vocal effect help!

I am trying to use plug ins and certain vocal effects to get my voice to sound pretty similar to an artist named somo...
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMzW8QuTdYc
i think hes using a lot of compression and maybe very very very little auto-tune? anyone have an idea?
and anyone know what mic hes using? looks like a nuemann or maybe a mxl mic?

That vocal has had the whole kitchen sink of effects thrown at it, in keeping with modern standards, but the key here is subtlety. Except for the delay, you're barely aware that it's got at least two reverbs and double-tracking (or maybe Waves' Doubler) thickening it up. For the delay effect, either use a long predelay or put it on its own bus with a sidechained compressor that's keyed off the lead vocal itself. Everything I hear in that example can be done entirely with built-in SONAR effects.

Sure. I'll PM you my email address.

Mike the signal chain that Dave has suggested is simply a way of controlling how loud the delay effects are. The vocal side chain that is controlling the compressor which will I assume be placed after the delay effect will duck down the delays while the vocal line is actually present. (How much the delay effect is ducked down depends on how the compressor is set up) As the delays are lower while the vocals are present they wont interfere as much or step on the vocal very much only hint in the background.

But as soon as the vocal stops the delay effects will jump up back to their normal return level and hence be louder. Only the last word or words will end up being heard. (in the delay that is)

This was discussed in another thread a while back. For this to work though the vocal needs to be on its own track and be assigned direct to the main outs. (or to a vocal buss) The vocal signal also needs to be sent in to the compressor which is after the delay effect also on its own buss. Vocals obviously also need to sent to the delay buss too.

This concept also applies equally well to reverb and people should go the extra mile to set this up because it can make quite a difference in terms of how much the reverb will cloud a vocal while the vocal is present. In fact you don't really want much reverb at all while the vocal line is actually present. It is after a word is sung or spoken and there is no more vocals after that point that the reverb can be brought up a notch and hence be heard. It creates the illusion there is more reverb on the vocals that what there actually is.

Another good trick for reverb too is to use a longer predelay and a shorter reverb time. That will also create the illusion the reverb is bigger than it actually is. If you combined that with sidechaining or ducking it ends up very convincing.

Yeh, what Jeff said. I like to use the lead vocal to duck the delay. You can have a big, thick delay that never gets in the way. Very much like in the OP's reference.

I use an envelope when I do that stuff? I mix it down, put it in an envelope, and mail it to somebody? And they usually write back, "this sucks..." Don't give up your day job.

bitflipper


Sure. I'll PM you my email address.

thanks i sent you an email

Six variations in the file I'm sending to you:
1. Dry, as you sent it to me
2. Waves Doubler, light setting
3. Gated delay
4. Two reverbs, one short, one long
5. Waves Doubler, heavier setting plus the two reverbs
6. Same as #5 but with parallel compression  

The main non-bundled effect I used was the Waves Doubler plugin. However, you do not need this plugin to achieve the effect. It just makes it more convenient. It merely duplicates an old technique, which is to clone the vocal twice and pitch one clone up a few cents and the other down a few cents.

I also used FabFilter Pro-C for the parallel compression. Again, you don't need a special compressor to do this and it can be accomplished using only the bundled Sonitus compressor. Pro-C just makes it easier by providing a wet/dry mix, alleviating the need for a separate compressor bus.