Vocal effects

[Wayjurn]

Another thread without a better place to put it.

Anyone here know a few things about vocal effects? If so, I'm interested in knowing what kind of toys and techniques artists use to spiff up their vocals.

Some particulars:

A) In U2's "A Beautiful Day," The Edge sings a backup line (he did this on the SNL performance as well.. it goes "Daaaaaaaaaay" and holds throughout every 2 measures during the chorus) that just seems so sweet and clear, like an angel's singing.

B) 311's Blue Album.. there's a vocal backup on a few songs (it's most evident in the bridge of "Purpose," which repeats the lead line for two measures every other two measures "Whenever you come back.. Trying to pick up slack..") that seems kind of like a modulated delay, it gives this HUGE ambient sound to the vocals.

I'm usually pretty good at picking out guitar effects when I listen to songs, but this has me stumped :/

[joeinthebox1980]

Originally posted by Wayjurn
Anyone here know a few things about vocal effects? If so, I'm interested in knowing what kind of toys and techniques artists use to spiff up their vocals.

Some particulars:

A) In U2's "A Beautiful Day," The Edge sings a backup line (he did this on the SNL performance as well.. it goes "Daaaaaaaaaay" and holds throughout every 2 measures during the chorus) that just seems so sweet and clear, like an angel's singing.

maybe U2 uses a sampler? the Edge sings back up part, someone behind the scenes records it, perhaps sustains it or something and then plays it back.

as for vocal effects... i'm not too sure beyond the usual reverb, delays and echos. of course, there is also the megaphone trick that compresses your vocals and makes it sound "crunchy"

[bLuZ_RoCkz]

maybe a talk-box like the one Richie Sambora uses?

[Wayjurn]

Samples seems really likely in U2's case, although you can clearly see that it's whenever Edge comes up to the microphone that the effect part kicks in. Even then I'd like to know how they come up with the samples.

The megaphone trick is cool.. Nick Hexum used it all throughout the last 311 show I saw, it seemed to make his voice cut through the mix better.

[jjjjjj!!!!!!]

i know this isnt on topic of u2 or 311 but if you wanna hear a large array of vocal effects, check out the mars volta.

anyone who knows this band knows what im talking about.

ex at the drive in members cedric and omars new band.

cedric uses a whole array of vocal effects in recording, from delays, and tremolos even to phasers and pitch shifters. their stuff is really rad

[Adam]

I don't know anything about the particular songs you mentioned, but it sounds like you're after some heavy FX. I also don't know what you have, but experiment with running the vox through everything you have, one at a time, and in combinations. Run them into an amp/pa, use a ton of compression, try different mics, gate them...... Have fun!

[idealflaw]

edge used the same effect on New YEars day, especially evident in the live performances. All it is, I'm pretty sure is a reverb with 100% wet setting,,, no origional signal.

i don't think there's anything terribly tricky about it, he just holds the note for awhile..

[joeinthebox1980]

Originally posted by idealflaw
edge used the same effect on New YEars day, especially evident in the live performances. All it is, I'm pretty sure is a reverb with 100% wet setting,,, no origional signal.

i don't think there's anything terribly tricky about it, he just holds the note for awhile..

that's probably the most logical explanation... although, i wouldn't put it past U2 to go outta there way and do something really complex. heh.

they're sneaky fellas during concerts and such.

[VillageIdiot]

A good example of a megaphone being used is the first verse of Eulogy by Tool.

It gives that really rad crunchy. lo fi and distant sound.

I think they use it on their cover of No Quarter too. :D

[boyecho]

amen on the info about the mars volta. in fact before at the drive-in finally bit the dust i had the pleasure to see them at their best... cedric indeed had a music stand with a ton of guitar effects [and possibly vocal effects] on it, boss pedals and such, which he'd trigger when he had a second where he was actually standing up.

but he goes even crazier with the mars volta...

[Crash]

This isn't about either of those songs, but if you run vocals through a twelve string simlulater it gives them a pretty sweet sound. I don't think you'd want to do it for a whole song but for intro's or outro's etc. it could work pretty well. They sound distant like they're being played on an old record player or something. There was a song on the radio a while back where the vocals started like that, don't remember what it was but it's a nice little trick.

[Anders]

I think they use it on their cover of No Quarter too. :D


Yes, they did. Amazing cover, isn't it?

[zimzim]

i'll also add an easy to boost vocals if you're recording...

record one vocal track with the pitch turned down (singing a little slower, of course)--then go back and play at regular speed...

and record another vocal on another track at regular speed. this gives a stereo sound with 2 pitches...

it's easy, and works very well IMO.

[Wayjurn]

Regarding Tool--

Isn't that more of a slight distortion effect? UPO and Days of the New use it a lot too.

[AndyLES]

I work on the Weekends as a guitar tech for a U2 tribute Band
(www.uf2.com).

On the studio version of "Beautiful day," the Edge's backing vocal is actually a harmony part sung by him and producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and Bono...Live, the Edge sings it, but has help from a sampler for the harmony (everything is syched via a click track patched into drummer Larry Mullen Jr.'s monitor). Listen carefully to the "Elevation live in Boston" DVD or VHS and you can tell...the Edge sings "DAAAAYYYY" while a sample of Bono goes "La la la/la laaaaa/ la/la/ laaaaaaa"

With the tribute band, our "Edge" just sings it himself, although we admit the effect is not as, well, angelic, as you put it. To compensate for the lack of a vocal sample, we add a significant amount of reverb.

As for the lead vocal effects, we use a Digitech vocal300. Its an inexpensive unit, but I can't recommend it enough for anyone who wants a good introduction into vocal effects. For our "Bono", I use a hall reverb with about 240 milliseconds of quick delay for that arena vibe.

[fiveways]

For vocal effects I can not say enough about the electrix Warp factory Vocoders.....I LOVE mine. Anything from CB radio trash to full on ROBOTIC hell......It is my main vocal effect.

[Nathan_Adams]

yeah, megaphones are sweet.
notable performance: matt bellamy on the muse 'hullabaloo' dvd (zenith paris concert) singing a verse of 'feeling good' through a megaphone - sounds fantastically distorted and lo-fi

[The User]

Im looking at using a megaphone during shows.
As for other effects, I know John Davis (Korn) is into Whammy Pedals (i think he is having one custom made that he can controll via a hand switch), and Korg Kaoss pads. I hope I spelt that correctly.
I am curious as to what distortion Marilyn Manson uses on his voice.

But personally, the only thing I add to my vocal signal (live) is a little reverb.

[Ice age coming]

i want to use a megaphone in my band, we are getting one soon though its very not originial..... but it sounds so awesome :D

[cin]

Hey, didn't roger waters use a megaphone on "waiting for the worms"? That was waaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1979. ;P

[Ice age coming]

i dont know if he did use one but Matt Bellamy (Muse: love that band) use one and Papa Roach use one(god i dislike that band)....

[Ice age coming]

an BTW i love to use my Big Muff on my voice its sounds like a ****ty slipknot intro :D (sorry about the aforementioned Matt Bellamy didnt see that before now...)

[pianoguitar]

Um, this isn't a vocal question, but is however about beautiful day played live. Anybody know what OD he uses at the end of the song? It sounds so rich and full and throaty. I am talking about U2's performance on SNL. Thanks.

[ThinPaperWings]

Since that part sounds to me like overdrive (and not a fuzz) it's either a TS-9 or an SD-1. His tech said he used the TS-9 for 90% of the regular distortion sounds on the last album. It replaced the SD-1, which was used heavily during the early years. It's certainly possible that he used the SD-1 for that part of Beautiful Day though, because it sounds exactly like the stuff from Boy.
I should note, that he also used the same guitar for that song (Gibson Explorer) that he used on all the early stuff. That is probably a big part of that sound, just like the vintage AC30 and the Korg SDD-3000/TC Electronics 2290.

