These four short audio clips provide simple examples to illustrate the points made in the Cubase workshop in SOS May 2024.
Cubase 13: Using The VocalChain Plug-in
www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-13-using-vocalchain-plug
Each example uses a different vocal/genre, and features an eight-bar section of music with a simple backing track (just enough to provide the musical context) and a single lead vocal (no harmony or backing vocals included). This eight-bar section is repeated a number of times and, in each case, different VocalChain processing options are used to illustrate some of the possibilities the plug-in provides and how it can change the style of the resulting vocal.
Cubase 13 VocalChain plug-in Audio Examples 01.mp3
This example uses a male vocal in a generic pop music context. The eight-bar sequence is repeated four times as follows:
(a) the vocal without any VocalChain processing added.
(b) This time the vocal has the Lead Vocal Reinforce preset (mentioned in the main text) applied. While this includes EQ, compression and de-essing as part of the signal chain, the focus here is on the Pitch module which is used to generate a vocal double that sits an octave below the actual vocal line.
(c) By contrast, this section uses the Chart Octaves preset which, alongside some differences elsewhere in the signal chain, uses the Pitch module to blend in a vocal double an octave above the original.
(d) This uses the more conventional VocalChain preset Perfect Pop Dry Vocal. You could, of course, add in reverb/delay to taste, but this preset features some fairly substantial amounts of dynamics control in both compression modules to create a very consistent vocal level that would not get lost in a busy mix.
Cubase 13 VocalChain plug-in Audio Examples 02.mp3
This example uses a male vocal in a blues/rock music context. The eight-bar sequence is repeated four times as follows:
(a) the vocal without any VocalChain processing added.
(b) This time the vocal has the Rock Hot Valve Mic Chain preset (mentioned in the main text) applied. While this includes EQ, compression and de-essing as part of the signal chain, the focus here is on the Saturator module which is used to add a significant amount of additional distortion to the sound for extra lo-fi grit.
(c) This section uses the same preset but switches the Saturator module to its Tube mode. This still adds additional harmonics to the sound, but a somewhat more subtle effect is created.
(d) For a different approach to a lo-fi sound, in this section, the Megaphone Middle Eight preset has been applied. This uses the Cut Filter and Dynamic Filter I modules to heavily bandwidth limit the vocal sound for that classic megaphone/telephone vocal sound.
Cubase 13 VocalChain plug-in Audio Examples 03.mp3
This example uses a female vocal in an electronic/trance music context. The eight-bar sequence is repeated four times as follows:
(a) the vocal without any VocalChain processing added.
(b) This time the vocal has the Platinum Female Vocal Chain preset (mentioned in the main text) applied. While this includes EQ, compression and de-essing as part of the signal chain and produces a very polished result with compression and EQ. The preset also uses both the Reverb and Delay, but the Ducker feature is used to ensure that the ambience effects don’t get too out of control in what is a busy mix. You can hear this most clearly as the vocal stops towards the end of the eight-bar sequence (I’ve tweaked the settings slightly from the preset to make the effect more obvious).
(c) The same as (b) but with the Ducker deactivated in both the Reverb and Delay modules. It’s clearly over the top and, while the delay/reverb settings could, of course, be dialled back but you would then lose the ‘epic’ nature of the effect in pauses in the sung line.
(d) If you want a more conventional modern vocal production starting point, VocalChain has a number of other presets that provide very solid starting points. One example is the Shiny Pop Vocal used here which features some effective compression using the Vox Comp and Transparent compressor options respectively in the two Compressor modules.
Cubase 13 VocalChain plug-in Audio Examples 04.mp3
As an additional illustration, this example uses a male vocal in a rap/hip-hop music context. While I make no claims on my capabilities for rap production(!), VocalChain has plenty of potential in this application and includes a few suitable ‘starting point’ presets. The eight-bar sequence is repeated four times as follows:
(a) the vocal without any VocalChain processing added.
(b) For a simple dose of ‘polish’, this time the Dry Pop Vocal preset has been applied. This features some EQ to clear out some of the low-end, plenty of de-essing, a substantial amount of compression, while the Send modules are all disabled. This creates a very dry and even ‘always present’ vocal level so the words in the rap part can be heard more clearly.
(c) The Radio Rap Vocal preset adds in some fairly obvious pitch correction and ambience to the signal chain. I’m not sure it really works with this particular vocal, but it illustrates that VocalChain’s presets are not all about shiny pop styles.
(d) No, this vocal example isn’t Trap, but VocalChain does include a couple of Trap-based presets such as the Trap Legend Tuned example used here where the the delay treatment in particular lends the sound a somewhat darker and more menacing flavour.
