What Harmonizer?

[Darcy Peter]

Hello,

Life would be so much easier if I did not have to work with muscians.
(not all, just a select few)

Which leads to my query:

It sounds to me like there are a whole lot of BIG acts using a
harmonizer in place of singing an actual vocal. Is this so?

If so. What harmonizer would these pro's be using, and does it
come in a plugin?

Thankyou

[jtees4]

On 19 Nov 2003 14:08:26 -0800, (Darcy Peter) wrote:

>Hello,
>
>Life would be so much easier if I did not have to work with muscians.
>(not all, just a select few)
>
>Which leads to my query:
>
>It sounds to me like there are a whole lot of BIG acts using a
>harmonizer in place of singing an actual vocal. Is this so?
>
>If so. What harmonizer would these pro's be using, and does it
>come in a plugin?
>
>Thankyou

I just sold my Digitech Vocalizer VR, just didn't do it for me. Back
to doing things the hard way...but really the better way.

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> It sounds to me like there are a whole lot of BIG acts using a
> harmonizer in place of singing an actual vocal. Is this so?

No. There are a lot of big acts who use a Harmonizer as an effect on
stage, but they can (and do) afford backup singers, usually good
looking backup singers (of either sex) who dance and shake it.

The Harmonizer (and other pitch shifters) are often used in the studio
as a "thickening" effect, but rarely if ever, on a BIG act, used in
place of another singer. Though I wouldn't be surprised if some of
those BIG acts use hardware when they're making demos in their private
studios.

Where you see this sort of device in performance is with SMALL acts, a
lounge duo that sounds like the Beach Boys in just the right spot.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[Raymond]

(Darcy Peter)wrote
>If so. What harmonizer would these pro's be using, and does it
>come in a plugin?

http://www.eventide.com/

[Darcy Peter]

(Mike Rivers) wrote in message news:<znr1069283576k@trad>...
> In article > writes:
>
> > It sounds to me like there are a whole lot of BIG acts using a
> > harmonizer in place of singing an actual vocal. Is this so?
>
> No. There are a lot of big acts who use a Harmonizer as an effect on
> stage, but they can (and do) afford backup singers, usually good
> looking backup singers (of either sex) who dance and shake it.
>


O.K. I buy that. How about the studio? Listening to Top 40 radio
I am hearing many perfect two, three part harmonies by the LEAD singer
whom I don't think has the chops.

By perfect I mean an EXACT harmony of the lead vocal.

Thanks again

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> How about the studio? Listening to Top 40 radio
> I am hearing many perfect two, three part harmonies by the LEAD singer
> whom I don't think has the chops.
>
> By perfect I mean an EXACT harmony of the lead vocal.

First, are you SURE it's the lead singer singing all the parts? They
don't make album jacket notes like they useter. Lots of big name
artists employ session vocalists you've never heard of by name to do
backups. The lead singer probably isn't even around when those tracks
are cut.

The tool to make a singer who doesn't have the chops sing exactly on
pitch is the Autotune processor. But I won't say that there has never
been a case of a top 40 singer running his voice through a Harmonizer
in the studio. But it's usually not to creat a harmony part, it's to
create a thicker part.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

[WBRW]

> The tool to make a singer who doesn't have the chops sing exactly on
> pitch is the Autotune processor. But I won't say that there has never
> been a case of a top 40 singer running his voice through a Harmonizer
> in the studio. But it's usually not to creat a harmony part, it's to
> create a thicker part.

I'm pretty sure country singer Joe Nichols uses a Harmonizer to create
his harmony vocals, instead of multi-tracking. The overall result
just has a very "mechanical" sound to it -- as does the band that's
playing along with him, but that's another story.

Listen to Joe's recent country hits "She Only Smokes When She Drinks"
and "Brokenheartsville" for a good example of this. It even makes
Faith 'Auto-Tune' Hill sound very natural in comparison.

[Mark]

(Darcy Peter) wrote in message >...
> Hello,
>
> Life would be so much easier if I did not have to work with muscians.
> (not all, just a select few)
>
> Which leads to my query:
>
> It sounds to me like there are a whole lot of BIG acts using a
> harmonizer in place of singing an actual vocal. Is this so?
>
> If so. What harmonizer would these pro's be using, and does it
> come in a plugin?
>
> Thankyou


When you here this stuff live, chances are that it isn't a harmonizer.
Rather the harmonies are sampled. I saw Def Leppard live a few times
and there are more vocal parts happening than there are guys on the
stage. Tale tell sign is a drummer with REALLY BIG headphones.

Damn FOH guys made it so you could hear it too. Not all Kick, Snare,
and guitar. There are a few left. But that's another conversation.

[Mike Rivers]

In article > writes:

> I'm pretty sure country singer Joe Nichols uses a Harmonizer to create
> his harmony vocals, instead of multi-tracking. The overall result
> just has a very "mechanical" sound to it -- as does the band that's
> playing along with him, but that's another story.

This is often the way that demos are produced - to give the band an
idea of what to play, and give the singers an idea of what harmonies
the writer or producer has in mind. Sometimes, though, demos get
released either because they're "cool and raw" or because the project
is running low on money.



--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo