2014/06/21 09:03:12
Guitarhacker
I have started recording 3 unique vocal takes for lead vocal.... one is down the center and the other 2 are panned hard opposite. These panned tracks are much lower in volume....
 
I agree with Jeff up above. No matter how hard you try to make them exact, there will always be enough difference to give a really wide stereo image. That's the beauty of double tracking.
 
Depending on if you simply want to thicken the vocal as I do or create a multi-voice part.... you would need to set the volume levels of the panned tracks accordingly. For thickening, I set the panned tracks between -18db to -22 db where they are barely audible.
 
For the situation you are describing..... using thick multi-vocal choruses.... go ahead and record all the tracks you plan to use in the chorus, then, after all is recorded, set up the panning and the volume using the lead vox track as the reference.
 
I often have 8 to 10 tracks of vocals in songs where there are chorus harmonies. I record them all before I start to set up the mix on them. Often, I have everything mute except the acoustic guitar and the lead vox. When working harmonies in 3 parts, It's necessary to have the 2nd harmony playing as well so I don't double the note in unison or octave. 
 
Work it one step at a time and don't worry about the mix until everything is recorded properly. It also helps too, to have the vocal parts melodyned or pitch corrected. Some harmony, if it's not tuned, can sound like cats mating in the backyard at 2am..... so use pitch correction, especially the more tracks you have.... if those tracks are up at volume. Sometimes the slightly out of tune vox on a BGV track actually enhances the character of the parts. so decide before you pitch fix everything.... at least consider the lead vox track.
2014/07/01 14:51:48
KOC
TRK 1.                                            TRK 2.
Pan 100%L                                      Pan 100%R
subtractive EQ                                 16-64ms Delay
 
 
Coffee 
2014/07/02 11:08:23
Starise
One thing that has helped me in experimenting with the best "difference" between tracks with regard to small differences in timing is to set my project timing resolution to a very high setting ..something like 1/32 or 1/64 and then by using the nudge feature in Sonar I can move things on one track and immediately hear the effect..if I don't like it I simply nudge a bit more. In this way you can get to the best sound between tracks without the timing being too much or little.
2014/07/02 13:52:40
davdud101
I really like all these tips! So it's really the amount/percentage of difference between the two tracks that's going to make a greater difference between left and right, and that'll just take some experimentation with FX and EQ'ing and stuff. I see there are some things that can be summed into several points that I obviously should take consideration of. Thanks a bunch guys for help me out!
2014/07/04 00:21:00
KOC
Starise
One thing that has helped me in experimenting with the best "difference" between tracks with regard to small differences in timing is to set my project timing resolution to a very high setting ..something like 1/32 or 1/64 and then by using the nudge feature in Sonar I can move things on one track and immediately hear the effect..if I don't like it I simply nudge a bit more. In this way you can get to the best sound between tracks without the timing being too much or little.


 Dont you have problems with comb filtering ?
2014/07/04 22:23:51
The Band19
I like the idea of LV down the pipe, pan BGV to the sides (but not 100%) Maybe 60 to 80? And use stereo verb and delays but kill the center on them for a mid/side approach. I'm still lerning more about this, but I tried it on my last project with my son and it gave me pretty good results. And then mono anything below several hundred HZ. This way you get meat down the middle, harmonies panned, and FX on the vocals at the edges. Throw in an autopaner as needed and viola! Sweet thick goodness.
2014/07/05 09:28:57
davdud101
In fact I tried using the CW Multivoice Chorus, but that thing is odd to work with and gives just really weird, non-thickening FX. I have in the past actually hard panned each, put some pitch shifter on one sides and drop it probably 3-7 cents. I guess A just don't tend to be as vocally accurate as I was here! There clearly are a lot of techniques for making this thing work
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