This is in context to all type's of metal, but do you feel it is okay for singer's to use an electronic voice modification tool? An argueing ground could be that people use distortion pedal's, as well as pedal's that can change the guitar (or even bass guitar) in a variety of way's, so why could a singer not do the same thing? The creation of music could be percieved very easily as just another art form (which I personally do) so using these modifiers is not cheating, but rather just another way of furthering one's musical creation to perfection.

Off the top of my head I can't think of too many band's that do this, but Cradle Of Filth and Otep come to mind, I think that even Dimmu Borgir did that a bit on their last three album's on some part's of certain song's. But, there is also the prospect of pitch correction, and other such studio magic that a lot of band's of many genre's and style's may very well use.

Different bands, different genres... I essentially don't use some kind of pedals, e.t.c... I try to improve my own voice, being guided on favourite rockstars.

I think that everyone is doing it, really, maybe not to change sound or make it sound better than it is but to correct all that is (would be) lost during recording. Make a poll, and bring singers of the most popular metal bands, and ask them have you use some voice filters, modification or similar, I can bet 70% would say yes.

Actually, it is almost neccesary to use some filter if you want to record your voice perfectly, and there is nothing bad about that. I mean, if you can't sing and make your voice to sound awesome, you will have to face live shows, and what then?

..then you can still fake the audience, I bet.

Modification should be ok to a normal extend, but don't overdo it. If you can't sing, get another vocalist.

For effects, I'd like to see some experiments. Stuff such as Demilich's vocal are probably under a lot of 'effects', and they sound awesome. Nothing wrong with that.

Well, I used to work in a studio and I can say that its very common to use filters when you are recording voice. In regards to effects and layering, I usually dont like if its overdone...for example on Doomsday Machine by arch Enemy it sounds too distorted to where she sounded like a satanic rat. But then you have Behemoth on Demigod, it was layered and there was effects but it still sounded great.

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Actually, it is almost neccesary to use some filter if you want to record your voice perfectly, and there is nothing bad about that. I mean, if you can't sing and make your voice to sound awesome, you will have to face live shows, and what then?

Of course, it is necessarily to use filters on a record, but I can't see a talent of musician if he uses devices all time.

Voice modification/effects is used in more than half the instances (though not admitted by bands) especially when ti comes tosinging live.

It seems fine to use them to add effects to your voice, kind of like what Mike Patton or James LaBrie does. But there are too many people who do it in the studio to make themselves sound good, like ZP Theart does. Sorry Zippy, you're not Geoff Tate, don't try and sing like him.

I would say that no, for the simple reason, that when you listen the album, this will make you an idea of how the singer sings or how the song sounds, but when the live shows come, the singer woudnt be capable of singing as good or with the same efects.

Written by Fhuesc on 21.07.2007 at 01:21

I would say that no, for the simple reason, that when you listen the album, this will make you an idea of how the singer sings or how the song sounds, but when the live shows come, the singer woudnt be capable of singing as good or with the same efects.

They could modificate them as well. And before you say: that's not real!, what is distortion then?

@Nervel: yes they could modificate them, but from my point of view, a real musician doesnt need that, in that case, i can become a singer to, and that devalues for me, the concept of music.

Written by Fhuesc on 21.07.2007 at 01:37

@Nervel: yes they could modificate them, but from my point of view, a real musician doesnt need that, in that case, i can become a singer to, and that devalues for me, the concept of music.

To a point you are right.

But remember, there is a difference in brushing away some minor stains and completely altering a voice. I doubt anyone could stand a long life of singing and touring, without some little 'cleaning' here and there.

@Nervel: as long, as they are little, i dont have problem. The problem is when you have singers like Britney Spears or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers singer.

Written by Fhuesc on 21.07.2007 at 01:37

@Nervel: yes they could modificate them, but from my point of view, a real musician doesnt need that, in that case, i can become a singer to, and that devalues for me, the concept of music.

Well, then we need to say that the vast majority of metal musicians are not musicians since they all modify something in the studio. Guitar tones get cleaned up, bass gets smoothed out, drums are cleared up, etc.

As for voice: I toss a bunch of effects on my vocals for my project Recompense. To archive insanely low tones we have to drop it. No human alive can hit notes like that, so we go in and change it. Now, we only do that a few times for a certain dark atmosphere in a song. Am I not a musician because of that?

