Vocal doubletracking?

[Emdprodukt]

do you do that often while recording vocals?

If so, what are your techniques to make the vocalist sing just like the first clip to prevent a chorus-effect, like with untight guitars?

I will record a female death metal voice (very very very high screaming and growls) and I really don't know if I should do doubletracks at least on the growling (due to biological limitations it may be a bit thin but sound fucking cool).

I'm going to use a SM58.

It's still more then a month until we start tracking but I want to be prepared.


any suggestions?

 

[nwright]

I double tracked our vocalist for our CD this past Sunday. To me, the "chorus-y" stuff is what makes it sound thick, as long as it's not so off that it sounds like slapback delay! Our vocalist did really well, and I haven't had to edit to much.

As long as the majority of it is tight, it should work. In some parts, I do cut up the track and line up the vocals.

I also usually keep one track a little lower (say 3dB's) to keep the thickness without it being an obvious 2 vocal approach. Contrasting low and high screams is cool, but I like to blend them well enough to where it sounds like one really cool voice rather than 2 together, if that makes sense.

 

[sparkyness]

I double-track everything but don't always end up using the double. There's a variety of ways you can use them. For example, I may have it as a "filler" sitting 6-8db or less directly under the main vocal, or I will have both tracks at the same level and panned narrow or wide to either side. I also usually EQ/Compress/Delay the double differently to the main vocal. I may also sing the double part differently with softer consonants.

When comping vocal parts, once I have my "keeper" track, I may use leftover parts from the other vocal takes to form the "filler" track. Especially if those takes have a different sound or texture to the main vocal. The subtle (or radical!) differences may be what makes the vocals more interesting.

There's loads of stuff you can try. Be creative.

 

[nwright]

I double-track everything but don't always end up using the double. There's a variety of ways you can use them. For example, I may have it as a "filler" sitting 6-8db or less directly under the main vocal, or I will have both tracks at the same level and panned narrow or wide to either side. I also usually EQ/Compress/Delay the double differently to the main vocal. I may also sing the double part differently with softer consonants.

When comping vocal parts, once I have my "keeper" track, I may use leftover parts from the other vocal takes to form the "filler" track. Especially if those takes have a different sound or texture to the main vocal. The subtle (or radical!) differences may be what makes the vocals more interesting.

There's loads of stuff you can try. Be creative.

I guess I kinda do this, too, but it's in addition to the main vocal track being a "double"...Meaning, my "keeper" track is always 2 main vocal tracks, either done pretty much the same or subtle differences. I then use back up vocal tracks to add emphasis or the big differences.

My main reason for doing it this way is to get thickness and a little texture, but the backup vox tracks provide the most contrast.

With screaming metal vocals, though, it can get rough and muddy. I can't imagine a guy like the singer from AILD doing it, as you can't understand him as it is, lol.

 

[colonel kurtz]

what are your techniques to make the vocalist sing just like the first clip to prevent a chorus-effect

make him do it again. and again. and again. and again.

i just read the book that geoff emerick wrote about engineering a lot of beatles stuff, and he mentioned how paul mccartney and john lennon would spend hours and hours nailing every detail little in both pitch and phrasing for their doubled and harmonized vocals

there's also a story about how mccartney did a couple takes EVERY DAY for like 2 months of a certain song until he got it just right

 

[Emdprodukt]

Okay just what I where thinking, thank you alot!

Do you think the Waves Vocal Pack is good for editing?

 

[Deaf Ear]

You can also do cool stuff like use one track for a verse, but send the second track to a delay or something. That way your delay has a slightly different character than the main track. Then in the choruses, say you want to actually use the double track. Send them both to a delay, and pan the return from the first track one way, and the second track another way. All subtle ways to make things bigger.