Vocal Effects?????
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Posted on Nov 29, 2008 05:43 pm
amcolan
Member Since: Jan 24, 2007
Hello Again,
Can someone offer some guidance when it comes to adding reverb and delay to a vocal track. Im still kind of new at this. Im using the internal effects from Sonar 6. I can never really get a good mix of effects for my vocal tracks, especially the main track.. It always sounds like there is too much or too little reverb. I hear a lot of songs with a slight delay on the vocal tracks, but when i try to add a little delay it sounds like crap.
any help, tips, tricks would be great. especially with mixing effects between the main and backing vocals to make a good sound.
My vocal mic is decent, im using a AKG 3000B condenser. I was thinking of upgrading eventually if that will make a big difference.
Thanks
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Nov 29, 2008 09:51 pm The best advice I can offer is to keep playing with the settings and explore all possibilities.
Often, one can try to compensate for a bad sound by adding effects to it, then wonder why the effects don't work.
Not saying your sound is bad, but it is something to ponder.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Nov 29, 2008 10:06 pm try using two reverbs.
one room one and one short one eg;
a "short vocal plate" and a "plate room",
but turn down the pre delay on the short to 0 and the reverb time to 0.5, and on the room one, pre delay to about 8-10ms, and the reverb time to 1.5.
mix the two together with ya vox, till you feel its right. the room verb will give it the spacious feel you need and the short plate will place it in the mix and take the edge off it. up to you how much you wanna put on it.
when you use your verb are you blending it, or are you just putting the effect straight over the vox?
ya need to be able to adjust the amount of volume of verb going over the vox. if you just slap it on top its no good.
Nov 30, 2008 12:28 am I disagree with using two verbs at the same time. The science behind reverberation is to mimic a spacial field. The algorithms used in digital reverb effects will fight with one another when combined. They will create an effect for sure, but probably not a realistic one. It's OK to pick one good sounding verb setting and use it!
I'm a purist. Your mileage may vary, etc.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Nov 30, 2008 07:29 am i read this method in a sound on sound mag. for drums.
dont know the opposing mechanics of using two differnt verbs, but it seems to work so much better than just one.
i guess what using the two does, is fill
the stereo field more, so the vox or whatever ya using it for blends in the mix better better.
i would suspect the pre delay would be key to this, hence the pre delay on the short verb is very short. i guess even the room one is fairly short too.
Nov 30, 2008 11:12 am I only said that to get a rise outa ya. I was in a feisty mood last night eh.
Nov 30, 2008 11:53 am Try putting a bit of compression on the reverb buss. Bump the EQ a bit to make it sit better -- "where" you bump it is up to the mix - But reverb is like anything else -- It needs its own space or it will be masked by something else.
A reverb that sounds wonderful on the verb buss isn't necessarily going to sound wonderful in the mix...
Nov 30, 2008 03:40 pm I havent really used the buss. I have been adding reverb to specific tracks. Am i better off using one of the effects sends instead of the way I have been adding effects.
Are the effects sends and busses the same thing???
Nov 30, 2008 04:11 pm You almost always want to use reverb, delay, etc, effects as a side chain effect. Thus, "effect send" to the "effect bus" and blending the two signals. If you use an inline effect, you are more than likely using too much effect. But, also, if you are using an effect it can go both ways.
If you have a bad vocal line and you add some doubling delay, you are essentially and hypothetically making bad twice.
Dematrixhttp://www.reverbnation.com/2ndgMember
Since: Nov 27, 2007
Dec 01, 2008 12:26 am I only said that to get a rise outa ya. I was in a feisty mood last night eh.
I had multiple rises that day, so i was all risen out.
Jan 01, 2009 05:36 pm Put the reverb on a bus and eq the top out of it. This makes the vocal warmer and less echo-ey.
If necessary, try a bit of compression.
