Instead of Doubling Vocals with a Sub-Par Vocalist, Pitch Correct For 2nd TracK?

[MondoLikeMetal]

We all know, in order to get a full, thick, and professional sounding lead vocal track (especially for melodic vocals) you should double or, if you're Nickleback, triple your vocal takes. Prob is, if you are working with a semi-pro vocalist like I am, and tired of saying "OK, double of verse 1, Take 32", it could eat up alot of my recording time.
I just bought Melodyne (thank you, sneapsters for your recomendations) for pitch correction, and using the pitch corrected and raw tarck as the double.
Of course, some of the raw track is too far off.
Also, you can't just copy and past the exact track as the double, or you get a flanging effect so.......

Has anyone used software to manualy adjust the pitch and time of each syllable of a vocal track to create a double track or....

Is there software that randomizes the above, to save even more time?

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Avox duo. Randomizes and modulates both delay and pitch for stereo widening of vocals

 

[OneDaySky]

Melodyne on a duplicate track and kick it up 3 semitones I love 3rd harmonies

 

[Skinny Viking]

Just about any good doubler plugin is gonna do this

 

[MaellaJohn]

Avox has a plug called Harmony Engine.. I've had lot of fun with that, using it for this purpose.

 

[Ataraxia2320]

.

 

[Mm1066]

Melodyne on a duplicate track and kick it up 3 semitones I love 3rd harmonies

Surely that wouldn't work though, as it'd be a minor third the entire time which wouldn't work if you were in a strict major key?

 

[P-E]

For my last recording I had a pretty sub par vocalist. When I realized that there was no way in hell he would be able to accurately double his tracks I just added a second mic into the equation. Problem solved.

In theory, doing this you'll get a quite different phase and EQ, but not more "thickness".

 

[LSAE]

There is a plugin for that specific purpose called Vocalign. http://www.synchroarts.com/index.php?PAGEID=products&ID=vocalign

 

[Ataraxia2320]

.

 

[Lucas D'Angelo]

Recording with two mics and recording two different takes are 2 absolutely different things !
I ALWAYS double everything for metal vox

And yes, Vocalign is very usefull, I use it all the time

 

[CruzControl]

i like to time-correct/pitch the main track - with ALL the helpers muted and instruments down about 6-8dbs - until it's sounding REALLY solid before i do anything else (yes, i do this to "each syllable"). after that's done, i'll bring in each helper and work them individually. my preference is ALWAYS to have the singer double/ triple/ quadruple the part for real and sing the melody as close as possible to the planned melody/harmony part so we can stay away from any extreme pitch correction.

a cover i recorded a while back. should give you an example of how this sounds. skip to 1:20ish to hear the harmony parts: http://db.tt/JNfZQpr

 

[CruzControl]

btw double mic'ing doesn't sound like doubling... i don't get that at all.

also, DONT just move everything up a third. some parts will be completely out of key and sound like shit.

 

[MondoLikeMetal]

I'll check out vocalalign and avox - hopefully, they will have a tral version

 

[P-E]

Care to elaborate on this? Phase was always something I never quite grasped no matter how much I read up on it.

My ears tell me that I have thickened the sound greatly, before the vocal sounded wimpy and cheap but afterwards it sounded much beefier.

If it sounds good, it is good, but phase is where two sounds that are the same - even with different mics - can add themselves to each other and reduce stereo field and all kind of weird problems. It's a bit hard to explain, but take a track of guitar, dupilicate it but put it 5 ms after and you'll hear what I mean.

Recording vocals this way could lead to that if the phase isn't properly aligned. Using this technique could thicken up the sound a bit because of the combination of the mics, but not at all to the extent of doubling takes and editing.