razor
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What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
Hello--
I'm working on a track I really like and I want to give the vocals a little kick without muddying them up. I have the basic UAD-1 powered plug-ins but with Sonar 8 Prod there are a lot of other cool fx too.
The tune is a pop/rock song--tenor male vox.
Thanks,
sd
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Lynn
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/07/31 22:19:48
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☄ Helpful
I like short delays with just a hint of feedback more than reverbs. Maybe a little compression with a 2:1 ratio for subtle thickening. As for EQ, roll off the bass around 80 hz and a slight boost around 3khz will help the vocal to pop out of the mix. That's my preference.
Regards,
Lynn
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daveny5
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/07/31 22:24:20
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NOT Antares Autotune! 
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Kalle Rantaaho
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/01 08:14:38
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Doubling - if you can call that an effect. I suppose it's a technique.
Compression and delay.
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Genghis
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/01 09:28:58
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I like the technique where you have the singer whisper the line along with the normal vocal. Mix it in just so that you can tell somethings missing when you drop it out. It adds just a little something you can't get with plug-ins.
I also like to use the UAD Dimension D for a vocal chorus effect.
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DonaldDuck
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/01 11:39:11
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I would suggest upgrading the UAD-1 to a UAD-2 so you can use the UAD EMT 250 Reverb plug. It's very good. I use the "Female Vocal" preset for tenor males and it sound really good with a little adjusting. The new generation of UAD plugs usually only works on UAD-2, but they are worth the upgrade. They are pretty amazing.
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guitartrek
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/01 11:54:05
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I've been using the new VX64 vocal processor and I really like the compander. I'm recording totally dry now and just using this plugin. It also has a doubler which sounds cool but I haven't used it on a project yet.
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LJB
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/01 12:20:59
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My favourite Vocal effect is having a great singer in front of a good mic, but after that.. Sony Wavehammer, followed by a freebie called SHEPP.. Also, JB Ferox, another brilliant freebie.
post edited by LJB - 2010/08/01 12:23:31
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dr.hash 
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 03:14:14
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Yea definatly no cher and do you belive enough. Auto tune or the Roland Vari Phrase have a lot more uses or i hope than that. I'm about to use it for ADT and to try and emulate beatle 3 part harmony's. Viva la Revolution Sonar Forever, Pro Tools Never Ben B.C.T (Bachelor Of Creative Technology) http://www.myspace.com/audiomystics
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daveny5
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 10:51:04
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try and emulate beatle 3 part harmony's. My Digitech Vocalist Workstation EX does that nicely. I just send it the harmony notes in MIDI and it tracks along with my singing.
Dave Computer: Intel i7, ASROCK H170M, 16GB/5TB+, Windows 10 Pro 64-bit, Sonar Platinum, TASCAM US-16x08, Cakewalk UM-3G MIDI I/F Instruments: SL-880 Keyboard controller, Korg 05R/W, Korg N1R, KORG Wavestation EX Axes: Fender Stratocaster, Line6 Variax 300, Ovation Acoustic, Takamine Nylon Acoustic, Behringer GX212 amp, Shure SM-58 mic, Rode NT1 condenser mic. Outboard: Mackie 1402-VLZ mixer, TC Helicon VoiceLive 2, Digitech Vocalist WS EX, PODXTLive, various stompboxes and stuff. Controllers: Korg nanoKONTROL, Wacom Bamboo Touchpad
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...wicked
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 11:30:41
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- parallel compress the vox track, eq that processing severely.
