While taking care of the mixdown, you‘ll realize quite often that the main vocal track sounds too weak to come out on top of the mix.
If EQ adjustments as well as chorus or reverb effects don‘t create a satisfying solution, it is time to make the vocals more present through doubling.
The effect of doubling vocals will sound more natural by multiple recordings of course. For this tutorial, though, we‘ll pretend that there is only one vocal recording and not different recordings of the same part.
I. Wider with the help of delay
Step 1:
Create an AUX track below the vocal track (Track > New track(s) > new AUX bus) and put a delay in its plug-in slot.
Step 2:
Set up the delay to a value between 15 and 30 ms. Within this range, the delay can‘t be perceived as a separate echo.
In addition set the Mix-Balance fader to 100% wet, so only the effect signal is at the effect output contact.
Step 3:
Now send the vocal signal to the AUX track. When you spread the panorama of the vocals and the AUX track a little bit, you will be able to hear how your singing becomes wider.
Throttle down the effect signal a little bit, to make the doubling subtler.
II. Doubling for fat sound
Step 1:
Copy the vocal object into a new track.
When you double the existing vocal track and place them exactly beneath one another you are only making the signal twice as loud.
Step 2:
Delay the doubled object for a few milliseconds by dragging it to the right within the arrangement using your mouse.
Step 3:
For a more natural result, put a chorus effect on the doubled track, which will create a slight floating of the sound.
Step 4:
You can also add a delay effect, to even increase the floating.
Step 5:
At least, adjust the volume and the panorama of original track and doubled track in a way that will make your vocals have a natural width.
III. Split Harmonizer
The split harmonizer effect is a well-known trick to thicken and widen your vocals.
With this method, two delayed copies, whose pitch has been adjusted, will be used and placed on the left and the right of the original signal within the panorama.
Step 1:
First of all, create duplicates of your vocals in two new tracks.
Step 2:
Move the panorama of the track „Vox_DBL1“ to the left and the panorama of the track „Vox_DBL2“ to the right
Step 3:
Now we want to add a slight pitch.
First, open the object editor by double-clicking the first duplicated vocal object and pitch the tone down by 9-12 cent (100 cent = 1 halftone)
Step 4:
Click on the second duplicated object and raise the pitch by 9 – 12 cent.
Step 5:
Create a submix bus by clicking „Track > New track(s) > New submix bus“. Let‘s call this one „Harmonizer Bus“.
Step 6:
Now we apply a delay as an insert effect on our „Harmonizer Bus“ and set it up as an single delay (without feedback) with 20 – 25 ms. Please make sure to set the effect to 100% wet.
Step 7:
Route the outputs of the duplicated vocal tracks to this new submix bus.
Step 8:
Finally, mix the submix signal into the main vocal track, until the singing sounds nicely wide and floating.
Step 9:
Feel free to play around with the pitch values and the delays for this harmonizer effect.
Another delay on the submix can widen your vocals even more.
Of course, you can also set different delays on the two doublings – in that case you may abandon the submix bus and control the copies separated.
A final tip:
Try having a 400 Hz highpass filter ahead of the delay. That will make your vocals even better.
Have fun singing & doubling your vocals!
Your Samplitude Team
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