Does anyone use the Axe 2 for vocals???

B

BrianJ

Inspired
I'm curious to see if anyone has/does use the Axe 2 for vocal processing? Looking for some advice on what works, and what doesn't...

Any patches designed for vocals?
 
I imagine it'll perform as well or better as the Ultra, which I used a bunch of time on vocals.

Of course you need a mic pre to amplify the signal and provide phantom power.

Then, in the Axe, my default for vocals is basically a channel strip:

Highpass filter -> Lowpass filter -> PEQ -> studio compressor

also, I often re-record vocals through the Axe's plex delay and reverb effects 100% wet (sometimes with the vocal reversed, re-recorded and then reversed again to get ghostly reverb before dry signal sounds).
then I layer these re-recorded tracks with the dry ones - makes mixing much easier. The reamping over USB will be a big plus!

obviously, it's also great for all types of telephone/lofi sounds.
 
DonPetersen said:
I imagine it'll perform as well or better as the Ultra, which I used a bunch of time on vocals.

Of course you need a mic pre to amplify the signal and provide phantom power.

Then, in the Axe, my default for vocals is basically a channel strip:

Highpass filter -> Lowpass filter -> PEQ -> studio compressor

also, I often re-record vocals through the Axe's plex delay and reverb effects 100% wet (sometimes with the vocal reversed, re-recorded and then reversed again to get ghostly reverb before dry signal sounds).
then I layer these re-recorded tracks with the dry ones - makes mixing much easier. The reamping over USB will be a big plus!

obviously, it's also great for all types of telephone/lofi sounds.
Click to expand...

I would probably be recording dry into the Vs2480, then using the Axe2 for effects...so signal level shouldn't be an issue as it'll be coming from the 2480 output. Would you happen to have a patch or two I could look at? I'd like to get an idea of how the settings are used...
 
BrianJ said:
I would probably be recording dry into the Vs2480, then using the Axe2 for effects...so signal level shouldn't be an issue as it'll be coming from the 2480 output. Would you happen to have a patch or two I could look at? I'd like to get an idea of how the settings are used...
Click to expand...

the channel strip ones are probbaly pretty useless, since you have to set them for every voice, mic, preamp, and application.
I usually get rig of the very low end 30-50Hz, might cut some 'boom' @150Hz-250Hz etc with the PEQ and use the compressor in peak mode, auto setting, ratio 2:1, lookahead 1ms, no auto makeup to even out the signal.
but then, I'm mostly doing 'spoken word' stuff, with rock vocals for exsample you can go much more crazy.

lately I've been drawn to parallel compression ...

FX-wise look for a preset called Velvet Sun, feed vocals through it (after disabling the amp/cab blocks) and be amazed. :)
 
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DonPetersen said:
lately I've been drawn to parallel compression ...
Click to expand...

another effect that can work really well in parallel with vocals is surprisingly enough distortion...
you want just the tiniest amount.. just enough to make the vocals a tad 'grainy'..
I tend to use a bit crusher for this... and just enough to not quite notice it...
can really add energy to the vocals in the mix..
think of it as a "poor man's tape compression"
 
clarky said:
another effect that can work really well in parallel with vocals is surprisingly enough distortion...
you want just the tiniest amount.. just enough to make the vocals a tad 'grainy'..
I tend to use a bit crusher for this... and just enough to not quite notice it...
can really add energy to the vocals in the mix..
think of it as a "poor man's tape compression"
Click to expand...

I hear ya!
I also enjoy layering a vocal with a whispered and a screamed version of the text, then pan them hard left and right, barely audible and buss compress them.
 
DonPetersen said:
I hear ya!
I also enjoy layering a vocal with a whispered and a screamed version of the text, then pan them hard left and right, barely audible and buss compress them.
Click to expand...

I've done something similar... a metal scream vocal under a sung one...

that parallel distortion thing works well with acoustics too..
obviously the mic'd acoustic is the principle tone... the gently driven one is like an evil accomplice lurking in the background..
gives a little extra 'stuff' and can funnily enough make the acoustic sound 'cleaner' and glue better into the mix..
 
clarky said:
another effect that can work really well in parallel with vocals is surprisingly enough distortion...
you want just the tiniest amount.. just enough to make the vocals a tad 'grainy'..
I tend to use a bit crusher for this... and just enough to not quite notice it...
can really add energy to the vocals in the mix..
think of it as a "poor man's tape compression"
Click to expand...

