What is your vocal chain

[dustmoses]

With the new pitch edit I'd like to do everything in reason.

Having difficulty getting vocals sounding good, in the past I've used reaper with some select vsts to record and mix vocals.

What vocal chains do you guys use?

[Gaja]

I'm not the most experienced vocal mixer, but I have enough experience to tell that no single setup will satisfy every vocal performance (your's or others'). But what I usually try out every time is the Selig Leveler and De-Esser. Sometimes I end up using only the 'SSL' channel strip compressor and EQ, sometimes I have a huge chain with different EQs and compression. But above mentioned Selig devices will always be tried, because they tend to give great resukts for vocals. The great thing about the pitch edit feature, is that it tells you where you're flat and where you're sharp very accurately, so you can improve on your performance, by analyzing the pitch curve.

[ilikestargazing]

Total noob here as well. Would get absolutely slain by most my peers.
Usually goes like this:

Record vocals with phone > Email myself the file > Convert to wav > Reason audio channel > Low-cut > Multi-band compressor > EQ > Subtle single-band compressor > FX > Low-cut

[normen]

EQ, Compressor, Reverb

[selig]

My vocal chain is often very different from one vocal/song to the next - I don't even have a typical starting point. Sometimes it's compressor/EQ, sometimes it's just a multi-band compressor, other times it's a filter and a delay, and sometimes there's tons of level automation while the very next song may have none.

If there's one rule for me (that is not necessarily going to work for others) it's to not add/do anything until it's absolutely necessary and painfully obvious - keeps me from going back and changing things too much later on, and keeps me from overdoing things as well.

[JNeffLind]

Leveler + De Esser + Chenille (used for reverb actually, just like this verb on my voice)

[Dabbler]

Since I do all my own, I turn on the gear and let er rip.
From my mouth the sound goes thru the air, including reflections from all reflective surfaces, this will some days include the drone from the AC or furnace depending on the weather.
Sometimes I get a toilet flush or foot steps from the floor above, or a police car outside.
Eventually all this encounters the microphone, which may be an AT 3031, 4033 or Neumann TLM 103.
From there it goes thru Balance and into Reason.
I try to sing on pitch, without plosives or sibilantness.
I also try to keep the vocal level the mic sees as a constant.
On the mixer I turn on channel compression and leave it set to the default.
Depending on the mic I may have to notch out a high frequency sizzle I've noticed lately.
My voice likes a little nudge around 500 hz as well.
I've just gone to R9 and I use that Stay Clear verb patch.
I use the pitch editor if my drift is intolerable.
Generally I repeat this many times.
I never double leads but I will do backgrounds as many as 20 times.

[guitfnky]

it will differ greatly from song to song, and often from section to section, but as a bare starting point, I'll be running through the RE-2A on almost any vocal track. I keep the Leveler in my back pocket for when I want something a bit more transparent. I tend to do as much work in the SSL EQ as possible, and always use a high pass filter, sometimes up to 150 or 200hz.

very often, I'll run a handful of takes through a Pulveriser to add a bit of distortion, and filter out some of the high end. it can really add a lot of warmth, and I think gives the vocals a sort of timeless feel, when done right.

typically for reverb, I use one send for all of the mix, unless I need something specific. I'll usually just dial in varying amounts for different instruments, but vocals usually get a touch more than the rest. I've been using the Synapse DR-1 almost exclusively, lately. I just love that thing.

[mcatalao]

I start with blank Selig Leveler and DeEsser combi, and use mainly the mixer Eq. Sometimes i add the Ssl compressor to the equation, or mcdsp frg.
For choirs, i do more or less the same, then route to a bus, and process the bus with McDsp C670.

I usually use as sends a short reverb (Rv7000 amb oak, tsar 1 studio/vintage studio) and Uhbik A for a long plate. Depending on genre, an additional stereo delay, and a chorus, that i use mostly with ensembles to get some thicknessm- Recently more the BBD stufr.

