No More Tapes

[larryfromnextdoor]

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=IIO2qpSsUTA

that takes too much knowledge of all them loops and stomp boxes, too much luck in them all working as they should., too much talent that you get each part right on the first attempt...too much balance and not kicking the wrong pedal on and off ...

a man couldnt do this.. we might work with one or 2 loops and play and sing at the same time.. not run 6 different tracks and still stomp on a tambarine at the same time..

fine,, shes fun to watch ,, but how much beer has she had?? lets see her do all that stuff with 2 Hot Damns and 6 beers ,, she would kick all them boxes out of the way and hire a dang band...

[larryfromnextdoor]

These have been around for years. Combined with real time pitch correction you can do some amazing things. Tape (or digital sampled background tracks) will still be used when needed because they free the performer from having to actually sing, the unit shown in this demo still requires an actual vocal to be singing in order to work. I believe Journey uses (or used) one of these in songs like "Separate Ways" and John was triggering it with the chords played on the synth. Now days anyone can afford these, years ago they were only used by the elite.

For years there have been many ideas bandied about regarding the "JOURNEY / Roy Thomas Baker Sound|" aka stacked vocals.
Until I actually observed the process I, too was under the impression that their signature sound was the result of an electronic device.
At the time, there was much talk about the Eventide Harmoniser being "the box", however a box alone simply does not do it.
Their sound is the result of singing the various notes of the harmony part, as a group, in unison, then "stacking" those notes on the multi-track machine in use at that time.
Then as each part is sung, they will change the predominant voice for that note, depending on whose range it most suits.
That simply involves stepping closer to the microphone as the group sings that particular section.
By recording each section seperately, the producer, or the one who wields the most power, can then arrange the voicing of that harmony to suit himself.
The resulting chorale sound is quite remarkable. This way, even the weakest vocalist in a group adds to the "whole sound", and is less likely to shift off pitch due to the reinforcing aspect of group singing.
It's super easy to do, quick, and requires very little real skill on the part of the singers. You simply need throats.
One of them sound a little off? stick him in the back row, facing away from the mic. It'll add character.
Got a real characteristic voice you wish to imprint on the collective psyche? Let him stay in the front, it'll drive people nuts trying to figure out who is singing what.

As to JC triggering vox tracks from Keyboard World, these have always been samples taken from the original tracks, stored on an HD in a sampler of one variety or another.
This corresponding sample is key mapped to a specific region during that part in that song. This sample can then either be a sequence, played from the sampler's HD, or triggered via keystrokes on any MIDI interconnected triggering keyboard allowing for real time player interaction.


I'm surprised there isn't a Pro-Tools (tm) plug-in that does this, although there very well may be, as much as I'm not involved anymore.

ALLEN!!!! your posts have WOW moment with them.. man ,, that stuff i so complicated..

[Aaron]

Thanks for the insight on that process, it's appreciated. I've always loved the Roy Thomas Baker produced records the most. Those layered vocals are just fuckin beautiful, with real people singing! You can hear Perry's voice on each layer of those vocals. RTB was a fuckin genius. Those layered vocals will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck and I would consider the best music Journey has made. Journey would do well to get him back to help ... if he's still around.

If you think about it, those records were recorded in the late 70's. PC's were not around then. Even in the mid 80's, the IBM 8088 process was the hot rod barely able to run space invaders or Lotus 123. The technology was not available in the late 70's to support computerized BS vocals. And thank God for that!

These have been around for years. Combined with real time pitch correction you can do some amazing things. Tape (or digital sampled background tracks) will still be used when needed because they free the performer from having to actually sing, the unit shown in this demo still requires an actual vocal to be singing in order to work. I believe Journey uses (or used) one of these in songs like "Separate Ways" and John was triggering it with the chords played on the synth. Now days anyone can afford these, years ago they were only used by the elite.

