Effect To Add a Digitalized Sound To Backup Vocal

I am working on a track that I have layers of the background 4 parts each and I want to add an send effect to on two of them to add a digitalized effect to them just a subtle one.  I have tried playing around with V-Vocal to create almost like an Autotune type of effect but it does not sound well at all.  I need a mix of voice and processed voice and V-Vocal is not cutting it.  X1 has tons of effects I am sure that I am not aware of that I could use as and effect send just not sure what I could try any suggestions or techniques to achieve what I am trying to do?

dmbaer

BMOG

I want to add an send effect to on two of them to add a digitalized effect to them just a subtle one
 

"digitalized effect" is pretty vague ... could be any number of things.  Some that come to mind are (in no particular priority):
 
saturation (pro-channel)
chorus
phaser
flanger
amp sim
tape sim
 
A bit-reduction distortion effect might be what you're looking for also, but I'm not aware that we have that effect in X1.

Thanks for giving me a start my request was broad because I am not sure how to describe what I am looking for

Here is a song with the style I would like to create or something close to it, the words "Lay With You" In the hook and different times in through the hook

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvDp9bI6mpU

timidi


The only thing I hear that may be called "digitalized" is that it has been auto tuned or melodyned,  which you can do with V vocal if you work at it.

I have tried to add just a little of v-vocal and does not sound good. When I pitch correct and try to mix in the normal tracks just does not work for me. What is melodyned?

Here's a tutorial:

http://audio.tutsplus.com...ain-cher-or-daft-punk/


The thing that the tutorial doesn't emphasize is that you have to sing out of tune, and it's even better if you sing, out of tune, in a whole different key so that the tuning software really has to work to move the vocals to the intended key and tuning.


You can transpose a beat track down temporarily and sing badly to that. Then, when you restore the beat track and tune the vocal to the intended key you end up with lots of distinct artifacts.

The tutorial also explains how you can use post EQ and Saturation and other common effects to enhance the overall effect.

Good Luck.

Have fun.

best regards,
mike




edit spelling

 

Well here would be my suggestion.

This is a pretty decent utility and it is free!

http://www.kvraudio.com/product/kerovee-by-g200kg
 
I have used it on several occasions...It can be a bit fiddly but it is fun, it is free and it does work pretty well....
 
My last suggestion would be if you do use it...(or even if you do not) what every you do, when finished and you have your track to your satisfaction.......apply the effect or boucne it down to your track and save it that way.....
 
Reason being is if you do not and they come out with a newer version it and you go back to this project it you will find all new settings and have to redo your work all over......if you bounce it or Apply it and then save it your work will then be saved inside your project...
 
just my 2 cents.
Clifford

OK I went and listened to that track....very nice layed back track by the way....

I am sure what he did was lay down some bkgnd vocal tracks and then auto tuned them....Then mixed them in very lightly because they are being used as effect more than anything....but it is done well....

So my suggestion would be to take and do several backing track (maybe even in simple harmony like in 3rd's) to the main vox. set up a Auto tune buss and run them thru there...then mix to taste....

Now it was suggested to sing out of key a bit to make the plug in work....the more out of key you sing the harder the plug will work....

and there is a lot of truth to that statement...........however....in this case I would not stray too far with being out of tune....just go slightly and make the plug work.....but work lightly....this way you achieve your auto tune effect but it is not over done like in a T-Pain type of way.......

and then again, maybe that is what you are going for......and if so....you know what to do now....

Clifford

I think what you are hearing are tight harmonies that have been pitch corrected (auto-tune, v-vocal, melodyne, whatever) using a very hard setting. The harmonies sound like they are all done by the same singer so that there is not a lot of texture, but rather a smoothness to them. The parts are also doubled at the very least.

Yeah you'll want to be tuning this mostly manual I think. You need to reduce the vibrato in the clip to zero, or just about zero. But you can't just use straight auto-tune because the transition between two notes will be too sudden and extra obvious. Naturally when you sing you will glide up to the new note. 100% quantised auto-tune will not glide, it will go there instantly. THIS is the specific T-Pain effect part. This bit is NOT in your song example. So you need to flatten out all notes but maintain original (or close to) transitions between all notes to make it sound smooth. As far as I know, at least in v-vocal (which is plenty good enough for this task), you can't achieve this automatically so it gets a sound like in your song there. 

Keep in mind the straight line tool. It may allow you to get better transitions between notes which have the effect on them, but not be too sudden. If I were doing this to a song, I'd do it all manual and it'd probably take a good few hours to perfect it. You'll be listening to each section on loop and will keep adjusting your draws till it eventually sounds like you want it. Not a quick job if you want it perfect like in that song. Auto just doesn't cut it for the slightly more subtle effects.   

I would actually suggest singing on key as much as you can for this style. For T-Pain, definitely out of key slightly. It's more subtle in this song. It's all about the reducing natural vibrato to zero, not serious note shifting which is much more obvious.