"More of the Same" - reviews and feedback...genre submit?

[TonyRondini]

None taken...thanks again.

[jnmorrison]

Just a tip for you regarding vocals for trying to get more volume and fullness.

Why not instead of stacking them like that - just run an output to a clean bus.
Then raise the bus level until you achieve the volume and fullness that you want.
This gives you a beautiful clean and loud vocal without the weird phasing effect.

Just thought it would be something to think about?

Cheers,
Nick

[bobmelanson]

listening on my laptop so I can't make critical mix evaluation but my first impression was 80's pop. I think the guys are right though, heavier guitars would help a lot, but the singer would have to sing with a bit more aggression.

[TonyRondini]

jn, I mix in the box (boardless), so I am not sure if the bus technique will work for me unless you think outing it a 6176 or Grace (for ultra clean) and back in would work...yes?

[jnmorrison]

Hey -
I'm not sure what you mean by mix "in the box".
I work in logic, and I can just add a bus send which is simply added back into the final stereo out. And then go over to the bussed channel and raise the volume.

I'm not sure what program you are using.

Best,
N

[TonyRondini]

Using Cubase, this is the vocal route:
vocal track (mono) -> vocal buss (stereo for adding effects) -> main stereo buss

Are you suggesting routing that vocal track to yet another buss (through a send buss maybe?) and out the mian stereo buss?

I am not sure how that would add any fullness to the track. Maybe additional gain, but I can process a gain boost for more volume (besides I still have plenty of headromm now).

I really want to understand what it is that you're suggesting.

[jnmorrison]

O.k .

Let's see if I can clarify a little more for you.

Take your main vocal track, and use a send to output your dry vocal to an AUX I/O bus at 100%.
Then that I/O bus should be routed to the main stereo out.

Then all you do is slowly bring up the fader on the AUX Bus and you'll be adding gain certainly, but essentially adding a second identical version of your vocal track, thus flushing out and re-enforcing the existing track without the phasing issues of layering.
Presumably in cubase you can add an eq directly to either of the tracks - but what I would do is EQ the main vocal channel and then leave the AUX I/O bus dry/simple.
Then if you're worried about compression or anything - you can then bus it to even a 3rd AUX I/O bus at 100%, then ad a distortion plugin at a low volume and bring that up a TINY amount and BAM - you've got instant compression on your vocals without "compression".

This is a trick I learned from Rob Chiarelli on a Taxi T.V. episode sometime last year - it's how he mixed drums to get more gain, and a compression effect without having to compress the drums AT ALL - and my drums always sound SUPER FAT!
And I've used this same trick on vocals for a few tracks when I need a little extra thickness/volume and it's worked wonders.
You need to experiment - I've used it once with the distortion, and once without.

SO, I hope that clarifies a little more for you? Did I make sense?

Thanks,
Nick

[TonyRondini]

Got it and I will give it a try. Thanks.