Vocal Harmonizer

I wonder if you guys could help me and list some songs that work well with a harmonizer ? I haven't done much with it, and that is next on my list. Preferably, older ones this old guy will know.

Anything that was originally done with harmony works - all Everly Brothers songs, for example.
For Country, I usually use one additional voice a third above my own, with the harmony voice a little softer. This actually will work for any genre.
On some old songs, such as Mills Brothers, additional voices can be used the same volume as the lead voice.
A good idea would be to listen to recordings of the songs you do to see where the harmony originally was used. However, feel free to make the song your own arrangement.
It's easy to overuse the harmony. Like seasoning food, be discreet and use it sparingly for best results.
DonM

Bernie,
I feel the vocal harmonizer s a great tool –but by far over used. I tried to use the unit as an addition to my voice, a section of a song that adds harmony voices for a short period. It takes away from hearing only my voice all night. Using the unit for a long periods will make it’s artificial more apparent.

When I began my career in music we had a large bass player who had a good voice, he did sing every song plus the repeats. My voice was just beginning to surface, when I was asked to sing, which might have been 2 to 3 times in an evening I received the longest and loudest applause – I did not have a better voice, they just enjoyed the variation, the change. This is my value on the vocal harmonizer.

What songs are best? Most any song, since you are only adding an effect it can be used anywhere in just about any song.

I do use the unit for a entire song when I feel my voice does not fit the venue of the song. Y.M.C.A. – I Will Survive – never on a Sinatra tune, that’s a no, no.

My impute, John C.

Thanks to Don and John for their replies, it is helpful. I assume from the lack of specific songs that a more general, judicious approach is the answer, and it doesn't have to be songs from the Four Freshmen, Lads etc.

For what it's worth Bernie, I use harmony on about 75% of my material and whilst the PA2 can generate three voices most of the time I use one, sometimes 2 and never three.

I agree with the others about listening to songs and use harmony where the original did, but I also use a single voice harmony line on songs that originally had no harmony, as I feel it sounds better than jsut adding a chorus effect.

Dennis

Some tunes I use my harmonizer on:

Hey Good Lookin
You belong to me
Angels among us
baby face
Blue xmas
Blue hawaii
Brown eyed girl
Corrina, Corrina
Doctor my eyes
Danny's song
Dream lover
Hello mary lou
have you ever seen the rain
heartaches by the number
jump, jive & wail
lazy, hazy crazy days of summer
life is like a mountain railway
mister sandman
my girl
there's a tear in my beer
Any everly brother stuff


Like the others, I use it about 3/4 of the time, I think. You have to find the right volume level for the harmonies so they don't overwhelm your lead vocal.

I also use 2 or 1 additional harmonies, usually above my lead line...

If the harmonizer also carries effects, like most will, watch your reverb especially, I usually zero out the reverb effects on my box amp and just use the effects on my Digitech...

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 08-03-2008).]

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 08-03-2008).]

Another “My thought” – I am selling my voice, it’s prime. To that I sometimes add a single voice to give the vocal more body -- or a voice a third above to get a blues type of sound. If it’s two or three I add sparingly.

It’s my voice and what helps me sell the song.

John C.

Bernie, if you still want a list of songs I can do.

But whatever you do... Tape yourself, and listen critically to the harmonizer. I'm sorry, but I am not a big fan of most of the harmonizers in arrangers, compared to dedicated units, being much cheesier and chipmunk-y than the best hardware units.

Tape yourself, and ask yourself does the effect distract, or add to your singing? It's a cool effect, when you are playing, but often, in the light of a cold, objective listen after the fact, it doesn't sound anywhere NEAR as impressive as when you were actually playing!

JMO....

AMEN!!!

There are a few members here who endorse the harmonizers contained within various arrangers, but I'm not one of them...

I've played with the settings,with no luck...

I think, generally speaking, the results from using a stand alone unit will usually out perform those "included" with a keyboard...

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Bill in Dayton

Ketron and Korg arrangers use the best VPs out there. As good as any standalone unit. Roland is a close second, Yamaha; a distant third.

The PA800 has as good of a unit as I ever worked with. I have a Digitech VR gathering dust at home because of it. Anyone want to swap me something for it?

Hey Dave would ya swap it for $25???.....

jess kiddin'

But I do agree with what you are saying. I have the PA2 myself.

D

Bernie here are some songs I do with the harmoniser....

All CCR songs
Heartache Tonight and other Eagles Songs
I Shot The Sheriff
Moondance
Feelin Alright
Comfortably Numb
My Sharona
Turn the Page
Stuck In The Middle
Summer of 69
Sweet Home Alabama
Rockin All Over The World
Under The Boardwalk
Money
Time
Blister In The Sun
Honky Tonk Woman
Fields of Gold
This Masquerade
Strong As Samson
Conquistador
He Aint Heavy
Funeral for a friend/Love Lies Bleeding
T.N.T.
Long Way To The Top

These are just a few, I also do a LOT of Aussie songs which you may not know, so I did not include them.

Also some don't have harmony in the original, and these are the ones where I was saying earlier, I add a single voice above mine, very soft, but it just gives the vocal just that little mroe "presence".

Dennis

Bernie, How you use your voice is a big factor with a harmonizer. I hold back a bit. Even the poorest unit can work with some effort. Diki’s advice to record yourself should be prime. Remember as you sing you are hearing your own voice a bit stronger than the mixer does.
Vocalizer Tunes
1-Blue Moon – release only
2-Leroy Brown
3-Let’s twist again
4-Macho man
5-Y M C A
6-Shake your booty
7-You stepped out of a dream -- beginning only
8-Put your head on my shoulder – release
9-Unchained melody – not on release
10-Sweet Caroline -- chorus only
11-Happy together – chorus
12-Evil Ways –wherever
13-Breaking up is hard to do -- release only
14-Put your hand in the hand – first parts only
15-I will survive – just a touch in intensity throughout song
16-Just a Gigolo – chorus
17-Shake rattle and roll – chorus only
18-You belong to me – release
19-Jail house rock – chorus only
20-How deep is your love – maybe all
21-I write the songs -- release
22-What a wonderful world – release
23-I only have eyes for you—all
24-Laughter in the rain – chorus
25-All the sing-a-longs -- but just for effect
26-Witchcraft – release
27-New York New York – the end only
28-Fiddler on the roof – release
29-I can’t get started – release only (Possible for all ballads)
30-South of the border -- chorus

Dave-you have mail...



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Bill in Dayton

Okee Dokeee !

Thanks to everone who has taken their time to help. I appreciate it.
Bernie

I know it's not fashionable to post music here at SZ, but sadly, I wish things were different. Few have ever posted anything with the harmonizer used, and regretfully, fewer than that were, I'm sorry to say, were anything but distractions to the real vocal, IMO...

I sure wish that we felt more comfortable illustrating our views. I would really LOVE to hear how the best of us DO manage to make ourselves comfortable with this feature, and how effectively they use it, and whether the effect is convincing or not, often a subjective matter...

I remember the version of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square from quite a while ago, but since then, I honestly can't remember hearing another harmonizer demo that impressed me. Would anyone care to point me to other demos that they consider effective?

I've no axe to grind, I simply, honestly would like to find someone that really uses the harmonizer in a way I don't consider gimmicky, and hopefully learn something about how to use it well...

But talking alone, unfortunately, doesn't do it for me...

Diki-

Do you have a recording or example of you using one that doesn't sound gimmicky?

A lot of the use of a harmonizer is a pretty subjective thing. What one set of ears finds pleasing another might say its way too heavy or artificial sounding...

I think we each find our own comfort zone with these enhancements...

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Bill in Dayton


[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 08-04-2008).]

I've probably posted a hundred songs using various harmonizers over the past year or two. My customers like them for the most part.
DonM

Sorry, Bill, but as of yet, I haven't had results with the harmonizer that satisfied me. I have a guitarist that splits lead singing with me, and we both add harmonies on each other's songs, to the point that we both sing on most of our repertoire, and the rest of the time, I'm playing with full bands that don't use machines, and we all just sing (although I'd always like more harmonies from most of them!).

As such, basically, unless the harmonizer can convince ME that I'm actually listening to another person sing, rather than being painfully aware that it's yet another machine, trying to sound human , it doesn't make the cut.

So far, no luck.

Were I primarily a soloist, I might feel differently, at least to their usage, but I still have to say that most of the arranger based harmony stuff I've heard leaves me with NO doubt I'm listening to a machine, whereas some of the latest hardware units, especially those TC Helicon things, can do a pretty convincing job. At least in the hands of their very gifted demonstrators... it remains to be seen how they are in the hands of mere mortals like us

Don.... could you cherry-pick a few of your best? And post a URL? I'd love to hear what you consider the best of them.

Thanks.

Will do Diki. I need to post a couple with the new Harmony M as well.
It may be a day or two before I have time.
DonM

Diki, if you get a chance, try the Roland VP550; or better yet, shoot on up here for a weekend. That way you can also play around with the C1, the PA1xPro, the Tyros 2, the Sonicell, the Motif ES, and other assorted junk. You know that you'd be more than welcomed.

chas

PS: Of course, you'd have to share some recording 'tips and tricks'.

http://www.boydsongs.com/A%20Nightingale%20Sang.html


Uncle Dave.............

Diki ... you are so lucky ... if I had someone to sing harmony with I wouldn't use no damned machine either !!! ...

t.