- add a hint of distortion
- automate your volume
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razor
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 12:23:03
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Thanks all. I will definitely use some compressions just to even out the levels. I tried inserting the *VX64-Vocal Strip, but I got a message that I need to enter in a registration code. This version of Sonar is a reinstall after a fresh install of Windows, so that's probably why, but where do I get the registration code for this plug-in? In the meantime, I've been using the Lexicon Pantheon plug and it sounds pretty good if used in moderation. Thanks again, (EDITED) *Ah, just realized that was installed with my VS-100 software. I'll look there for the registration code.
post edited by razor - 2010/08/02 12:40:43
Stephen Davis Cakewalk by Bandlab Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit ADK DAW - (out of business 2018) Intel i7 4930K CPU Core i7 SB-E MOBO 16 GB DDR3 RAM 7 TB Storage Layla 3G SoundCard (11.5 ms Roundtrip Latency) UAD-2 DSP WaveLab 8 Pro 64-bit Sound Forge 10 Pro
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CJaysMusic
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 12:47:59
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Try parallel compression with a compressor of your choice. Pick the one that is most transparent for you
Cj
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Mesh
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 12:58:53
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☄ Helpful
Here's something James Yoyo had suggested.....
Here is a cool technique I came up with to get your voice out on the edges a bit more:
1. Of course, start with sending your vocals to a "vocals" buss
2. Insert a send to a new buss, "wide vocals", and make sure it says Pre and not Post
3. On the "wide vocals" buss, insert an eq and dig out the middle, say a good -5 to -8db at 1.2khz with a wide q. Then after that, put on a widener, like Channel Tools or Voxengo's free Stereo Touch. This should be set relatively low.
4. Output both busses to a new buss, "Vocal Sum"
5. Get a good level between the two busses. Sculpt out the original vocal buss to taste, maybe some reverb as well
6. Voila! Good power and presence in the middle, clear annunciation on the sides, and a wider representation
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Guest
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 12:59:34
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The Glue parallel compressing the dog squeeze out of it, EQing to get rid of the problems, plate with a decent amount of pre-delay.
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Middleman
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 16:51:38
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☄ Helpful
I would go with parallel compression as well, and use your 1176 on the compressor buss. It has an inherent EQ boost in the midrange which brings the vocal up front and adds a little edge.
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razor
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 19:03:14
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Yea, no Cher. Hey, I said I liked the track!
Lot's of good advice here. I may try several to see what sounds best. I'm glad I didn't get one of those replies that just says, "depends on too many variables"
Anyway, FWIW--I found out I didn't get a registration code because I didn't install the Sonar Lite that came with my VS-100. I already had Sonar 8 PE. I did want the plug-in so I installed that. I got the reg code from CW CS today. I think I'll try that too. Brandon Ryan had a good vid on using it--and I believe it is 64-bit.
Thanks all!
Stephen Davis Cakewalk by Bandlab Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit ADK DAW - (out of business 2018) Intel i7 4930K CPU Core i7 SB-E MOBO 16 GB DDR3 RAM 7 TB Storage Layla 3G SoundCard (11.5 ms Roundtrip Latency) UAD-2 DSP WaveLab 8 Pro 64-bit Sound Forge 10 Pro
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razor
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 19:05:38
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Kalle Rantaaho
Doubling - if you can call that an effect. I suppose it's a technique.
Compression and delay.
I recorded two unison tracks. I just like that sound more than any effect.
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razor
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 19:08:04
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Genghis
I like the technique where you have the singer whisper the line along with the normal vocal. Mix it in just so that you can tell somethings missing when you drop it out. It adds just a little something you can't get with plug-ins.
I also like to use the UAD Dimension D for a vocal chorus effect.
The Doors, Riders on the Storm and Hendrix, Fly Down my Street Angel (I believe). I did one project with that, but I think some people have a better whisper than others. Perhaps I can develop it, but it didn't sound as good when I did it.
Stephen Davis Cakewalk by Bandlab Windows 7 Pro 64-Bit ADK DAW - (out of business 2018) Intel i7 4930K CPU Core i7 SB-E MOBO 16 GB DDR3 RAM 7 TB Storage Layla 3G SoundCard (11.5 ms Roundtrip Latency) UAD-2 DSP WaveLab 8 Pro 64-bit Sound Forge 10 Pro
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Rain
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 19:53:00
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That shiver a very talented lead vocalist can send down my spine... 