[marcuswitt]

in 90% of all cases it looks like this:

recording path: microphone selection: either AKG C414 or Audiotechnica AT4060 or Røde K2 or Shure SM7B fed into a Focusrite ISA430mkII and/or a SPL Frontliner

mixing path: Main Mixer's HPF, RV7000 with an IR loaded that was taken from my recording path, RE-2A, FET, De-Esser, EVE-MP5, Scream4. Usage of Reverb or Delay effects varies from song to song

[mcatalao]

Oh i totally forgot about the analogue chain...

The available mics for vocals at my studio are several SM58 and Beta 57's for dynamics, Studio Projects C3, Audio Technika AT4047MP, Oktava MK 319. My available pre-amps are TLAudio5052, Focusrite OctoPre, Maudio Octane.

Marcuswitt, how are you liking the Rode K2??

[marcuswitt]

Oh i totally forgot about the analogue chain...

The available mics for vocals at my studio are several SM58 and Beta 57's for dynamics, Studio Projects C3, Audio Technika AT4047MP, Oktava MK 319. My available pre-amps are TLAudio5052, Focusrite OctoPre, Maudio Octane.

Marcuswitt, how are you liking the Rode K2??

Hi mcatalao,

from my perspective the K2 is a very versatile microphone, which - depending on the actual sound source that it captures and the K2's relative position to that sound source - colorizes the incoming signal in a very nice way. I think in this particular case it's allowed to use the term "warmth" to describe what it puts to the incoming sound. It can also handle high sound pressure levels, which is the reason why I also put it in front of Guitar and Bass cabinets quite often. From my point of view, it goes in the direction of a Neuman TLM 49 but for a fraction of the TLM's prize. I highly recommend the K2, simply put.

[mcatalao]

Thanks Marcus.

I had a second hand k2 mod to buy and then the seller gave up. I'm considering buying it brand new. Did you mod it or is it with the original tube?

[marcuswitt]

Thanks Marcus.

I had a second hand k2 mod to buy and then the seller gave up. I'm considering buying it brand new. Did you mod it or is it with the original tube?

Honestly, I'm not geeky enough to modify any of my music production tools because in my experience virtually all the recording and mixing equipment that you can buy off-the-shelf is more than good enough to be used right after un-boxing it. So it is the case with my K2: original tube, original electronics and capsule. The only 'mod' - if you will - in my recording path is my SPL Frontliner, which is the one that comes with Lundhal transformers. But that's actually also off-the-shelf…

[Tunecooks]

Analogue chain:
ADC: Lynx Aurora
Pre-amp: Dave Hill Europa 1 for single-track recording and Audient asp008 for multi-track recording
Mics: Studio Project C4 (overhead), SM57 (electric guitar), Brauner Phantom Classic (vocals)

Digital chain:
I experiment with this a lot but my default is EQ->Compressor->EQ->reverb. The first EQ is probably a Softube Trident and the second is an M-Class, that M-Class is used when mixing and I don't like to touch the Trident then anymore because it changes the way that the compressor behaves. I used to put the FET into this chain but lately I'm using the RE-2A more. Depending on the quality of the recording I might also put a Selig Leveler in there.

[dagwood]

With the new pitch edit I'd like to do everything in reason.

Having difficulty getting vocals sounding good, in the past I've used reaper with some select vsts to record and mix vocals.

What vocal chains do you guys use?

For me, vocals in Reason 9 is 1000x easier than working in Reaper. My chain:

1. Record dry vocals
2. Pitch correct in Reason's new Pitch Editor
3. Selig De_esser
4. EQ, using either Reason's own mixer EQ or Synapse Audio's GQ7
5. Use a bit of compression, usually either Cakewalk RE2A or Softube FET
6. Add effects (reverb, etc).

Fin.

[rexbrewer]

All the time now I am just using the SSL EQ and channel compressor. Compression amount at about 10:1 with a low threshold. I layer a lot of vocals on top of each other so having that much compression blends them quite nicely. To bring the levels back up I use the Vocal Leveling Amplifier Combinator (I believe Selig did this?) and it's absolutely wonderful and works an absolute treat on vocals. I also use it on guitars and bass and it's pretty much been my go to since I started on recording with Reason 9.