Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound

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Ignitetheairwaves
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2011/12/21 21:19:27 (permalink)

Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound

Does anyone have any good techniques for getting a unique live sound for vocals? I want to design my sound so that it is clearly distinguishable and yet good sounding for live shows. Was thinking I might try two separate microphones, with different effects and different speakers, crossing sonic paths or something like that. Maybe one with slight delay and the other without, kind of like a live doubletrack. Any creative ideas out there?

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    ChuckC
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    Re:Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound 2011/12/21 23:41:57 (permalink)
    It can be tough live as you only get the one shot to get it right.  There are vocal processors (some even in a stop box type set up) that can get some unique sounds, Some desireable some... not so much.

    I have this one and have used some of it's more modest presets live.  though I don't use it much anymore.
    http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Vocal300/

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    Philip
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    Re:Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound 2011/12/22 00:06:29 (permalink)
    I suppose a good pre-amp with a lot of low end + EQ + compressor ... but they are expensive.  There are vox boxes (like Roland cubes) at local guitar stores and such as well.

    My current fav outboard emulation is the UAD VOG VST plugin ... which gives heft to vocs.

    Philip  
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    Guitarhacker
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    Re:Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound 2011/12/22 08:35:51 (permalink)

    You said "live shows" so I assume you are talking about in clubs and other similar live show locations as opposed to "live" in a studio. In a studio, you have time to experiment. If it doesn't work, you can delete it and move on. However.......

    For live sound.... I would personally keep it as simple as possible. Aside from when a politician speaks, I can not envision using 2 mics on a singer in a live show. 
    Use one mic and if the vocal needs FX or processing, I would do it with a decent quality vocal FX processor in the effects loop in the mixer. 

    From all my years of gigging, I can not see any benefits to attempting to do what you seem to be suggesting. 

    Simply use a good quality vocal mic and get the best processor for the mixer that fits the need. 

    BTW..... the best vocal processor is the singer him or herself. No amount of fx processing can fix a singer who can not sing.  (well.... lip-syncing can... but we're not talking about that now...are we?)



    post edited by Guitarhacker - 2011/12/22 08:38:42

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    Tap
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    Re:Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound 2011/12/22 12:26:52 (permalink)
    I would think that the use of two mikes used live would up your chances for feedback problems. Better yet would be to use a signal splitter that you could process the vocals in much the same manner as using two mic's.


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    PGShadow
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    Re:Creative ideas for unique live vocal sound 2011/12/23 02:27:37 (permalink)
    "BTW..... the best vocal processor is the singer him or herself. No amount of fx processing can fix a singer who can not sing." 

    +1 too true. fx processing is just ear candy...sometimes it can be sour candy.

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