Vocal DIY Effects?

[little.dipper]

Hello. I have my fair share of homemade guitar effects, but I'm also a singer, and I'd like to possibly find some effects to enhance my vocals - they need all the help they can get. I'm interested most in something that would basically double my voice to thicken it up (like a "harmonizer" I guess they call it). I understand I could probably make any effect a vocal effect with XLR connections (atleast I think that would work) or patching it into my PA, but I'm wondering if anyone has any recomendations on effects that would be especially useful for what I'm talking about - or sites with nice projects. I've looked at new vocal processors and "harmonizers" but they seem very expensive. Any help would be much appreciated.

Dave

[Arno van der Heijden]

A compressor?

[little.dipper]

A compressor was my first thought too. I'm sure I'll get around to that, but I'm very interested in some sort of 'doubler' or something like that.

[Marcos - Munky]

This isn't for enhance your vocal, but sounds cool. In my site, there's a effect called Robovox, to get that robot voice sound. Very simple and cool, and sounds coll with guitar too. You can try a phaser, flanger and some other guitar effects too.

[Nasse]

I doubt good harmony processors are not easy for diy, and decent echo and delay can be bought quite cheaply today, and even budget models and some souncards have vocal processing goodies. But for D.I.Y I would think that good mic preamp, EQ and compressor are always needed. "Tube" sound is popular with vocals and instrument miking, and at these pages you can always find things about  tube distortion or how to emulate it. I think good guitar distortion is not always best for vocals (or keyboards, but thats different story). Check out Mark Hammers "Woody", maybe that can be tweaked for vocal exiter or enhancer circuit.

A famous local rock star was claimed to have not so "good" voice, and he always told the mixing guy to "roll off that bass off from vocals".

[Mark Hammer]

Consider working on an octave-divider adapted for voice.  Plenty of studios have used harmonizers to make reedy voices sound a bit fuller, and octave-down units can accomplish much of the same.

Actually, voice processing is a perfect context for octave-down effects, for a number of reasons.  First, octave-down effects produced by the traditional flip-flop division are mono.  Where the guitar-player has to fight to stay on a mono path to keep the box tracking well, the singer doesn't have to since voice IS mono.  Second, the range it needs to track over is restricted since most people can't sing over as wide a range as a guitar fret-board, and that simplifies design requirements, increasing the odds of success.

As well, since all you really want a vocal octave-down box for is a little more body to the voice, you can filter the living daylights out of the octave down and still have something pleasing.

The Anderton/PAiA Rocktave illustrates quite clearly that sticking some compression ahead of the divider helps octave-tracking considerably.  In this context, you don't really need anything quite that exotic for signal conditioning.  Indeed, a simple 2-diode clipper/gain stage (à la Tube Screamer) to keep a relatively constant level followed by a simple 2-pole lowpass to roll off all but the fundamentals would be fine (you'd still probably need the filter even if you used a compander too).  Feed that into your divider, tack on a bit more lowpass filtering to turn the square-wave output of the flip-flop into something softer, and mix it in with the dry signal, in much the same way I did with the Woody (only with treble) and away you go.

Maybe that should be my next project - the "Whitebox" (named after the late Barry White).

Another common vocal effect, though not really used much in the band context, is a ducker.  You can find a circuit for one at the PAiA web-site.  Duckers are those devices that motor-mouthed DJs use to reduce the level of the music whenever they talk.  When they shut up, the level of the music comes up again.  Essentially it is a limiter where you hear both the external input going to the sidechain AND the carrier at the same time.  In a small combo situation these can be handy for adding a bit more punch to vocals by downplaying the instruments a bit.  Alternatively, you can have the lead singer trim back the harmony mic levels a bit to keep a better level balance; in essence an automatic soundman working on vocals only.

Finally, a set-up I suggested a few times over the past few years over on Ampage is a vocal-control unit that would use voice to control multiple envelope followers which in turn control other effects.  For example you could have one envelope follower controlled by full voice bandwidth, another controlled only by signal content below a certain rolloff frequency and another controlled only by content above a certain rolloff.  Depending on the sensitivity you set each to, and the way you sing, you can use the envelope signal to control effect parameters though either voltage control or LDR-type optoisolators.  Imagine being able to "swish" mic'd cymbals or increase reverb depth with your voice and you get the picture.

