What Technique do you Use to Push harmony back in your mix?

Volume and EQ and compression is probably a good place to start. It really depends on the tune and the part and what it is you're trying to achieve. Sorry that's vague. The only thing I can think I usually do is HP most vocals quite a bit and compress the Bvox more than the lead and probably roll off some highs. . But then, I am talking about a Bvox part that doubles the lead. don't know what you're talking about.
 

Cool I have never tinkered with delay much but now I will

Then I am on the right road then, is there a preferred reverb for. Ocala in x1? I have used Sonitus and Perfect space are there better ones 

BMOG


I am starting to use X1 more and more instead of 8.5 and I have been trying to find a way to mix my background vocals to the point they are not so out front in the mix. I will admit that I am leaning on a lot of presets because I don't fully understand how all the plugins work. What sounds close to what I want is using the Sonitus reverb plugin called stereo slap back, it fatten up the vocals and took the edge off. I am curious to know how some of veterans approach this issue and what plugins and methods did they use? What is the best method in learning what the plugins?  

"What is the best method in learning what the plugins (do)? Well, that's hard to say.


 Some people like resign themselves to going through the user's manual and getting a good idea of what something can do by reading, or at least skimming through, the manual from front to back. This is usually my method and I generously use a hi-lighter as I go. The advantage to this method is that if I have a problem with the software I usually think "oh, yeah... I saw that in the manual". Most of the time I resolve the issue quickly and continue with my project.

The other method is to just start using the program and trying to learn on the fly. When you get to a "how do I..." roadblock then you go to the manual. Or help files. Or as a very last resort when all else fails, the Cakewalk forum. Just kidding. A little forum humor.



As far as the BGV, I'd probably go with EQ and compression. Using EQ, or at least trying, to sculpt the frequency curve of the BGV to avoid overloading certain frequencies so that audio in that range loses (if I'm understanding what I've been reading here for the last few years) clarity, or separation, or whatever the cools kids are calling it now.

Compression, so that nothing really sticks out to detract from the "all voices as one" choral effect.

And maybe some EQ after the compression.

@guitarhacker the quality of this song is awesome, was all of this done in Sonar?  

BMOG


@guitarhacker the quality of this song is awesome, was all of this done in Sonar?  

Yes. All tracks were recorded into and mixed in X1 Essentials.

Getting the mix you are wanting is a matter of listening to things you like very, very carefully to note exactly what they are doing. Then..... try to emulate that in your mixes. It will take some time to get it right. But.... what else do you have but time? 

The idea of doubling a vocal with a second one that was barely audible was something I picked up on these forums quite some time back. I simply applied the same principle to the harmonies. This technique is used a lot in Nashville on country music. If you listen to country, the singer will be singing and you'll be wondering if it's a solo track or harmony because it sounds like both...or neither.... just fatter and better. 

On this project... I did melodyne the lead vocal to pitch correct the little things like drifting a note..... but  the second lower vocal was not touched. timing and pitch were left as recorded. I do not believe the harmony tracks were fixed either. I'd have to go back and solo them to know for sure, but I rarely fix anything but the lead vocals. Especially when the BGHV are so far down in the mix and fairly accurate to pitch to start with. 

If I was doing an Eagles sort of harmony....where the BGHV are as prominent as the lead vocals,  they would all be run through the melodyne strainer. 

Thank you...I'm glad you liked this song. 

Sometimes, if you have alot of vox, you need to "thin" each vox, using EQ, taking out the highs and lows to remover freqs that are "not important", and only keeping the freqs that are "really important".
This helps the overall mix and allows you to push the parts you want without lossing the main vox or have things competing for space.
A little reverb can also help push a vox back in the mix.

Not an expert here but I have read and had success with EQ by keeping the lead vox with more highs and lows and less mids (relatively speaking) and the BGV with more mids and less highs and lows.
(Of course this is as well as volume, comp, reverb, delay and panning considerations.)