Vocal reverb techniques

Today I finished off the acoustic version of My New Meaning.

To see/hear where I left things yesterday check out my last post.

Overview

• Adding reverb to vocals

• Reverb automation

• Exporting audio files for mix and mastering

Here's the before and afters of today's session:

Logic Pro tracks view - before

Logic Pro tracks view - after

Logic Pro mixer view - before

Logic Pro mixer view - after

Using Reverb in Acoustic Vocal Tracks

For this track, I kept vocal processing simple, using vocal reverb techniques to enhance intimacy. I worked with 7 vocal tracks—1 lead, 2 doubles, and 4 backing vocals—adjusting reverb for each. I used Logic Pro’s Chromaverb plugin, choosing the “Orchestra Hall” preset to create a sense of performing in a large hall.

These are the settings I chose for the lead:

Lead vocal reverb settings

Then I used this as a basis for the reverb for the doubles and the BVs (backing vocals).

For the doubles I reduced the distance and the decay as I didn't want there to be too much muddiness.

Then for the BVs I increased the distance and the decay as they are singing different parts so it shouldn't interfere as much with the lead vocal.

Backing vocal reverb settings

Double vocals reverb settings

Vocal reverb automation

Something that I find makes a huge difference through a track is automation. . I focus usually on reverb automation and panning automation - purely because I have the most fun with these elements and I feel it makes a big impact.

I use reverb automation to create a developing sense of space throughout the song. There are some sections that I want to feel really intimate, and there are others that I want to feel huge. And the reverb basically controls all of this.

I generally pick the levels for the reverbs for each of the tracks first and then go in and listen to all the vocals acapella and zoom in to specific sections of the song that I feel want to 'grow' or 'shrink'.

I do the most automation on the lead vocal As you can see there are some pretty drastic changes.

Lead vocal reverb automation

And then keep things a little more subtle for the rest of the tracks. But usually it follows a simiar pattern as the one I established in the lead vocal.

So here is what the vocals sound like before and after all of that:

My New Meaning (Vocals before reverb)

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My New Meaning (vocals after reverb)

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And with the accompaniment:

My New Meaning (Acoustic - 2nd verse)

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Exporting files for mix and master

Now that I've finished the actual track I need to get it ready to export all the files so I can send it to my mixing engineer.

This entails tidying up the project.

I basically just make sure I delete all unused tracks and plugins.

Then I name all of the tracks as clearly as possible so the mixing engineer will easily be able to identify all of the elements.

I also needed to add the sends (where the reverbs live) as seperate tracks so the mixing engineer has more control. This means they aren't connected to the vocal track itself.

Then I export both wet and dry files. Different mixing engineers will like their files differently but as a rule they like both wet and dry. The wet will be used normally unless there is something going on and then having the dry file available can make things much smooth to do their own processing.

This is a pretty quick process - as long as your project is nice and tidy Logic makes it's easy to export and you can select whether you want to bypass effect plugins.

Then I just import my exported tracks into a new project to double check they exported correctly before sending them off to the mixing engineer.

Exported files

Vocal tuning, EQ, & compression

At the moment I'm working on the acoustic version of My New Meaning, which is the final (and my favourite) song from my upcoming EP 'What Comes Next'. The other 4 tracks have all been released and their respective acoustic versions are all complete, but I'm a bit late with finishing this final one.

Last week I recorded all the vocals and did all the comping. Today I spent just over 3 hours tuning the vocals, then doing a little bit of processing in terms of EQ and compressions.

I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing but by this point I've watched lots of youtube videos and always trying to try new things. I do have a standard vocal chain that I use if I need something quick but I usually find it sounds better if I start from scratch with each song and do what's best for that specific vocal.

Here's what I started with today:

Logic Pro tracks view - before

Logic Pro mixer view - before

And here's my project at the end of today:

Logic Pro tracks view - after

Logic Pro mixer view - after

Yes I changed the colours but let's walk through what I've done.

Tuning

Yes, I tune my vocals, as does almost every single pop artist.

I can sing, but I know I'm not the most amazing.

So I've gotten good at fine tuning my voice in post-production so it's actually pleasant to listen to.

Let's have a listen what it sounded like before:

My New Meaning (Vocals 23rd september start)

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My tuning process is just using Logic Pro's default flex pitch tool within the audio track editor.

For this track I kept it pretty simple and selected all the notes and set the scale to F major and the pitch correction to 85%. I don't set it at 100% as it can make it a bit robotic sometimes.

I also set the vibrato at 88% to smooth it out a little bit.

I then go in and manually make any adustments. There was a recurring melody that used a B rather than a Bb which I had to adjust as that's not in the F major scale and I couldn't work out how to automatically let Logic flex pitch different notes to B and Bb.

Sometimes I will increase/decrease the vibrato if it's too shakey or too robotic. And sometimes I have to cut up the notes as Logic often detects multiple notes as one note with loads of vibrato - so slicing it up can make the pitch detection more accurate.

This is always the most time consuming - probably took me about 2 & 1/2 hours to do all 7 vocal tracks. (1 lead, 2 doubles, 4 backing vocals).

Here's what it sounds like after the process:

My New Meaning (Vocals after tuning)

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EQ

I really don't know what I'm doing when it comes to this.

