Modern rock vocal processing

[jpaudio]

I’m curious about vocal processing techniques concerning modern rock a la Linkin Park, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, etc… more so during mixdown than tracking, as I’m happy with my dry vocal tracks (usually Soundelux U195 or SM57>DRS2>Manley Elop or Distressor>Lucid AD9624).

Any interesting ways to manipulate delays, multi-effects, methods of blending doubles/harmony lines with the main vocal, etc.??? I’ve tried various delays, stereo pitch and doubling (the old H3000-type stuff), but I feel like my vocals are missing something compared to the contemporaries I’m aiming for. Not much ‘verb happening nowadays, just a touch for a little vibe rather than an obvious effect. Any ideas or suggestions? I have TC Electronics M3000, M2000, D-Two, and various stompboxes at my disposal.

[Mike Tholen]

I like to compress/distort a dupe track and blend to taste.
I use 2 la2a's into each other.

[Neve Sucks!]

Smack da hell out of da lead vox with a Gain Brain II....

[heinz]

I wonder what they run on Sully Erna (Godsmack)'s voice... he sounds like a roman god on the records, but performing live he has none of that deep growl or resonance (and his intonation is quite orbital).

[jpaudio]

Thanks for your replies everyone, but i was hoping for more ideas regarding ambient processing and double/harmony blending... lately i've been multing my lead vocal and running the mult through a flanger (100% wet), bringing that back up under the main track for just a touch of modulation. Also flanged delays can be cool, kinda low-fi with a bandpass on as well.

[Rockman]

Interesting topic... I'm also interested in how to process a modern pop / rock vocal these days... Not necessarily a Linkin Park type of thing.. just a plain, middle of the road, modern pop / rock vocal.

I'm specifically interested in the verb and delays. It seems difficult to find out exactly what's being done these days, since the vocals sound very dry (but there's still something on there).

Any tips to share? I have a Lexicon 300, and Waves Rennaissance Reverb, as well as Digidesign delay plugs.

Thanks.

[84K]

Lots of distortion and compression

[bing81]

Well, seeing you have a DRS, you could start by driving it harder. Ignore the lights! Of course, once it's done, it's done, so handle with care, but you can get a great "edge" out of it.

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Rockman

I'm specifically interested in the verb and delays. It seems difficult to find out exactly what's being done these days, since the vocals sound very dry (but there's still something on there).

Any tips to share?

there's almost always delay and reverb present in copious amounts, but eq'd to fit a very particular slot and mixed just on the threshold of audibility. sometimes the delay gets quite audible to me, but i have enginears and it's too subtle for the typical listener to discern.

when dialing your effects, do so with generous volume coming off your monitors (85db). get them to the point where you can't actually hear them as distinct sounds, but when you hit the mute button the texture of the voice immediately changes, gets smaller, and doesn't connect to the mix.

use lpf and hpf together to bandpass the fx so that they sit below the voice and inside the music. michael brauer talked about the delay being the thread that ties the vocal back to the music and links them together while the voice stays on top. i like that metaphor. my own slant is that you want the effect of the effect, not the effect itself. unless, of course, you want the effect itself, which can be quite nice when done artfully and at the right moments.


gregoire
del
ubk
.

[fuzzface777]

gregoire, how do you add delay, mix and pan it so the vocals are below the mix? how many repeats , what saturation?

[SUGARCULT666]

I just use digirack plugin short stereo delay with 26ms on one side and about 32ms on the other fattens it up and gives it width... Then I use a nice room/studio reverb with the length really short blended about 11% then a hall reverb (short) almost gated with about 10-14% effect... U can't really notice these effects but when you take them away the vocals sound thin... thumbsup

[u b k]

Originally Posted by fuzzface777

gregoire, how do you add delay, mix and pan it so the vocals are below the mix? how many repeats , what saturation?

funny you should ask...

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/showt...cal#post879878



gregoire
del
ubk
.