Hey everyone,
 
I wanted to know what are some of your go-to techniques when you want to create unique-sounding vocals. If you have any references to articles and/or Youtube videos, all the better. It could be anything: phasor on delay through an auto-panner, 5 parallel distortion chains, a doubling the lead with a vocoded version etc... Let's hear it, nothing is too simple or too crazy.

I try not to get to heavy-handed with FX on a lead, especially if good and exposed. However, using harmonies/background vocals can fall into the "fair game" category for playing around.
 
A useful Melodyne tutorial is their "Reverb shimmer" one, which touches on some nice techniques. If you knock the consonants off words, it opens up a lot of possibilities on what can be done with the rest. There is a lot more leeway for adjustment when only the vowels/formants are in play. That example is fairly "extreme," but the same idea applies.
 
Barring FX to the entire vocal, I find adjustments simpler if moving the lead material to a second track that will be modified. In my experience, accentuating material is more effective than modifying an entire track (especially a lead).

Mic-Midas preamp-LA2A going to disc.
 
Once I'm in Sonar, UAD Neve 1081-UAD Neve 33609-Cakewalk VX-64 Vocal Strip-Sonitus Delay-PSP Stereo Enhancer
 
Nothing unique, but I sure do love the sound. :)
 
-Danny

Hey mettelus,
 That reverb shimmer trick looks interesting. I'm thinking about trying it out soon. It looks like you can get some pretty interesting colors using that trick in conjunction with choruses, phasors, flangers, harmonizers, stereo-widening etc... especially when you start mixing and panning those sounds to taste. You definitely don't have to be heavy-handed with a technique like that to get a unique sound. I'm sure playing with the formant properties in Melodyne can broaden the palette substantially.
 
The technique mentioned in this video is something that enriches the vocal as well:
http://therecordingrevolution.com/2015/07/09/the-vocal-air-trick-in-mixing/
 
I use it quite a bit. It gives the vocal a hi-fi sound.

Hey Danny,
 
Recording can be thought of as the 2nd stage of sound design, so that's definitely fair game. What modules are you using in the Vocal Strip? How are you using the LA2A? Are you just passing the signal through, managing the headroom? Let me know.
 

If I'm truly after "unique", by definition that means eschewing the normal "go-to" techniques and thinking outside the box. However, "unique" is rarely the goal. A better adjective might be "characterful", IOW not strictly unique but also not humdrum.
 
There is no effect that's off-limits. That includes effects normally associated with guitars and synthesizers, such as a Leslie emulator or a fuzzbox. Experimentation is encouraged.
 
But you asked for a specific technique, so OK, here's one: parallel distortion. Run the vocal through a distortion plugin, preferably one with a wet/dry mix control. A useful one that's also free is Boogex from Voxengo. If you don't have a distortion plugin with a wet/dry knob, insert a send and place the effects on a bus. This has the added advantage of being able to effect the distortion component further, such as placing a chorus plugin after it.

Awesome ideas bitflipper, sometimes I like to put the chorus before the distortion as it can help bring out all of the subtle movement the chorus is creating. Here's an SOS article that I read not too long ago:
 
https://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr09/articles/cubasetech_0409.htm
 
In short, it details a technique used by a famous mixer. He uses 5 different parallel compression chains to get a sound out of each. He then blends and automates the level for different textures. I've used it with parallel distortion as well, using different distortion plug-ins on each send. It has the added benefit of compressing the signal which also helps my vocals stay consistent on top of a mix.

i think the most unique vocal sound you can get,
is the most dry, hot, in your face unaffected pure vocal you can capture.
 
it's your voice, in all of it's UNIQUENESS (and for better, or worse)