Vocals

Double tracking

Doubling is extremely effective in creating depth and space

• Doubles can be panned together adding depth and unique character, or they can be panned apart to add width.
• ex. try panning them wide during verses, and centre during chorus
• ex. try panning early verses/choruses wide, but pan centre during later ones for added intensity.

note: breaths and sibilance (s’s and t’s) can be extremely distracting when out of time. As such, they can simply be removed completely from Vocal2.

• Also, consider reducing the s’s and t’s in the doubles with de-essing so as not to clash with the main vocal.

Consider not always using double tracking on every word. Save double tracking for emphasis on select lines to emphasize a lyric.

Consider using a different microphone for Vocal2, which will create some separation, texture and depth in the vocal mix.

To create a lot of vocal power, consider having two separate vocal doubles. Pan the main vocal centre, and pan each double track hard left and right respectively.

Types of Double

• Unison (ie. Double)
• Octave - singing an octave higher/lower than main vocal line. Tuck it a little lower in the mix than the lead vocal
  • ex. falsetto double
  • ex. lower octave double
• Melodic interval
  • ex. https://youtu.be/bhh6alcX7Yo?t=509

Try

• vocal1 panned centre, and vocal2 panned hard left, with slight delay panned hard right
• lead vocal panned centre, with 2 unison double tracks panned hard left and right to result in a thick vocal
• lead vocal panned centre, with 2 lower octave double tracks panned ~50% left and right, so as to support (and not distract from) the lead vocal