Hello everyone,

I hope that I am posting this in the right place as this is my first post.

I came across this video on youtube and I like the airy sound in the voices at the beginning of the song.

Can someone please explain how can I get a chorus or choir to sound like that?
any help, ideas hints will be appreciated

 

First of all this guy is a great singer - even he has prolly been using some pitch correction and stuff! Thats the basic element that makes his sound

Most of the tracks has no or almost no verb added, so the sound is very straight upfront! And I guess he has used some compression on all tracks, or said in other words: all tracks has been pretty well compressed ... lol *yes*

And along with that:

Good mics, a good producer, and first of all........ Skills

Any good track starts up with how good a musician you are!

 

As far as the recording technique, you will going to want to record each vocal multiple times (usually 2-4 times for each of the vocal harmonies) so it kinds of stacks and choruses itself.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXIRS04HKEQ

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aKkAGpWCSw

 

Overdubbing !!!

Let a singer sing the same again and again, then play all together !
Sounds like many people are singing or even a crowd if you overdub much more.

This technique is quite old but the best, even with today's software.

Overdubbing works with any instruments too.

The better the player/singer is keeping the same notes while singing/playing
one text/composition again and again, the better the overdubbing will be.
The slight differences in every overdubbed recording gives this crowded feeling.

One very good example for successive overdubbing of vocals are ABBA !

They have overdubbed all their vocals ! The two ABBA girls have sung all their songs multiple times.
That was their ABBA touch !!!

Try that, you'll like it !

 

It's A-Cappella singing.
I don't believe there are special effects used except maybe a room simulation, or Stereo widening effect.
A Chorus effect would sound different. Probably there are 3-5 separate recorded voice tracks.
It shouldn't be difficult to get similar results with a simple setup.

There are some some special effects available like these:

 

thanks for all your replies.
Sorry,maybe I wasn't clear with my first post.
My question wasn't about the harmony. My question is about the airy sound in the vocals.
is due to a certain way of Eq or compression?

 

It doesn't sound so very "Airy".

 

It's mostly stereo widening, which can be done a ton of ways, Youtube it... and overdubbing of complex (precise) harmonies..a slight touch of probably convolution reverb and all mixed very well on good equipment.

Mostly.. its a quality vocalist\harmonist who knows what he is doing.

Check out some Boyz2men Studio a-capellas.. same sound.

For once, I agree with kewky.. doesn't sound airy at all to me.

I've seen so many people ask how to achieve vocal sounds, effects in the past, as if there is some magic studio method that can take a bad vocalist and make them sound that much better...

It's false.. if you can't sing.. No amount of equipment is going to make a weak vocalist sound like this guy. It will just make you sound processed\cheap.

If someone reaallly knows what they are doing, a turd can be somewhat.. polished.. but...

...most of this is just superb vocals\mixing.

 

Believe me or not, it's overdubbing...!

The slight differences between the recorded voices, give this chorus-like airy effect !
Very simple..., but powerful !

Go and watch some videos on Youtube about vocal overdubbing.
No effect can give you this feeling...

 

Yes, finally we have a common point One Reason!

 

asad12 I can't hear anything special, what your hearing I don't think is an effect from the equipment and thats why your question isn't really being answerd here.

The backing vocals, or in other words none word vocals, have that sound mostly because of the melodies they are singing.

Take the start as a example.
1 voice sings a note, then the 1 voice drops 2 tones? and a 2nd voce comes in with that 2nd note a octave lower. Voce 1 & 2 sing the same note, 1 tone? highter then the last note. The only voice 1 sings the 4th note.

The voices are at differant ocatves singing almost identical melodies. I'ts the Differances in the melodies that create the airyness (I should figger out why spell check dosn't work)

As people have already said it's pritty much basic harmoniseation. In other words to harmonise all voices don't need to sing in unison, ie. the same thing at the same time.

As its near christmass finding someone who can explain this tecnique shouldn't be hard.
Go to some churches that have a full traditional choir.
Basicaly attend some of the choir survaces at ether Roman Catholic or High Church of England churches and make it a one that still has a choir.
At the end of the survice talk to eather a member of the choir or the choir master, both will provide a better understanding then what I can give to you.


If its just recording equipment and tecniques used I guess all I can say is, the voices all have a lot of quick decaying reverb if thats what your after?

 

Would M83 vocals fall in the same category? Numerous overdubbed vocals?

 

thanks again guys. I really appreciate all your help.