The best and easiest way to make your vocals stand out in a song is the use of vocal effects to make the singer’s voice jump out of the speakers.
It does not matter whether you are looking for parallel processing tricks for larger vocals, cool slapback echoes, advanced double-tracking, or aggressive megaphone effects, these will be talked about here.
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Vocal Widening Trick
When to use: For subtle widening of vocals to give more depth across the stereo spectrum.
How to use: send the vocal to a bus, add a compressor and a stereo widener to it. Add the stereo widening until the vocal starts sounding larger.
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Tape Slap
When to use: For a live-sounding studio feel. It makes your vocal sounds like it was recorded in an old-fashion studio with all the instruments around it.
How to use: Use the Kramer Tape plug-in and use the slap/delay section to add it to the main vocal without having to use it as a send. You can duplicate it without the Kramer tape by making use of a slap echo and some analog saturation.
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Advanced ADT and Depth Without Space
When to use: Utilize this technique when you want a vocal depth without space. It will make your vocals larger and more present without you having to add any reverb tail that could clutter up the mix.
How to use: Send the vocals to a stereo delay with 21 ms on the left and 29 ms on the right. Then you should go ahead to use a pitch-shifter to detune or pitch up the vocal about 10 cents. Add the send under the main vocal track until you have reached your desired ambience. Another advanced way to go about doing this is with two mono delays panned hard left and hard right with one pitch shifter detuning the vocal 10 cents while the other pitches the vocal up 10 cents.