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feedback50
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/02 20:05:05
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Your UAD1 has a nice EQ in the Pultec. It's one you can push or cut with (whereas most plugin EQs start to fall apart when you push them IMHO). As far as efx go, I like to put a plate reverb on a bus and put a send to it from the lead vocal. I then insert a compressor (Sonitus works ok) ahead of the reverb on the bus. I set the compressor for a ratio of Less than 1:1 (eg ).7:1). This makes it behave as an expander. If you tweak the send, the compressor (expander) ratio and gain, along with the reverb send to master bus, you can get a nice dry intimate vocal on the subdued phrases, that opens up to a larger space on the more intense phrases. A bit of delay ahead of the reverb is sometimes nice as well, since it gives a more convincing psycho-acoustic effect of a listener being close to a vocalist in a larger space. Don't be afraid to EQ the reverb return to master as well. It can pull out a lot of mud or syllabance.
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SongCraft
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/03 05:14:08
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razor
Hello--
I'm working on a track I really like and I want to give the vocals a little kick without muddying them up. I have the basic UAD-1 powered plug-ins but with Sonar 8 Prod there are a lot of other cool fx too.
The tune is a pop/rock song--tenor male vox.
Thanks,
sd
I love Density MkII it never crashes on me, I can easily use several instances without a sweat :) Put Density on the vocal buss and listen to it's magic, it will make vocals sound more polished, fuller and a lot more clearer in the mix. Tip: Select a preset and tweak it a little from there, it's that simple. I cannot believe this plugin is free :) There's another one you may be interested in; Nasty VCS, (chan-strip) and again, it's free :) -
post edited by SongCraft - 2010/08/03 05:15:36
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DaveT
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/03 17:51:58
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Go listen to some John Lennon/Beatles tunes where he doubled the vocal track by singing the vocal twice. That is the effect I like. Hard to do.
DaveT
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feedback50
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/03 18:34:22
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Although Lennon did double track many vocals, many of his later songs were doubled artificially with tape that was speed controlled to not be in perfect sync (or pitch) with the original track. (John hated doing doubles). It was rumored that this was some magic invention or effect unit that was developed at Abby Road, but I've read that it was simply variable speed tape. This could be done digitally very simply with a properly designed plugin (I think Anteres has one).
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Rain
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/03 19:37:45
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ADT (Automatic Double Tracking) was indeed developed at Abbey Road. I'm pretty sure you'll find a few vst plug-in which can do that same trick for you. Speaking of which, one of those cool effects that always come to mind is running the vocal track through a Leslie like Geoff Emerick did on the Beatles' Tomorrow Never Knows. From memory (I once put together my own version of the song for fun and I think that's how I managed to recreate the sound) there's actually one "dry" vocal track and another one slightly delayed running through the Leslie - so the whole things remains intelligible but you get that awkward sound. Both vocal tracks are also quite severely eq'ed if I remember correctly. Don't know if that's exactly how they did it, but the result was satisfying enough. Also not sure if Emerick and the Beatles were the first to do it - quite cool effect though...
post edited by Rain - 2010/08/03 19:40:30
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stratman70
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Re:What's Your Favorite Lead Vocal Effect?
2010/08/03 20:52:08
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razor
Thanks all. I will definitely use some compressions just to even out the levels. I tried inserting the *VX64-Vocal Strip, but I got a message that I need to enter in a registration code. This version of Sonar is a reinstall after a fresh install of Windows, so that's probably why, but where do I get the registration code for this plug-in?
In the meantime, I've been using the Lexicon Pantheon plug and it sounds pretty good if used in moderation.
Thanks again,
(EDITED) *Ah, just realized that was installed with my VS-100 software. I'll look there for the registration code.
There is no seperate registration for the plugs in Sonar. One registration for the whole program-
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