How to make a vocal stack - Inspiration for your next masterpiece!
Vocal stacks are an amazing way to make new song ideas. With the simplest of melodies you can build up a whole track in no time.
1. **Record the Vocal Part**:
Start by recording the vocal part you want to stack. Make sure to sing or speak it clearly and cleanly. Use a good quality microphone and ensure your recording environment is as noise-free as possible. Give yourself headroom on the preamp in case you start singing louder in a later part.
2. **Record a harmony**:
Get creative! find a simple harmony part (or octave) and record it when ready. Repeat this as many times as you want to. Don't worry about perfect takes as lthey will be covered by all the other vocals. If you really don't like a particular take, redo it of course. Finally meldyne or autotune can help if you want to do it quickly or you are still learning harmony.
2b *Alternative*
You can duplicate the part and pitch shift it to a 5th, an octave up and/or down. If you really want to get fancy you can edit each note in melodyne or autotune. I prefer singing the parts myself but I do use it to fix the odd off notes
3. **Adjust Timing (if necessary)**: If the timing of the duplicated tracks doesn't perfectly match the original, adjust the timing so that all vocal tracks are perfectly aligned. This prevents phase issues and ensures a cohesive sound.
4. **Experiment with Panning**: Pan each vocal track slightly left or right in the stereo field. This helps to create a sense of width and space in the vocal stack. You can vary the panning to your preference, but a common technique is to pan each track slightly away from the center.
5. **Adjust Volume Levels**: Balance the volume levels of each vocal track so that they blend well together. You may need to adjust the volume of individual tracks to achieve the desired balance.
6. **Consider Pitch Correction (Optional)**: If there are any pitch discrepancies between the vocal tracks, you can use pitch correction software to align them. However, be careful not to overdo it, as natural imperfections can sometimes add character to the vocal stack.
7. **Add Effects (Optional)**: Experiment with adding effects such as reverb, delay, or compression to the vocal stack to enhance its sound. However, be mindful not to over-process the vocals, as this can detract from the naturalness of the sound.
8. **Listen and Fine-Tune**: Once you've assembled your vocal stack, listen to it carefully and make any necessary adjustments to ensure that it sounds cohesive and balanced.
9. **Save Your Project**: Lastly, don't forget to save your project file so that you can make further adjustments or modifications in the future if needed.
10. *Make a tune!*
Once you're happy with the vocal stack, make a beat, add some bass and piano, guitar and strings and do some arrangement (check out the upcoming video!)
11. **Finish the track**:
Lastly, don't be like me, don't let it sit on your hard disk for years. Finish it mix it and release it. If you need help mixing don't be shy!
That's it! Following these simple instructions should help you create a vocal stack that adds depth and texture to your recordings. Happy stacking!
0:00 Vocal stacking
2:52 Tidy up time
4:20 The final product (almost)
6:00 processing
7:24 Goodbye!
7:58 The finished hook