Need help with vocal tracks

[neverpurify]

I am finally at the point where I am ready to process some vocals. I spend most of my time with sampled drum tracks and guitar tracks so vocals is new to me. In the past when I have attempted vocals I ended up using a mulitband compressor, some reverb and one of the waves plugins (can't remember which one right now, it has the presets suchs as doubler, tripler, octave down etc...) but I am not completely happy with the results. The vocal style is the black/death metal type, kinda in the vein of Enslaved and Satyricon. I'm interested in hearing what some of you guys use on your tracks to get the best results.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Eq, de-esser, compression, very slight delay, touch of reverb.

 

[elmuchoescadawg]

Eq, de-esser, compression, very slight delay, touch of reverb.

As much as I hate to agree with a Frenchman, same again. Delay and Reverb dependant on style obviously

 

[neverpurify]

Yeah I forgot to mention that I use some EQ. Mainly for midrange frequencies. I love how some bands get that in your face clarity on the vocals, I guess alot of that comes from compression which I'm still learning to use correctly.

 

[Torniojaws]

Yeah I forgot to mention that I use some EQ. Mainly for midrange frequencies. I love how some bands get that in your face clarity on the vocals, I guess alot of that comes from compression which I'm still learning to use correctly.

It comes from an in-your-face sounding vocalist No plugin can replace a world-class vocalist. Combine that with an excellent recording room and mic...

 

[ReliXKeepeR]

give us a sample of your track, so we can help a little bit more

 

[--TiMmY--]

When using reverb and delay, set them up on a stereo bus then send to them from the vocal tracks, this way it will widen your vocals and the reverb/delay will spread across the stereo field and not be down the center.

 

[neverpurify]

great advice, thanks.

 

[wishtheend]

I set up a setero buss that has an EQ to filter out a good amount of lows because that just clutters up the 'verb. But it runs usually something like: EQ > Delay > Verb > Waves S1 to widen up the stereo spread to taste. I personally think the delay does more for the vocals than the verb. Verb is just to glue the voice into the mix.

 

[neverpurify]

in that scenario, do you not use any compression? I never thought about sending the vocals to a separate bus, that's a great idea. If I have more than one vocal track, say one high pitched and another low pitched, should I send them both to the same bus?

I found something kinda cool, the waves rchannel plugin. I love the distortion setting and I plan to use it some. It adds some nice distortion to screams.

 

[wishtheend]

in that scenario, do you not use any compression? I never thought about sending the vocals to a separate bus, that's a great idea. If I have more than one vocal track, say one high pitched and another low pitched, should I send them both to the same bus?

Because the song may have different types of vocals (singing, hi & lo scream) I usually put the compression on the actual vocal track rather than on the stereo buss. The buss I set up is just for effect and to thicken up the tracks. I send each track in varying amounts to what sounds good. I don't usually need send as much as the high screams to the buss as I do the lows, but I think that's cause the verb is hi-passed and more of the actual high scream ends up getting 'verbed.

 

[neverpurify]

would sending the vocals to a stereo group track accomplish the same result?

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

would sending the vocals to a stereo group track accomplish the same result?

Same result as what ? Not sure I understand your question, but if you send a vocal track on stereo track, it won't become stereo. If you put it in the middle, it'll come equaly loud from each side, if you put it on the right it'll be louder on the right, etc... But it won't be perceived as stereo, just panned.

 

[--TiMmY--]

would sending the vocals to a stereo group track accomplish the same result?

Its not the stereo group track that is making it wider. It is the stereo "Effect" in the track insert that is making it wider. So sending to a stereo group with a stereo reverb in the insert is going to make it wider since the reverb is in stereo.

 

[neverpurify]

When using reverb and delay, set them up on a stereo bus then send to them from the vocal tracks, this way it will widen your vocals and the reverb/delay will spread across the stereo field and not be down the center.

This is what I was referring to when I asked about the stereo group track earlier. Timmy says to send to a stereo bus that has those effects on it. So could do the same thing by sending to a stereo group track to widen the effects or must I use an actualy bus?

 

[wishtheend]

This is what I was referring to when I asked about the stereo group track earlier. Timmy says to send to a stereo bus that has those effects on it. So could do the same thing by sending to a stereo group track to widen the effects or must I use an actualy bus?

I think you are calling the same thing by two names. You could print the results down to a track if CPU was an issue, but you couldn't on the fly send the vocals to another track (since nothing would be written). Just use a buss, it's the easiest to control while mixing and nothing is printed.

 

[--TiMmY--]

stereo bus / stereo group - same thing