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First off, thanks for everyone's help with all of my questions. I am making HUGE strides in my writing and arranging. It helps A LOT to know what is going on to be able to communicate what I am trying to do. That being said, how do you get this type of vocal sound? The vocals I am referring to are the sort of really airy "oo" or "ah" sound. Not the lead, and not the harmony vocals though. [video:youtube] https://youtu.be/fHjhsRW-cZw?t=2m46s[/video] How do you get that airy of a vocal sound? I'm guessing...lightly sung, many layers, and a prime reverb? Lay it on me  I have always like this type of filler vocal to create emotion. Thanks again in advance!
Last edited by HearToLearn; 07/21/15 08:47 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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... The vocals I am referring to are the sort of really airy "oo" or "ah" sound. Not the lead, and not the harmony vocals though. Seriously, you can hear a vocal besides the lead and harmony? Boy or Boy I remember there was a time my ears could pick out each extension of a chord voicing, but today that ship has sailed.
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Without knowing what you have to start with, we can only give canned responses.
Reverb (adds layers)
EQ
Delay (adds layers)
Time/Pitch Shift (adds layers)
Panning
those would be starting points.
I assume 2:47 is an example of these layers (?)
You are on the right track; layers and timing of these layers (such as reverb delay, time delay etc) is important .. but so is EQ (before and after above effects).
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Seriously, you can hear a vocal besides the lead and harmony? Boy or Boy I remember there was a time my ears could pick out each extension of a chord voicing, but today that ship has sailed.
Nah. We're just messing with you. You're not missing anything. Tell me the same when my hearing goes...and I know it will (drummer).
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Without knowing what you have to start with, we can only give canned responses.
Reverb (adds layers)
EQ
Delay (adds layers)
Time/Pitch Shift (adds layers)
Panning It's sort of funny. You are saying "without knowing what you have to start with" and I'm asking "where do I start" those would be starting points.
I assume 2:47 is an example of these layers (?)
You are on the right track; layers and timing of these layers (such as reverb delay, time delay etc) is important .. but so is EQ (before and after above effects). Yes indeed 2:47 is the example. They are so smooth and airy sounding. I love that sound! Where to start?
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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This may be a better way of asking my question...starting from square one, what steps should I take to get that type of sound? 
Last edited by HearToLearn; 07/22/15 02:53 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Yes indeed 2:47 is the example. They are so smooth and airy sounding. I love that sound! Where to start?
Just to be clear, you are talking about this little rhythmic vocal riff?? Vocals at 2:47
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Yes indeed 2:47 is the example. They are so smooth and airy sounding. I love that sound! Where to start?
Just to be clear, you are talking about this little rhythmic vocal riff?? Vocals at 2:47 Thanks for asking, nope...the oo's and ah's right after that. They are there, I promise In fact, they are the only vocals occurring between the words "jeans" and "drip" if that helps.
Last edited by HearToLearn; 07/22/15 12:20 PM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Damn, nothing. I know I do have a lot of high frequency hearing loss. Let me try again with the hearing aids on. I'm feeling a little sad knowing what I missing.... 
BIAB – 2026, Reaper (current), i7-12700F Processor, 32GB DDR4-3200MHz RAM, Motu Audio Express 6x6 - My SoundCloud.
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Hard to hear them because of how the mix is done.
BUT....
They are harmony vocals.... doing the ooooh and aaaah.... you speak of....
They are likely spread wide.... kinda hard to hear because one of the tricks to this sound is the fact that it is NOT very loud and up where you can hear it clearly...and that's intentional......hence the reason lots of folks are missing it.
Quite a few of my songs use this vocal technique because I like it as well.
Main vocal is up the center, and at the highest volume. There are also very likely 2 or more (in multiples of 2) duplicate lead vocal tracks layered considerably lower ....-12dB or perhaps more.... and spread left and right. This thickens the lead vocals....
Then, add harmony vocals or oohs and aahs and have them singing harmony and place them even lower in the mix....
This makes for a really fat sounding vocal where most folks that hear it do not realize that it's a composite of 5 or more tracks.....all at various levels and layers.
The bro country singer has them buried and very hard to hear......so.....
That's different from what you asked on how to get the airey oohs and aaahs.... I think of the Eagles for that sound....and yeah...similar techniques. BUT.... the parts in question are pith perfect, higher in level and with a different reverb than the other vocals... larger space but not maxed out.
Hope that puts you in the ball park for what you're wanting to know.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Since you asked how, I can tell you what I would try from a blind start (below).
We asked "what you had to start with" meaning the sound of what you are starting with; the tracks. Some here may be able to tell you exact settings on given effects IF they had a sample of what you are starting with. Maybe even a TGS file all set up and ready to go.
