3. Final effects on your vocal track
At this point, your vocals should be fine enough to call done, but maybe you were looking for something more; for that special touch that would make your singer stand out from the rest of the instruments (or maybe even to make them blend in more!). In that case, I can recommend a few things that might give your piece that edge.
Reverb
What is reverb? Well, you probably know it’s that echoey, open sound you can make things do (like you’re in a cave or hallway). Reverb is applied to vocals to make them sound more musical, or to make them blend more with the piece. Put too much though, and your vocals will disappear or sound too muddy. There is no “right amount” of reverb as it’s highly dependent on your choice but there’s usually no need for a lot of it, and you probably don’t want a delayed echo or you’ll lose the vocalist. Start by adding a little if you want it, and add more to it if you’re not happy yet.
Chorus
Chorus effect is a lot like reverb and it makes your vocal track sound like there are more vocalists singing at once. It’s usually used just like reverb to add a sense of musicality, or to give vocals more movement (sound like they’re in more places). Add too much Chorus, and you’ll lose your singer again. Be careful your chorus effect isn’t too deep either (bigger difference between the voices), or else it can start to sound dissonant.
Distortion
Yeah, everyone loves distortion on the guitar, but on voice? Sometimes it can sound awesome! Most of the time is will ruin your vocals. Here’s a cool trick: Try turning up the breathiness on VOCALOID and then distorting the vocals. It starts to sound like screaming!
Radio/Lo-Fi Effect
This is a nice one, and I love it when it’s used right. It makes the vocalist sound like they’re suddenly singing through an old radio, or maybe a phone held too far from the ear. It can be used to make a particular line stand out really well, but it can also make it REALLY hard to understand. Be careful with this one, but don’t discount it!
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Final examples and the Bottom Line™!
