What are you guys in Nashville using on vocals? Reverbs? Delays? It seems like there are so many records where there is a great vocal space. I'm assuming the reverbs are analog? Or are any plugins doing the trick?

Good question.....

also something I been wanting to ask

Guess it's a secret. My guess is EMT 140 for reverb. Beyond that, who knows?

Anybody?

Among other things, it sounds like a fair amount of auto-tune is finds it way onto the vocal chain.
JP

Check out this thread.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-mu...board-1-a.html

The OP mentioned some specifics on processing Nashville vocals, but the info may be outdated by now. Also, Mike Shipley may have addressed the issue in his "Expert Question and Answer" postings down there near the bottom of the GS Home page.

This is true. But vocals here are never Auto. Lot's of time and care is spent making sure those vocals don't sound too processed. Not to mention I know alot of people that use other vocal tuning than auto-tune. Take your pick. People use what they find easiest to graphically alter the tune. Other not so secrets, vintage neumann's, awesome rooms, great mix engineers, those Lexicon units with the remotes.

I wasn't looking for auto tune. I know it happens, but I know there are albums w/o it. An old friend of mine did his last record at Ocean Way sans auto tune. His vocals went through a U87 (I'm assuming a vintage one). I know that much. I'm more wondering about reverbs, delays, maybe compressors and pres.

Hey AJ. Popular preamps for vocals in town are a Telefunken V72/V76, Neve 1073/1081's, and the Martech MSS-10. There are also a lot of UA 610's, API's, and Trident preamps in studios as well. Microphones are usually of the vintage variety, U47's/U67's/ELAM 251's. The Tube Tech CL-1B is very common in town, as is the GML 8900. Most studios have a LA-2A, Distressors, DBX 160's, 1176's/MC77's, and Neve 33609's. I'm sure they get used on vocals as well.

Just about every studio has a Lexicon 480L and a PCM70'. Most have a plate reverb. Quad has a great chamber. Lots of Eventide H3000's.

Obviously, there are exceptions. But, from working at a rental company and going to studios around town those are the units that are most often rented/used for major label sessions.

Sean,

What rental co.? Gear for Days?

Hopefully George Tutko will chime in.
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Buckets of it, applied with fists as delicate as an Easter ham.

It may seem uncollegial to say it, but I hate the sound of contemporary Nashville pop.

But I love real country.

Could you please point me to some examples? I would love to believe there's a new trend in Nashville. But every time I tune into the latest Nashville sensation it seems like they hired the vocal editors from Glee.

heh and LMFAO

I want to believe things are changing in Nashville. I do...

I mean... I'll admit, it's the traditional aspects I like about country music. I've always been a fan of bluegrass, folk, and rural roots music.

But I also liked a lot of the slick country pop from past eras, as well, from country swing to a lot (but certainly not all) of the mid-70s stuff. But when Nashville started turning its back on the classic country artists who were still making great music and emphasizing the 'modern rock' aspects of Nashville pop -- figuratively and sometimes literally slapping cowboy hats on underwear model types of both sexes -- I found myself looking elsewhere for what I had long sought and got from country. (Which is why I've been greatly distressed to hear clumsy tuning pop up on some Austin folks, as well.)

last time someone asked about a specific 'Nashville sound' type question it turned into a flame war and Nashville Hate Fest.
So.. with the way the thread is slowly steering already, id imagine that is why you arent getting too many people chiming in on this one.

Everybody's a critic. You old hippies and hip-hoppers may not like country,
but a good sized group of Americans and Canadians do.

It's not about the auto-tune, it's because the lyrics relate to a segment of the population that lives that lifestyle.

Sonically, much of today's Country music (not Hank & Buck) has a very pleasing sound.

Any valuable info on topic.

Maybe a better way to ask and get good answers is to find specific engineer's work that you like, and then find out how those specific guys like to record vocals. Even in Nashvegas it can run the gammet......

Some love 251, others the C800g...some the U47, and I have worked with the Brauner KHE that was owned by a very busy producer in town. I imagine he used it a lot.

Pre amps.....i've seen the 1073, Gordon!!! (my fav), UA stuff, Mastering Labs pre, and even Hardys for vocals. It depends n whcih engineer is calling the shots that day.

BTW- Gary Paczoza is one of my favorite engineers in Nashville, and Justin Neibank is doing a ton of the pop/country stuff. Maybe start with those guys....there are articles on their stye and habits if you google them...

R

There's an interview with Justin Neibank about mixing Taylor Swift's new album in this months Sound on Sound

Another thought....

IMHO, the arrangement of the song can either help, or fight against, it's perceived sound quality. If you are listening to Alison Krauss for example, much of her arrangements leave tons of sonic space...which allows the true tone of each instrument to be heard. So I bet a lot of the "Nashville" clean sound is b/c of the arranging and songwriting. When you have some space in the song, you can really appreciate that incredible vocal performance, and in turn appreciate the way it was captured.