DonPetersen said:
the channel strip ones are probbaly pretty useless, since you have to set them for every voice, mic, preamp, and application.
I usually get rig of the very low end 30-50Hz, might cut some 'boom' @150Hz-250Hz etc with the PEQ and use the compressor in peak mode, auto setting, ratio 2:1, lookahead 1ms, no auto makeup to even out the signal.
but then, I'm mostly doing 'spoken word' stuff, with rock vocals for exsample you can go much more crazy.

lately I've been drawn to parallel compression ...

FX-wise look for a preset called Velvet Sun, feed vocals through it (after disabling the amp/cab blocks) and be amazed. :)
Click to expand...

When you guys say "in parallel"...what exactly do you mean?

Also, I'll look for that "velvet sun" patch you mentioned...re-wiring some things, but I'll take a look at it in the next day or two when I get done...
 
clarky said:
I've done something similar... a metal scream vocal under a sung one...

that parallel distortion thing works well with acoustics too..
obviously the mic'd acoustic is the principle tone... the gently driven one is like an evil accomplice lurking in the background..
gives a little extra 'stuff' and can funnily enough make the acoustic sound 'cleaner' and glue better into the mix..
Click to expand...

yes, I was quite amazed when I checked out the Waves CLA Unplugged plugin - I believe it does only parallel processing,
I mapped the whole thing to my Nocturn and wow! so much control with so few parameters!

CLA-Unplugged-plp.jpg
 
BrianJ said:
When you guys say "in parallel"...what exactly do you mean?

Also, I'll look for that "velvet sun" patch you mentioned...re-wiring some things, but I'll take a look at it in the next day or two when I get done...
Click to expand...

generally us guitarists place all of our effects in series
for example:
guitar -> distortion -> delay -> reverb -> amp

in studios you have an alternative to this
you can route the signal [in this case your guitar playing] through effects that are placed side by side rather than one after another..
this allows you to retain the tone of the signal you're recording [the dry signal] and create an independent signal with the effects on it [the wet signal]..

guitar -> distortion --------------> output
............................I
............................V--reverb-->output

in this situation, the reverb would be set to 100% wet and is mixed with the dry signal of the distorted guitar

there are some advantages with doing this and are all to do with having more control over the tone overall
for example.. If I though the guitar tone was perfect but the reverb was too bright, I could eq the reverb independently of the guitar
if the reverb was in series I'd not be able to do this [although there are higher end reverbs that come with their own eq capabilities - like a Lexicon]

the Axe2's grid has 4 'rows' and therefore enables you to split the signal path so that you can parallel process the signal
this means flexibility....
it's not just reverbs.. you can place any effect in parallel.. in fact you can create chains of effects in parallel...
why and when to do this is all about how much control you need when sculpting the tone overall
 
DonPetersen said:
yes, I was quite amazed when I checked out the Waves CLA Unplugged plugin - I believe it does only parallel processing,
I mapped the whole thing to my Nocturn and wow! so much control with so few parameters!

CLA-Unplugged-plp.jpg
Click to expand...

I know this well....
I have all of those CLA AU's [unplugged, bass, drums, guitar, vocals, effects] and all the Maserati ones too...
they're superb aren't they...
 
That Plugin looks nice! But since I'm not doing computer based recording yet I can't use it...!

I'll definitely try some of the patches and suggestions mentioned...Thanks!


DON,
I'm doing some spoken word pieces also...do you have an actual patch for that, something I could look at?
 
try something like this....

amp->cab-> phaser->delay-> output
you'll note that everything gets phaser and delay...

then try
amp -> cab-> output
in another row place the phaser->delay->output
from the cab make another connection to the input of the phaser
set the phaser and delay should be set 100% wet
what you now have simultaneously is...
1 - the amp and cab dry to the out
2 - the 'phased delay'

you should note that tonally the two different configs should sound a little different...
I'd expect the series routing to be more 'effected' and the parallel routing to contain a more defined guitar tone...

so... why choose one over the other??
it all depends upon what you are trying to achieve with respect to the musical space in which you are playing...

the killer thing though is knowing what these different options sound like...
then you are better armed to make good choices...

the trick to all this is experimentation...
even if you don't like what you find.. all knowledge is good knowledge..
 
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