[aron]

In the end, I believe it would be cheaper just to purchase a used multi-FX rack unit from ebay. Any of the older Lexicons and other multi-effects units can help your vocals.

The newer Behringer stuff might have something you could use for a very low cost.

[RickL]

Mark, your post got me wondering if a ducker would be a good add-on to a delay, ducking just the delayed signal. While you're playing or sustaining a note you don't hear the delayed signal, if you mute or a sustained note dies off you start to hear the delayed notes. It would probably sound best with a longish delay and a fair number of repeats

[Mark Hammer]

That is devilishly clever.  I *like* it.

[drew]

A number of commercial units do this, from cheesy multi-fx units to the TC Electronic "Dynamic Delay".

[ErikMiller]

For thickening vocals, a chorus device works well. What is generally referred to as a "Harmonizer" is overkill for what you describe. All you need is analog (or digital) delay with a slight LFO.

Some used to call it ADT for "automatic double tracking."

[Mark Hammer]

There is "thickening" in the sense of sounding fuller, and you are correct in your recommendation about chorus units.

Beyond that, however, there is a whole planet full of people who sing like Neil Young, Geddy Lee, or me (hmmm, all Canadians, wonder what that means?) and could sometimes use a little "chest" in their recorded voice.  For that, adding content *lower* than what is sung is helpful, and for that you either need a harmonizer or octave-down unit or something functionally equivalent.

[petemoore59]

One of the best things I ever tried for PA is 12'' quality speakers [10''s...too I think] and a great Tube Amp.
 There are available commercial Tube PA heads.
 Obviously the nice Driver/Horn for the high end is a must for high end,
but the nice [I used Vox Bulldogs, Celestion Greenbacks and 75w...probably any good quality 10''-12''speakerS] really get the rich warm mids a happening. 15''s generally WON't do this, and to my ears sound restricive of constricted in comparison.
  Singiing through a nice built up system with say 4x12 cab+horn driven by a Great Tube Amp can't be beat...this is what the Beatles, Stones, etc etc used for vocals...the choice of the original designers for the ultimate in response, effeciency, projection...etc.
  Many bands use a huge system for guitar ... 4x12'' cab, 50-100w tube amp...multiple effects etc., but the PA is like a 'default' PA...whatever could be afforded or what left laying around..often times about 1/3 the technology that's present for the guitar....beef up that PA, and singing becomes nearly as erffortless and fun as playing...and doesn't 'twist' ears...very attractive IMO.

[LP Hovercraft]

What about AM band/lo-fi stuff for vocals?  I wonder if the standard '70s era World Book Encyclopedia AM transmitter project coupled in the same box with a reciever (maybe the audio guts of a clock radio) and 1/4 inch in and outs would do the trick?

[MarkB]

if you want that low-fi radio effect, just use a bandpass filter set to about 800Hz-1200Hz.. adjust to taste... basically a frown on a graphic EQ (cut lows/highs - boost mids)
"-)

[Peter Snowberg]

If you want lo-fi and have a spare 2N2222 around you could always build the LofoMofo from here...

http://www.geocities.com/tpe123/folkurban/fuzz/snippets.html#lofomofo

-Peter

[hardi_ami]

Hey I was wondering, what effect could I use to try to sound like those black metal singers, considering I don't have such a low voice

[Marcos - Munky]

I don't know if is what you want, but the black metal singers usually sing using three kind of voices, a doubled voice, that can be done with a clean octave up or down and a reverb to souds cooler, and the guttural and visceral voice, used by death metal too. The guttural is that voice used in some movies for giant monsters, and can be done with a whammy or something that produces one or two octaves down, but filter the original signal, and can be done with your throat, wich is harder but cooler. Try to talk with that thick voice, forcing a little the throat and loosening some air. Try with low volume, and you will get what you want. The visceral voice is done by the same way, but trying to talk with a "torn" voice. Hear some death metal bands like Six Feet Under to know how it sounds.

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

For  rough vocal shift, there ae those chips for "voice disguising" phone attachments. Plus, as a "bonus" the upper freq limit is pretty restricted, 3K or so. Anyone know a cheap source of these chips?

[hardi_ami]

Thanks for your answer
So... I have to build an octaver or a whammy.. what's the difference between them ? What pedal would be the most appropriate for voice ??
Thanks !!!

Michael