Ross Brown Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I go back and forth between liking to use effects on my vocals (a little reverb or something like it) and not using them. My wife doesn't like them in general on anyone, including me. I think they can add a lot. What do you do... or what do you like to hear? "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I don't know anyone who doesn't use reverb on vocals. Just don't make it sound like you're singing in a cave. I'm still working on developing my reverse echo unit for when I do play in a cave or gymnasium. (yes, I do play in caves: wine caves in the Napa Valley. It's horrible, horrible, I say.) Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 wine cave.... sounds interesting.... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I don't know anyone who doesn't use reverb on vocals. Well, Jeremy, I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Griff. Now you know someone who doesn't use reverb on vocals. I prefer a single-shot quick delay (50ms) coupled with a touch of chorus, all designed to create an illusion of depth and thickness to a voice. Adding reverb is like sticking the vocalist behind the drummer in the soundscape. Adding quick delay and chorus is like putting him/her up front, where he/she belongs. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bear Jew Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The coolest effect you can have on your voice is conviction. \m/ Erik "To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting." --Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Nice to meet you, Griff. Please come and talk to the singers that I work with. They demand reverb in the monitors as well as in the mains and usually at levels at which sound terrible to me. And good luck convincing them of anything! Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5 string Mike Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 A touch of reverb isn't bad, but most people who use it go overboard. Vocal effects can enhance already strong vocals, but too many singers and sound people fall into the "a little is good, a lot is better" mentality and make singers sound awful. "Political language... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind"- George Orwell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 The coolest effect you can have on your voice is conviction. My wife went to your school.... she says sing to the back of the room and make sure you tell your story.... she is not bad at it.... I am thinking I like a little effects on my voice... to enhance my conviction... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michele C. Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 The coolest effect you can have on your voice is conviction. Tik, tik, tok, tok ... excuse me for the noise, I'm engraving it in stone -- Michele Costabile (http://proxybar.net) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Please come and talk to the singers that I work with. They demand reverb in the monitors as well as in the mains and usually at levels at which sound terrible to me. And good luck convincing them of anything! Oh, my pet peeve. I ran sound (whilst playing bass) in my last band. Vocalist: "Can you put more reverb in the monitors?" Me: "Monitors are for hearing yourself, your pitch." Vocalist: "But it doesn't sound 'pretty' enough". Me: "Reverb can hide 'pitchiness' (thanks to Randy Jackson)". Vocalist: "But it doesn't sound 'pretty' enough". Me (under my breath): "...and there you are...". Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WCriley Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 I'm with Griffinator. A single quick slapback with maybe a touch of chorus. I usually have it set so that you barely notice it. Reverb should be reserved for backing vocals, to make them them sound a little farther away than the lead. JBFLA: True story. I worked with a vocalist who loved reverb. One night when he kept asking for more reverb, I told him I was adding it. But what I actually did was turn his monitor down, so he heard more of the room's natural "bounce". He said it sounded perfect. One of the mind games a sound operator learns to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Depend onhe room and the song. But generally, the effects sound guys use onus are the delays an such. Usuall the room has enough reverberation that adding more just muddys it up. But in my duo when I ran my own sound, we would use a little reverb in some songs - mainly stuff like depeche mode or outfield - stuff ha had lots of reverb n the origional. Otherwise it was slapback, chorus, and maybe a tiny touch of a short room or plate reverb. If so, I would use a fairly significant pre delay o keep it from getting muddy and washed out. And monitors ALWAYS bone dry! Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I want a vocal processer that make me sound like Bon Scott. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I want a vocal processer that make me sound like Bon Scott. I strongly recommend this: http://www.thecubdom.com/images/justsayin/noose.jpg A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b5pilot Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Well, you can always get that damn autotune/robot effect and not worry about it at all. Seriously, I like a dry vocal mix coming through the monitor. Coloring throws me off. PA wise, toss in whatever preferably a little reverb. Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Toyed with "Plate" effect last night. Was not bad. I dial everything way back. I'll see what the band thinks... oh yea... reverb too... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard W Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Conviction, always. Reverb, sometimes. "Everyone wants to change the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves." Leo Tolstoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 BTW - that Bonn Scott crack wasn't a suggestion to hang oneself, but rather a shot at Bonn himself, since he always sounded a bit like a strangled chicken... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Brown Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 BTW - that Bonn Scott crack wasn't a suggestion to hang oneself, but rather a shot at Bonn himself, since he always sounded a bit like a strangled chicken... That's the way I took it.... never considered hanging myself... I have heard Bonn Scott.... "When I take a stroll down Jackass Lane it is usually to see someone that is already there" Mrs. Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Just wanted to be clear... A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plangentmusic Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Please come and talk to the singers that I work with. They demand reverb in the monitors as well as in the mains and usually at levels at which sound terrible to me. And good luck convincing them of anything! Oh, my pet peeve. I ran sound (whilst playing bass) in my last band. Vocalist: "Can you put more reverb in the monitors?" Me: "Monitors are for hearing yourself, your pitch." Vocalist: "But it doesn't sound 'pretty' enough". Me: "Reverb can hide 'pitchiness' (thanks to Randy Jackson)". Vocalist: "But it doesn't sound 'pretty' enough". Me (under my breath): "...and there you are...". This is a total misconception. Hearing a vocal dry just sounds lousy. It's like asking a guitarist to play a rocking solo wit a clean sound and adding the overdrive later. Or telling the bassist to turn down on stage because he's loud through the P.A. It doesn't work that way. You need to hear what you sound like. Slapback will sound like the 50's, if that's what you want. Chorus on vocals? It didn't work in the 80's and it still doesn't work. You'll likely never hear a pro recording with chorus on the vocals. The amount of reverb goes in and out of style. Today, the sound is dryer, but there's still SOME reverb. Always. JAZZ UN-STANDARDS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vE4FoJ4Cr4&feature=related DON'T FEAR...THE REVERB! 60's Instrumentals with MORE BASS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 This is a total misconception. Hearing a vocal dry just sounds lousy. It's like asking a guitarist to play a rocking solo wit a clean sound and adding the overdrive later. Or telling the bassist to turn down on stage because he's loud through the P.A. It doesn't work that way. You need to hear what you sound like. Slapback will sound like the 50's, if that's what you want. Chorus on vocals? It didn't work in the 80's and it still doesn't work. You'll likely never hear a pro recording with chorus on the vocals. The amount of reverb goes in and out of style. Today, the sound is dryer, but there's still SOME reverb. Always. We may have to agree to disagree. "Hearing a vocal dry sounds lousy" - If the vocalist is more than concerned with the final product, they should get a recording of the board mix, or a recording from the room. Is 'what they hear' more about them or the end result? The monitor mix should provide them with a realistic example of what they are actually singing. Would you add Auto-tune to the monitor mix if the song required it? I want my vocalists to hear themselves accurately (sometimes a tricky situation in itself). Effects only add to the potential problem. Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I think our singers practice singing in the shower and want their voices to sound like that on stage, without the distraction of hearing those pesky instruments. Hey, I've got an idea! If the singers were sufficiently good-looking, you could put a shower on stage, one of those with glass shower doors and they could sing from in there! Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBFLA Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Hey, I've got an idea! If the singers were sufficiently good-looking, you could put a shower on stage, one of those with glass shower doors and they could sing from in there! Would this work? Working behind that front line was... inspiring. Jim Confirmed RoscoeHead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plangentmusic Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Reverb adds to a potential problem? Do you sing? I'm not sure where that's coming from. Maybe, if you're drenched in it. Is it about "them" or the end result?" Well, their performance IS the end result. How would you like to hear your bass without speakers or headphones while you record a song and be told it's not about you. Makes no sense to me. JAZZ UN-STANDARDS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vE4FoJ4Cr4&feature=related DON'T FEAR...THE REVERB! 60's Instrumentals with MORE BASS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Reverb adds to a potential problem? Do you sing? I'm not sure where that's coming from. Maybe, if you're drenched in it. Is it about "them" or the end result?" Well, their performance IS the end result. How would you like to hear your bass without speakers or headphones while you record a song and be told it's not about you. Makes no sense to me. 1) This is a discussion about the live mix, not a studio recording. 2) Heavy reverb not only masks the actual performance, but also can throw off the vocalist's timing. 3) In a live situation, with wedge monitors, reverb in the monitors causes feedback problems, among other things. 4) Your analogy of taking away the bassist's monitoring system completely is completely and totally irrelevant. No one's making the vocalist sing without any sort of monitoring system, we're just saying that, particularly in a live venue, reverb makes the vocals sound WORSE, not better, hence the use of chorus and slapback to create a dense vocal product, which is very, very beneficial live, probably not so much in the studio. 5) Chorus didn't work on vocals in the 80's because double-tracking was a much more efficient way to create that depth. Not an option in a live venue, unless you want to really go all out and use a sophisticated vocalizer system that can create extra voices that actually have different timbres than the one singing. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plangentmusic Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Do you sing? I've never heard of a little reverb throwing off someone's pitch. The analogy with playing a bass unplugged is the fact that we all need to hear things sounding good. It's pretty uninspiring to hear a dry sound just as it's uninspiring to hear a thin bottomless bass tone. And sorry, I would never use chorus on vocals, then again, chorus in general is a dated effect. But that's me. JAZZ UN-STANDARDS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vE4FoJ4Cr4&feature=related DON'T FEAR...THE REVERB! 60's Instrumentals with MORE BASS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I do sing - and I didn't say throwing off pitch, I said throwing off timing - big difference. Horses for courses, dude. You obviously don't run sound live. I have done plenty of studio recording, and yes, if the vocalist wanted f***ing Sistine Chapel in an echo loop level reverb in their cans, I'd give it to them if I thought they'd actually sing worth a damn with it. On stage, unless they've got an IEM and I've got a spare processor to dedicate strictly to their mix, tough s*** - it's about the product I present to the audience, not what some prima donna vocalist wants. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamy ALB Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Reverb should just be used sparingly just to set the vocals in the mix. If you can hear the effect standing out then its too much. I've never come across reverb causing a timing issue, delay can be a distraction. I have used a short delay on FOH vocals with a little reverb. It doesn't mask a bad performance though out of key is out of key. http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Little-Bitter/185235472447 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Reverb should just be used sparingly just to set the vocals in the mix. If you can hear the effect standing out then its too much. I've never come across reverb causing a timing issue, delay can be a distraction. I have used a short delay on FOH vocals with a little reverb. It doesn't mask a bad performance though out of key is out of key. You've never worked with singers that demanded Sistine-Chapel-level reverb in their monitors on stage. A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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