Whats your thoughts on recording backing vocals / harmonies?

Do you mute the lead vocal as it can distract you or do you keep it in to help with timing & phrasing?

Does anyone apply different effects to backing vocals, does panning help?

Should the volume be slightly lower?

I would really like to hear everyones opinion on this?

I want to really develop my songwriting in this area

As for muting, I do however is most comfortable for that song. I will often leave the main vocal in to help with timing. However, it's a very close harmony it can be distracting so I would either turn it very low or off - but in that case spend some time getting the timing right.

Usually backing vocals I put just a bit quieter - how much depends on their roles. If they are designed to share the lead vocal more (or even if there are 2 lead lines) then it may only be 1-2 db lower, or use automation to bring them up and down (and do the opposite in the lead) at different times. In that case they may share the same pan as the lead or only slightly left/right. If they are 'really' backing stuff; oohs/ahhs not following the lead melody, or just their for emphasis, I might pan them further away and/or drop the volume more.

I'm not a big fan of lots effects (just reverb and delays), so I don't do much there, although I would probably EQ and compress the backing vocals slightly differently.

If you want more help, I would gladly mix a song of yours and let you know all that I did. (I want more nice songs to practice on and improve myself!)

Hi Kafla,

I usually put main lead vocals down the centre on top of the bass line. Harmonies slightly left and/or right of centre (depending on effect required), backing vocals a little further still. I try to build textures in to the songs if I can. I always record with the main vocals still playing as it helps with timing and any nuances that might be in your main vocal.

Effects wise I tend to keep the main vocal relatively dry, then apply reverb, etc to backing vocals. Again, it all depends on the type of track and effect you want. If I want to try and thicken my vocals I'll put a very quiet track under the main vocals, or mix the vocals on their own as three tracks, panning hard left, right and centre, then export the master of this back in to my main recording as one track.

I'm rubbish at explaining things, but hopefully you get the idea. Most of the time I find it's trial and error - especially as I don't have a great voice to start with.

All the best,

Digger

Great advice Digger - thank you

Strangely enough on my last 3 songs I have panned a vocal left and right and set one on the middle. This does indeed produce a fantastic result

Once I've got a melody recorded I add the backing, sometimes writing the melody with certain harmonies in mind.
I double track every line and pan left and right, so in the track "Don't you wanna get with me?" posted in the review section, the "oh oh ohs", and the "oohs" are 4 tracks, 2 lines double tracked and panned left and right. On the word 'I' there are three harmonies, one above the melody note, and two below, these are all also double tracked, course, it depends on the effect you are after. THis give a 'bigger' sound.

I usually have more reverb on the backing vocals than the lead, and have them mixed quieter, helps to give the impression that they are further away,

hope that helps,

Chris
www.chrislong.me.uk

I usually have to mute everything but one guitar and the main vocal when doubling, or everything gets too distracting. The double is kept in the middle too, just a little lower than the main vocal. It can also sound really cool if you add a second lyric under the main one.

Still haven't cracked oohs or higher or lower harmonies however. Any tips on this ?

Hi Kafla,
            recording BV's is just as important as anything else but how you do it depends on what sort of sound & effect you need them to give. The answer is as long as any piece of string you care to find. Mic technique is one of the most important things I think, mic technique & positioning. You can play around with that until the earth hits the sun & still find different sounds. I usually use valve mics for warmth but for me you can use most mics & you get different textures from all of them obviously but saying that I think it is great just to play around & experiment, that is part of the fun for me. What kind of sound are you looking for btw?? You are using Logic if I remember right, I think. Logic have some tremendous vocal sounds on board if you look hard enough & there are little tricks you can use to with the levels to add more colour etc etc What mics do you use btw too??

Cheers
Songsmith

I like to keep my backing vocals as transparent as possible personally. So I record them with the lead vocals going, then I know if I don't get it perfectly in time or tune, I can do them again. I will spend a good 10-20 takes on getting them right (Though I have done more), as poor backing vocals can sound terrible!

If I've only got one backing vocal track, then I compress the lower frequencies more than the higher frequencies, then add a really subtle chorus. This expands the vocals somewhat without making the mix sound messy. Then I add a hint of reverb, not too much though, then set the level so it's barely hearable but it still improves the impact of the lead vocals.

It differs for me what I want from the song. Although a lot of people said that the backing vocal were too prominent in Magic Carpet ( and they were a bit)
In that song I wanted it to sound in parts like there wasn't a real main vocal. I liked it that it sounded like the harmonies were just as important as the main vocal.

Most of the time though obviously the main vocal should always break through the backing vocals, so will be trying all the advice on how to do that.

I dont always agree....The main vocal can be a chorus of vocals/mix of different harmonies. Fleet foxes' 'White winter hymnal' comes to mind...I think a couple of songs on our EP had parts like that aswell. Perhaps we didnt pull it off though 

I acutally thought that too Ram  It didn't matter to me that on certain parts the main vocal got lost because the chords it helped to make vocally

were nice enough. But everyone seemed to think otheriwse (apart from James) so I just assumed I had broken some unwritten law hahaha 

There is no law except, make sure the mix compliments the song