[pianoguitar]

I read that he used an Eventide Ultra Harmonizer H3000 on the very high notes in "Beautiful Day". However, maybe at the end of the song it was just a combination of the ts-9 and the korg /tc electronics delays that give the end of the song its impressive sound. By the way, how much are the Korg SDD-3000/TC Electronics 2290? I think I would like a very warm digital delay so I can tap tempo my delays.

Oh yeah, lots of U2 gear info at http://www.u2sound.com

Originally posted by ThinPaperWings
Since that part sounds to me like overdrive (and not a fuzz) it's either a TS-9 or an SD-1. His tech said he used the TS-9 for 90% of the regular distortion sounds on the last album. It replaced the SD-1, which was used heavily during the early years. It's certainly possible that he used the SD-1 for that part of Beautiful Day though, because it sounds exactly like the stuff from Boy.
I should note, that he also used the same guitar for that song (Gibson Explorer) that he used on all the early stuff. That is probably a big part of that sound, just like the vintage AC30 and the Korg SDD-3000/TC Electronics 2290.

[ThinPaperWings]

SDD-3000s are really expensive. They can go up to $1000 or more if I'm not mistaken. The 2290s are even more expensive than that, I think. (I think they have more memory slots and might be midi controllable).

The SDD-2000 (the 'little brother' of the 3000) seems to be the delay of choice among Edge sound-a-likes. I have one, and it is definately an excellent choice. It's got a bit of grain in it that makes it feel real and authentic. It doesn't behave like an analog delay (no progressively degrading repeats) but it doesn't sound digital either. A great piece of gear. Usually they go for $200-250 on ebay but I've seen some go for $100-150 recently!

[pianoguitar]

Wow, thanks. I'll keep that in mind.

Originally posted by ThinPaperWings
SDD-3000s are really expensive. They can go up to $1000 or more if I'm not mistaken. The 2290s are even more expensive than that, I think. (I think they have more memory slots and might be midi controllable).

The SDD-2000 (the 'little brother' of the 3000) seems to be the delay of choice among Edge sound-a-likes. I have one, and it is definately an excellent choice. It's got a bit of grain in it that makes it feel real and authentic. It doesn't behave like an analog delay (no progressively degrading repeats) but it doesn't sound digital either. A great piece of gear. Usually they go for $200-250 on ebay but I've seen some go for $100-150 recently!

[VillageIdiot]

Dude... don't do the Haitian voodoo crap and bring back dead threads- its just confusing.

You are allowed to start new ones you know...

[hairy_jr]

i saw this system of a down video of suite pee live a bdo in australia somewhere and he used delay and panned microphones in one bit. Thats right he used one microphone panned to the left and one panned to the right.

[idealflaw]

a vocal effect that I'm really fond of cannot be produced in a live setting.

i like to record vocals to tape/disk and take the recording and reverse it. after reversing it, i'll add reverb to it and reverse it back forward. The end result is awesome-- the reverb for a word comes before the actual word is spoken. it's an aural-foreshadow. really astonishing effect that's been used very effectively for years..

A great example of it is on SMashing Pumkins "Silver F*Ck" when he sings "Bang bang you're dead", part,,, that's how that is done. simple---mind-blowing trick..

[Ice age coming]

Originally posted by idealflaw
a vocal effect that I'm really fond of cannot be produced in a live setting.

i like to record vocals to tape/disk and take the recording and reverse it. after reversing it, i'll add reverb to it and reverse it back forward. The end result is awesome-- the reverb for a word comes before the actual word is spoken. it's an aural-foreshadow. really astonishing effect that's been used very effectively for years..

A great example of it is on SMashing Pumkins "Silver F*Ck" when he sings "Bang bang you're dead", part,,, that's how that is done. simple---mind-blowing trick..


aaah thats awesome! i was just going to mention smashing pumpkins :D

[VillageIdiot]

Yeah reverse reverb is indeed awesome... it sounds great on drums too. (sparingly :p)