The Importance of Delay Buses on Vocals

This plugin called Gem Dopamine is great for pushing air through vocals. It basically imitates a Dolby tape effect, which is this old engineering technique that they basically did push top end through vocals. I like the vocal to duck sometimes. Some people actually don't like that on vocals because it kind of makes it more of like an instrumental element rather than a lead vocal. So if you're lazy like me, then this is really great.

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Thanks to SoundBetter for supporting this episode of Tape Notes.

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In this special live episode, John heads to Mother Advertising to chat with returning guest SG Lewis about how he wrote, recorded, and produced his new album ‘AudioLust & HigherLove’.

Starting writing after taking ten days off music making and getting bored, Sam reflects on the times spent with his collaborators in the studio and on exotic retreats, sharing the sparks of songwriting inspiration that came from their stories and lives.

In this all-round production masterclass, we’re treated to a deep dive into Sam’s process of updating sounds and processing techniques from past eras for a modern audience, as well as mixing tips including the best ways to make a kick and bass punch over iPhone speakers.

Listen to find out why the phonetics of lyrics are so important, how to create a convincing fake vocoder, and what some of the most effective ways are to gain confidence as a singer when you’re not a singer.

Tracks discussed: Lifetime, Call On Me, Something About Your Love

LINKS TO EVERYTHING TAPE NOTES

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Listen to ‘AudioLust & HigherLove’ here.