R

Actually, too many artists these days are on auto-tune and use amateur production techniques/equipment/studios.
In Nashville, everything is professional and hi-end. Lot’s of vintage gear, amazing engineers, studios, and producing. They prefer natural voice recording than auto-tuned, robotic voices (unless it’s a pop recording like Miley Cirus.)
When people complain about bleed, they actually prefer bleed. In Nashville, bands are typically recorded live and together in the same room, while in big city studios, they isolate each musician.

I completely agree! Every time I've been in a session in Nashie it's always been a mixture of unreal musicians playing live in a nice room with amazing gear and really talented engineers. People just assume that the music / vocals have been edited & tuned to death because of how polished it sounds, but from my experience the players are just that good....

Yes, lots of tracking together, 1st or 2nd takes, a few overdubs, etc. Quick process all in all. As for vocals and overdubs, it's all the same stuff as anywhere else... you name it, it's probably used. For vocals, I personally see a lot of Distressor/ CL1B used, preamps are more Neve/ API/ Telefunken in flavor, and mics run the gamut. Auto Tune is used extensively, however, many are drawing in the curves, rather than just throwing it on auto. Yes to plate verbs and 480's. It's a magical town for production, with the focus on people rather than the gear. LOTS of individual overdub studios now, and many records are being made that way! Easier to pay a guitar player/ drummer/ etc. $150/ song and go to his place where everything is set up and rockin', as opposed to cartage, studio, engineers, etc.

No flaming. I have on my flame suit. My question was about GOOD vocals. Rule out the auto-tuned to death stuff and the Miley Cryus. I'm thinking more of the well-produced, but not overproduced. I love the production on my friend's latest record (Sean McConnell). That's the vibe I'm asking about.

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of autotune. So homogenized that the milk in my refrigerator curdles whenever I accidentally play a Carrie Underwood song. Wait... that never happens. But still somehow I manage to get exposed to it whenever I go eat barbecue or just generally go out in public in Texas.

By definition all modern Nashville, Music Row country music is overproduced, autotuned schlock. It is what it is. There is no "well produced" country music coming out of Nashville that isn't autotuned up the wazoo. Just the nature of the beast.

By the way, just for clarification, when I say "country music" I'm talking about what actually passes for country music these days, not what actually IS country music.

Well that's not what I'm talking about. There is other music in Nashville. I promise you. I lived there for 5 years.

Just got done doing a record there. Bae 312a, Dbx 160/distressor, API 550a with a u67. As was said before though, killer musicians and everyone has amazing ears. I love working down there.

That's fine but isn't your question asking about the mainstream stuff?

The "other" less produced stuff out of Nashville is decidedly "underproduced" and underground. Like the Jack White type of stuff. It's either one or the other. Super slick, overproduced "Nashville Row" stuff or underground Indie Nashville stuff. There's not a whole lot of ground between the two. Which are you talking about?

You've gotta differentiate between the two if you're going to roll "Nashville" into some sort of "sound".

There is so much more to Nashville than the country music people here are referring to. Kings of Leon...Nashville...Adelle has done session work in Nashville, 50 Cent has done session work in Nashville.....Kirk Whalum (Jazz)...Nashville, Jeff Coffin is out of Nashville and the Wooten brothers too.

I see the posts about overproduced music coming out of Nashville...and I would argue that the same is coming out of LA...and has been for many years. And some of my favorite music is coming out of LA too. People need to focus more on the people and less on the city in which they work. BTW...a lot of sessions are leaving LA and moving to Nashville right now. It's cheaper to work, and you can get more done in a short amount of time.

There is crap being produced in every major city in the USA........and there is great stuff too. Just judging a city is the most ignorant thing I have ever heard of in my life. Would you book an engineer just because he is from Nashville/LA/NY???????? ridiculous.

R

I happen to think I work with one of the pickiest vocalist I know here in town and that's my wife haha. She is not a huge fan of delays and reverbs and certainly not autotune. I sometimes have to twist her arm to let me put any reverb on her vocals....and believe me, she lets me know when it's not right

Anyway, on her record, we used the korby kat c800 capsule into a neve 1073 and did light compression using the retro sta level. It was a great combination for capturing the air in her voice.

As far as reverb went, it was mostly plate reverbs but we did tend to use more delays on the uptempo tunes. We did have to de-ess more than I hoped and looking back, I wish I would have caught some of the sibilance issues but lesson learned... I know some engineers that are very particular about how they de-ess and most end up doing it manually. Probably a better alternative.

As far as the "vocal space" found in a lot of the nashville records, I believe it comes from session players and producers that understand the vocal is the most important element of a song. Every part played and idea used should be to enhance the vocal and the lyric. Even with the pop influenced country sound in Nashville, I still think that underlying sentiment rings true. Anyway its late and I am rambling. Hope this sheds a little light.