@Hemlock ?: if you want to put it that way, yes; but thats taking the things to the extreme. How do you plan to sing that part when you play live?

Everyone keeps bringing up this question of playing live. You can get microphones that are geared up to achieve the sound. Just look at Cradle of Filth and Opeth.

Personally, I think it's acceptable as long as it isn't overkill. I mean, when professional photographers take their photos they always edit them on a computer program to improve them. It's the same with vocal efforts.

Written by Fhuesc on 21.07.2007 at 02:19

@Hemlock ?: if you want to put it that way, yes; but thats taking the things to the extreme. How do you plan to sing that part when you play live?

Well, almost never play live. There are only three of us in the band and we're all multi-instrumentalists.
Jesse: Piano, guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, vocals
Kevin: Drums, percussion, Hammered Dulcimer
Me: Vocals, flutes, pipes, drone flute, Didgeridoo

So not even being concerned with hitting a dropped B flat with my voice, I can't play three flutes, and a Didgeridoo while playing. When we have gone live, it all arranged differently.

I choose to remain ignorant when it comes to this subject. Hell, I even pretend that the vocals for Last Days of Humanity and Rompeprop are real, even though they're obviously fake.

Written by Dangerboner on 23.07.2007 at 07:12

...Rompeprop are real, even though they're obviously fake.

if those are real then I don't know what that voice with fx will sound like... normal?
Btw, Rompeprop's previous vocalist Steven Smegma HATES it when grindcore/porngrind etc. bands DON'T use a pitchshifter for the vocals. Smegma is now a reviewer for Aardschok magazine.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.07.2007 at 16:52

Written by Dangerboner on 23.07.2007 at 07:12

...Rompeprop are real, even though they're obviously fake.

if those are real then I don't know what that voice with fx will sound like... normal?
Btw, Rompeprop's previous vocalist Steven Smegma HATES it when grindcore/porngrind etc. bands DON'T use a pitchshifter for the vocals. Smegma is now a reviewer for Aardschok magazine.

He used to be the vocalist of Rompeprop? Wicked! By the way, I love his surname and his reviews. (Even though they tend to be 'cleaner' lately.)

I guess it's normalñ to use some effects on production, in order to correct mistrakes in the voice and stuff, but whe it's overused the band should just get another vocalist.

If it makes the song better I have absolutely nothing against it.

Hey if recording errors were not taken out then nobody would listen to the album. Good production = fixing bad sounds electronically. If a studio release sounded as bad as what most bands sound like when they play a song then it would be deemed "poor quality recording." Every studio release has some modifications. But does this make modifying vocals right.

Well if it is false, i.e. completely altered, then I think it has gone too far. But if you simply are fixing up pitch errors then that is okay by me. I don't mind layering, or dropping frequency, until it gets to the point where it doesnt sound humanly achievable.

Written by Warman on 08.08.2007 at 00:29

If it makes the song better I have absolutely nothing against it.

agreed, but i had a bit of a disapointment when hammerfall used voice synthesizing so extensiively on "unbent unbowed" and "crimson thunder", but luckily i got over it, and some songs would actually sound worse without the synthy voice: priest's dissident aggressor, green manalishi(on "unleashed in the east") and halford's prisoner of your eyes

Music is art, whatever makes it "better", more varied, original etc. is more than welcome.

Written by [user id=3005] on 14.09.2007 at 20:52

Music is art, whatever makes it "better", more varied, original etc. is more than welcome.

Whoa, I hadn't visited this topic in months
Anyway. I partially agree with you. 'cause what hppens if tehy abuse the effects? When teh band play live the vocals will sound like crap...

Written by +{Jonas}+ on 02.09.2008 at 04:27

Written by [user id=3005] on 14.09.2007 at 20:52

Music is art, whatever makes it "better", more varied, original etc. is more than welcome.

...'cause what hppens if tehy abuse the effects? When teh band play live the vocals will sound like crap...

Why? The band uses the exact same effects live then as in the studio. Case in point here being Cynic.

Cynic's vocoder KILLS me. i dont think it goes with their music. at all.

I'd imagine that almost all bands polish up their vocals in the studio...but that is more for the overall production in my eyes. I don't think an artist should rely completely on a device to get his vocal sound. I can understand a boosted mic, but not a full on modulation. That is kind of lame in my eyes.

In some genres I suppose it is expected though. Like porngrind for instance. Pitch shifting is standard issue there.