them I've just put up a mic, made a makeshift booth in front of it with broadband absorbers on mic stands, crank the monitors and everyone gives 'er. Headphones are overrated.

 

[Kevolicious]

Well, I don't think headphones are overrated... I usually line the takes up to the grid to get them as close as possible to one another, but I haven't thought about quantizing them! Are you just using beat detective to do this, Brian?

 

[cloy26]

Yah quantizing is a really smart idea. So many times the pronunciation is less than flattering.