Hi folks!

I need some advices to get this type of voice effect..

The Strokes - Reptilia

When he sings low the signal is pretty clear, but when he starts to "scream" it goes in a sort of overdrive/clipping.
I dont know how to recreate this..
Should that be tracked down with an overload pre, maybe?
Or It can be achieved with some vst, just for sake.. Could it be a good take!

Cheers!

 

The Strokes tried their best to sound raw,punk,garage ...even if they used top notch studio

Back to the subject : you can achieve this effect with overloaded preamp for sure.
But you can't modify it afterward. And need a tube/very good solid state preamp to avoid harshness.

So my best option : use any broadband distortion/overdrive plugin as first plugin.
The only real limitation is to put it BEFORE any dynamic treatment, so it will catch loud screams, but will remain cleaner on medium/soft passages.It is why it sounds so unusual, because most ppl put their vocal distortion after dynamic, to sound "even". This example is the total opposite.
And so, it will imitate an overdriven preamp, without being irreversible

PS : listen to this marvelous album Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights

You can hear nearly the same vocal effect on "Obstacle 1"

 

I know that track.. But The Strokes one is more prominent..
I'll try the VST road.. There's no undo in the analog way... eheh

 

The vocal chain for the first LP was a Sm58 through an Avalon. Forgot his name, but the engineer said he cupped his hands over the mic on occasions when tracking. The pre was definitely hitting red more than often. Standard outboard processing.