I have a default EQ setting that I made for my vocal like a year or 2 ago that I always use. I can't remember why the settings are what they are but I followed some youtube videos and articles I found I think. And now I just use it everytime. This is what it looks like.

So I used this on the lead vocal, and all 4 BVs. But with the 2 double tracks I actually brought the low cutoff up the frequency a little bit just so it wasn't filling out as much space as the lead - because the doubles are singing the exact same parts as the lead vocal. My intention is to create some slightly textural difference between them.

Compression

Oh look, something else I don't really understand.

All I know is that it basically makes everything more consistent when it comes to dynamics.

I think I understand the basics of the Logic Pro compressor plugin but I don't do too much.

I always just use one of the presets - I cycle through until I find one that takes my fancy.

During this search there's nothing I particularly search for, just feeling the vibes to be honest.

The only thing I do actively do is play the loudest bit of the song, look how much the volume is being reduced, and then turn the make-up knob until it's the number. As far as I understand that brings up the volume of the quieter parts and keeps the loudest parts the same volume as they were originally.

I chose different pre-sets for the lead vocal, the doubles, and the BVs.

Once again the intention with this was to create a little bit of difference between the different types of vocals.

I also put 2 compressors on the lead vocal and the doubles. I purely did this because I've heard it's a good idea - makes it extra smooth or something.

These are the two compressors I added to my lead vocal.

And that's where I finished today. So this is what the vocals sounds like now:

My New Meaning (Vocals after compression)

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Nonsense Lyrics

So I'm taking part in this songwriting competition.

There's a few rounds each with a different brief and you get a week or so to write and submit your song.

I've made it through to round 2 so far and this is the brief:

I Didn't Catch That: Write and record a song that makes prominent and creative, though not exclusive, use of scat, wordless singing, or nonsense lyrics. Your song must also include some amount of standard, linguistically meaningful lyrics as well.

I struggle to find as much time as I would like to dedicate to these competition submissions but it's a good exercise in quick writing, production and trying to make something of decent quality while not being too previous about every choice I make.

I struggled at first to work out how I was going to implement nonsense lyrics into a song then came up with this concept of the song being from the point of view of someone that is very entitled, thinks they know everything, and always believes they are correct.

So whenever somebody else tries to disagree with this person, all they hear is nonsense.

And to actually work out what nonsense syllables I was using I wrote this phrase:

You know what You think you're smart But you don't know anything Admit you're wrong About the world If you don't You'll never learn

Then I reversed all of the words and vaguely sang them and wrote it out phoneticall until I ended up with this:

Ta wonk oi Tramzoi nit oi Wonk nit oit tub Nit i nah No roi timda Row et tooba Tanod i fee Ral reven loi

I came up with the first melody and lyric ideas for the first verse while I was walking around my break at work and just sang them into my phone (i was so short on time I knew I needed to get started).

Verse 1 Idea - Voice Memo

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Pre Chorus Idea - Voice Memo

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Then this morning sat at the piano and worked out the chords and wrote the rest of it.

I've started getting into the habit of writing my songs down by hand again when I'm at the piano which I'm enjoying.

Something fun happens when I write a melody away from any instruments and then figure out the accompaniment afterwards: the melodies and chords tend to be much more interesting. I think I get in a habit of using plain chords and then write a pentatonic melody. But as you can hear in this song it's got so much more character to it.

Chorus Idea Voice Memo

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Then I moved over to my computer and quickly recorded some rough piano. Did a basic arrangement with some kick dum and finger snaps. Added a little synth bass and then I was really in the zone so went a little crazy towards the end with some synth stuff. Then finished it off with a couple of backing vocals.

Generally I keep my projects colour coded. Yellow - percussion

Dark blue - harmony elements (chords etc.) Red - bass

Green - melodic elements

Then vocals are normally light blue but I didn't change them today so they're purple. Feels still very rough around the edges but really happy with what I did in 3 hours.

Know Better Next Time (1st Demo)

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Lyrics here

Verse

I know I'm pretty

I know I'm smart

My mumma told me that I'm a star

That I'm perfect

And I could do no wrong

I was the best little boy I could be

Pre-chorus

So when I find someone tryna disagree

With what I know is right, it's clear to me

There's no curing this insanity

They may as well be

Chorus

Ta wonk oi

Tramzoi nit oi

Wonk nit oit tub

Nit i nah

No roi timda

Row et tooba

Tanod i fee

Ral reven loi

Their mouths are moving

But my mind ain't grooving

I think I gotta tell ‘em

Oh baby girl, no that's not right

know better next time

Verse

So I've heard that life's not easy

They must mean mine

Who else could it be?

‘Cause no one understands what I've got going on

They don't know struggling

Good thing, I'm so strong

Pre Chorus

Chrous

Post Chorus

Ta wonk oi

Tramzoi nit oi

Wonk nit oit tub

Nit i nah

No roi timda

Row et tooba

Tanod i fee

Ral reven loi

(background vocals:

You know what

You think you’re smart

But you don’t know

Anything

Admit you’re wrong

About the world

If you don’t

You’ll never learn)

Their mouths are moving

But my mind ain't grooving

I think I gotta tell ‘em

Oh baby girl, no that's not right

know better next time