vocal plug-ins - any order recommendations?

hi there,
 
nothing to do with your threat, but just noticed you had an Epiphone Casino. Great guitar. Over the years I had all the usual Fender and gibsons, but with a great valave amp a Casino is wow !

Speedtom.... 

I really don't think too much about the order I use plugs in a track.... I do know, from reading, that it's industry practice to place plugs in certain orders..... even back in the old band days, certain things were in certain orders in the signal chain.

Having said that.... on vocals, a tiny bit of EQ, some verb and very light compression is about all I use. 

(My) Rule of thumb: Use only what you NEED to use, and error on the lighter side. If you don't need it, don't use it. 

I usually use an EQ to filter out the highs & lows before compression.

This way the compressor is not reacting to the extremes of the freq. response.

Then if necessary I'll insert another EQ after the compressor for tonal shaping purposes.

The more I practice with microphone/pre set up and monitoring my vocalist before hitting record, the less EQ I find is necessary.

wow this forum posting is a nightmare to edit on a droid pad. anyway, i forgot to mention that if you sing close to the mic, like within 8 inches or so, do hpf at 200hz to compensate for proximity effect. i will also do small fades at the brginning of clips to retain some breath noise while keeping apparent compressor initial attack clamping to minimum (like whrn you take big breathe before singing phrase and compressor goes all squirrely)

I use Bristol Jonesey's method mostly. I usually start with a Console emulation at the front, but otherwise, his method is spot on. Mine is typically:

1) Waves NLS Nevo (picking some channels over others, 25% Drive); which you can easily get what you need from the N-Type CE in Sonar.
2) DMG EQuality or EQuilibrium for High and Low cutoff and surgical fixes. Be careful not to cut too much off. Vocals can have greater range than you may expect.
3) Waves CLA-76 Blue-Face (or 76-type Sonar). 
4) GChorus with 16% effect (very slow rate).  
5) Waves L1 Limiter (If I really want to get an even response). You can also place the 2A here as well. 

I use a Chorus for punk-ish vocals. With a very subtle effect, it can bring to life an otherwise dull and bland lead vocal. 

Waves recommends using NLS Channel first on each channel, and then using the NLS Buss CE last on each buss. However, they state there's no real wrong was to do it. It's up to the user, mostly.

Cakewalk recommends first as well, but they state you can use it afterward if you desire to hear your effects pumped through it (so, it's very subjective). The reason is not always obvious, however. The recommendation comes in that you do this all across the DAW before starting your mix. That way, all your decisions are based on the cumulative effect of the emulations across the whole project. 

Just thought I'd add, the Console Emulation appears last in the default PC layout, too.

The esteemed Craig Anderton mentioned when using the Pro Channel "Console Emulation",to place it LAST in the chain,so that's what I've been doing since,though getting great vocals,is something I'm finding to be very "Hit and Miss"-still learning the basics,I'm afraid.

One plugin that seemed to help me a lot,was the Maserati Vocal Processor,in the Waves Maserati bundle,it just seemed to be a good starting point,for me anyway.
Bob

speedtom


thanks to all, this all makes sense. None of you mentioned an Autopitch (I like to use the G-Snap on subtle mode, just to make sure the vocals are more-in-tune) when you use one, where do you place it - at the beginning, I suppose?

Special rules for autopitch or V-vocal or melodyne..... Always, Always run the pitch correction ALONE.  I normally set up a vocal bus, sometimes several vocal busses, for main, back ground and harmony. I put the FX, reverb, EQ, etc into the busses. That leaves the FX bin in the track empty. 


So when I need to fix the vocals, I pop Melodyne Editor into the bin and work.  You don't want EQ and reverb especially in the bin effecting the notes that ME (or other) is picking up and reading. You want the clean, raw wave in ME. There is a possibilty that the other FX will affect ME in a negative way, so always use busses OR.....


Do your pitch/vocal corrections first, and when the track is CORRECT.... then and only then start putting FX into the track bin..... and that would be after you do a bounce or apply FX to the correction plug and then remove it.  

I never have ME in a bin with any other FX. 


I always do ME first or use the bins as I pointed out for vocals. AND, when I finish the vocal correction, I use the APPLY EFFECTS to print the correction to the wave and remove the plug at the same time..... then I work on other aspects of that track. 

Wouldn't you EQ before de-essing?