One approach:
Picture a stage with the lead singer in center.
Picture where the other vocalists are and pan your backups to suit.
Put a reverb on them and try panning the reverb to either be coming from the opposite side, or from behind them. It most likely should be different than the main reverb on the vocals and mix. Separate reverb on a buss for the backups or applied to each track.
Many times a 'Plate' type reverb can be used for this type of backing since it is pretty well buried. Play with the predelay on the reverb; it is as important as the tail and the volume for this effect.
Eq the bottom end out (another reason some may not hear them). Whole different sound intentionally. Think 'above the main vox' in frequency, but not volume. This EQ may be able to used on all tracks in the same buss as the reverb, depending on how you work.
Pull them down in the mix and mask them with either a synth pad or horns. Many times these techniques include some sort of other instrument(s) doubling the part.
Listen, adjust, take a break and listen again.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Awesome! Awesome! Awesome! I so appreciate the insights...again! NOW, I have some things to try!
You are all so fantastic!
THANK YOU!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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I just wanted to say thank you with this. I reference your answers often. Your responses have been truly appreciated!
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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Some really cool tips here, thanks for posing the question
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Poster: jamesmusicjames
Subject: Re: Another Backing Vocal Question Wow! That was really cool to say. Thanks! Welcome to the forum!
Last edited by HearToLearn; 09/26/15 06:18 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
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If you are talking the very opening of the video, the harmony high vox sound to me like they are sung at full smoke, not lightly - but it sounds like they have been high-pass filtered at perhaps 700 Hz or so. In the YouTube, the harmony vox are straight up the middle.
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If you are talking the very opening of the video, the harmony high vox sound to me like they are sung at full smoke, not lightly - but it sounds like they have been high-pass filtered at perhaps 700 Hz or so. In the YouTube, the harmony vox are straight up the middle. [video:youtube] https://youtu.be/fHjhsRW-cZw?t=2m46s[/video] It starts right where they are. I'm not talking about the harmonies that follow the lead. I'm talking about the backing vocals that also have harmonies. I'm not sure if that makes sense. I think Herb hears them, so I'm someone what sure I'm sane...wait...Herb hears them too? Is that the evidence I want to give for being sane? "Herb and I hear voices?!" 
Last edited by HearToLearn; 09/29/15 08:47 AM.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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I'm talking about the backing vocals that also have harmonies. I'm not sure if that makes sense. I think Herb hears them, so I'm someone what sure I'm sane...wait...Herb hears them too? Is that the evidence I want to give for being sane? "Herb and I hear voices?!" Lol!!! you have a main vocal and then there are harmonies. It's all just a part of the mix. You can stack and pack as many tracks as you want to deal with. One of my tunes has 2 lead singers... 2 harmony tracks each and 2 doubling tracks each plus 2 tracks for ad lib and misc. That's 12 tracks....and that's just a basic vocal mix. Often I will have 5 vocal tracks minimum in my songs. The harmonies are so tight that I would bet money they are pitch and timing corrected. I'm sure there are layers in there as well. All of that combines to give the sound you are hearing. Part of the "magic" is that one should never sing harmonies weakly. Sing them strong like they are the lead part. That makes them blend well with the lead. It's also very likely that the lead singer is singing them. That makes them sound more like one voice as opposed to several different singers. (sibling harmonies) The secret lies in getting the mix just right so that the sound is similar to the example you posted. Early results are normally "rough" but keeping at the job makes it improve with time.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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Are you talking the 'ooooohs'? Those are definitely panned wide. Again, I think they are high passed quite a bit. And perhaps some reverb to glue them together. My only attempt at 'oooh' bgvs is here at about 1:35 to the end of the 2 minutes: http://rockstarnot.rekkerd.org/songs/newer/rockstar_not%20-%20The%20Golden%20Age%202%20minute%20cover.mp3It's a cover I made for a contest at KVRaudio.com We were supposed to disguise our identities. I tried to be Beck Hanson doing his magnificent 'Golden Age' song. Reference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFIVUpSpMJwWhen I listen back to the Beck track, I would have high-passed my vocals just a bit higher on the lead vocal. I also have never figured out to do the 'noise' effects throughout the song. I think I had too much swing in my acoustic playing, but I do like my double-tracking of the acoustic guitars compared to the middle-focused acoustic on the original. One thing you can also do is highpass the reverb, so you don't muddy things up too much. Take a listen and see what you think.
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Thanks for the answer! And yes the "ooo's".
I've never heard the song you posted before and I really dug it! Both versions. You did a GREAT job! That was really cool. It almost had...to me...a Pink Floyd feel to it.
Thanks again for the suggestions and insights.
Chad (Hope that makes it easier)
TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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