For years there have been many ideas bandied about regarding the "JOURNEY / Roy Thomas Baker Sound|" aka stacked vocals.
Until I actually observed the process I, too was under the impression that their signature sound was the result of an electronic device.
At the time, there was much talk about the Eventide Harmoniser being "the box", however a box alone simply does not do it.
Their sound is the result of singing the various notes of the harmony part, as a group, in unison, then "stacking" those notes on the multi-track machine in use at that time.
Then as each part is sung, they will change the predominant voice for that note, depending on whose range it most suits.
That simply involves stepping closer to the microphone as the group sings that particular section.
By recording each section seperately, the producer, or the one who wields the most power, can then arrange the voicing of that harmony to suit himself.
The resulting chorale sound is quite remarkable. This way, even the weakest vocalist in a group adds to the "whole sound", and is less likely to shift off pitch due to the reinforcing aspect of group singing.
It's super easy to do, quick, and requires very little real skill on the part of the singers. You simply need throats.
One of them sound a little off? stick him in the back row, facing away from the mic. It'll add character.
Got a real characteristic voice you wish to imprint on the collective psyche? Let him stay in the front, it'll drive people nuts trying to figure out who is singing what.

As to JC triggering vox tracks from Keyboard World, these have always been samples taken from the original tracks, stored on an HD in a sampler of one variety or another.
This corresponding sample is key mapped to a specific region during that part in that song. This sample can then either be a sequence, played from the sampler's HD, or triggered via keystrokes on any MIDI interconnected triggering keyboard allowing for real time player interaction.


I'm surprised there isn't a Pro-Tools (tm) plug-in that does this, although there very well may be, as much as I'm not involved anymore.

[Alex Landenburg]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHd_U00q3vo&NR=1

[TRAGChick]

These have been around for years. Combined with real time pitch correction you can do some amazing things. Tape (or digital sampled background tracks) will still be used when needed because they free the performer from having to actually sing, the unit shown in this demo still requires an actual vocal to be singing in order to work. I believe Journey uses (or used) one of these in songs like "Separate Ways" and John was triggering it with the chords played on the synth. Now days anyone can afford these, years ago they were only used by the elite.

For years there have been many ideas bandied about regarding the "JOURNEY / Roy Thomas Baker Sound|" aka stacked vocals.
Until I actually observed the process I, too was under the impression that their signature sound was the result of an electronic device.
At the time, there was much talk about the Eventide Harmoniser being "the box", however a box alone simply does not do it.
Their sound is the result of singing the various notes of the harmony part, as a group, in unison, then "stacking" those notes on the multi-track machine in use at that time.
Then as each part is sung, they will change the predominant voice for that note, depending on whose range it most suits.
That simply involves stepping closer to the microphone as the group sings that particular section.
By recording each section seperately, the producer, or the one who wields the most power, can then arrange the voicing of that harmony to suit himself.
The resulting chorale sound is quite remarkable. This way, even the weakest vocalist in a group adds to the "whole sound", and is less likely to shift off pitch due to the reinforcing aspect of group singing.
It's super easy to do, quick, and requires very little real skill on the part of the singers. You simply need throats.
One of them sound a little off? stick him in the back row, facing away from the mic. It'll add character.
Got a real characteristic voice you wish to imprint on the collective psyche? Let him stay in the front, it'll drive people nuts trying to figure out who is singing what.

As to JC triggering vox tracks from Keyboard World, these have always been samples taken from the original tracks, stored on an HD in a sampler of one variety or another.
This corresponding sample is key mapped to a specific region during that part in that song. This sample can then either be a sequence, played from the sampler's HD, or triggered via keystrokes on any MIDI interconnected triggering keyboard allowing for real time player interaction.


I'm surprised there isn't a Pro-Tools (tm) plug-in that does this, although there very well may be, as much as I'm not involved anymore.

Hi, Allen...

Thank you so much for explaining all of that to us....LOVED the multi-vox effect.

Listening to it on 'phones always gave me a MAJOR chill-factor....so nice to know it was all ORGANIC.

Well done!

PS ~ The video for "Feelin' That Way" ~ they're all standing around the Boom-Mic, singing that phrase.

Is that the "visual" to what you described?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuX0c2M0KT0