create a vocal harmony ( back vocal )

Hi,

Can you help me how can I create a vocal harmony ( back vocal ) without changing the vocal pitch timbre ( Higher pitch and Lower pitch )?

Arash

If you're willing to spend a little, rather than trying to do it for free, Celemony Melodyne works well for this.

http://www.celemony.com/en/melodyne/buyers-guide

With Melodyne, can I use a lead vocal track to create backing vocals or an entire choir?

Yes. One way, for example in Melodyne Plugin, is to copy the notes of the lead vocals and then transpose them. Another is to make multiple copies in your DAW of the lead vocal track (including the Melodyne plug-in) and generate the additional voices from these copied tracks.

Thanks to its multi-tracking capability and Multitrack Note Editing, this is particularly simple in Melodyne 4 studio: In this edition, you can see and edit in a single Note Editor the contents of multiple tracks or instances of the Melodyne plug-in; this gives you a clearer overview of things like voice-leading and timing, and considerably facilitates the creation and mutual adjustment of additional voices and even entire choirs.

you can do this with logic's flex pitch (i create harmonies all the time this way): copy the vocal phrase(s) you want to a new track (or duplicate the lead vocal). i usually move the regions back very slightly, which helps.

run flex pitch on the new track. then double-click a region, and in the editor window, move the notes where you want them; you can play with timbre, vibrato, etc.

i've done this a lot (as well as using other plugins for harmonies), but you can be very precise, specific this way. works great.

There's no need to purchase Melodyne if you have Logic Pro X, you can build backup harmonies and choirs using the integrated Flex Pitch: just Option-drag the track header down to duplicate the track and its regions, turn Flex Pitch on on the duplicate and drag the beams up and down to change the note pitches. Repeat as many times as desired.

However the OP specified "without changing the vocal pitch"? If that means you're looking for a vocal double (same exact pitches as the lead vocal) then IMO the best results are when you actually re-record the singer, or another singer, doing the same pitches. The trick is in trying to get as close as possible to the first performance, at least in terms of timbre and pitch, but also where the note start and where they end. Like the multiple violins in an orchestra, you'll never get exactly the same thing, which will give you the warmth and thickness of doubled vocals. But still the goal is to get as close as possible.

Even in bands where for example a guitarist always does the backup vocals for the band, it's pretty common for the backup vocalist to end up sounding very close to the lead singer, even in timbre and attitude etc... almost like they're imitating them.

Hope that helped but feel free to clarify the question if that was way off.

There's no need to purchase Melodyne if you have Logic Pro X, you can build backup harmonies and choirs using the integrated Flex Pitch: just Option-drag the track header down to duplicate the track and its regions, turn Flex Pitch on on the duplicate and drag the beams up and down to change the note pitches. Repeat as many times as desired.

Fair dos. I like Melodyne, though (which I had started using before Flex Pitch was even a glint in its designer's eye). And it's very good at making my dubious vocals sound in tune without being afflicted by the 'Cher effect'

There's no need to purchase Melodyne if you have Logic Pro X, you can build backup harmonies and choirs using the integrated Flex Pitch: just Option-drag the track header down to duplicate the track and its regions, turn Flex Pitch on on the duplicate and drag the beams up and down to change the note pitches. Repeat as many times as desired.

Fair dos. I like Melodyne, though (which I had started using before Flex Pitch was even a glint in its designer's eye). And it's very good at making my dubious vocals sound in tune without being afflicted by the 'Cher effect'

no 'cher effect' here (altho, to be fair, some harmony notes would not stand up to scruntiny on their own...) but that's the point, they're not on their own, they are harmonies. i used to use melodyne (a great app), but having pitch options built-in is...easier. either way, the end result is similar...

The problem is that Flex pitch still sucks quite a bit compared to Melodyne.

Well, opinions are still divided on that subject... here's ONE example of a discussion comparing Flex Pitch vs Melodyne: Flex pitch vs Melodyne

Given that Flex Pitch is already included in Logic (so basically "free" if you already own Logic), I would give that one a shot first. If you're not happy, consider 3rd party options such as Melodyne.

The problem is that Flex pitch still sucks quite a bit compared to Melodyne.

i often create vocal harmonies with flex pitch, and then balance them (generally, level-wise, just under the lead vocal).it always sounds great, and works. prob would not attempt to use them as solo vocals (some artifacts show), but i get what i need, and am happy.

whatever works.

prob would not attempt to use them as solo vocals (some artifacts show)

I've used Flex Pitch very successfully on lead vocals. But you do have to finesse things here and there such as cut some regions and turn Flex off for them, adjust the drifts, the vibrato, the fine pitch etc. Same as in Melodyne IMO. No solution is set it and forget it. You have to use your ears and work with the tools you have.

prob would not attempt to use them as solo vocals (some artifacts show)

I've used Flex Pitch very successfully on lead vocals. But you do have to finesse things here and there such as cut some regions and turn Flex off for them, adjust the drifts, the vibrato, the fine pitch etc. Same as in Melodyne IMO. No solution is set it and forget it. You have to use your ears and work with the tools you have.

i've done the same, with good results. only when doing harmonies (ie moving a pitch up a 5th, or, god help me, a 7th, does it sometimes become a little... unwieldy. but again, for harmonies, it's always a slightly-lower level then the lead, so not isolated.

Hi guys,

Thank you all for your information.

The problem that I have now is the line that I want to be back vocal sounds Robotic and Unreal.

What is the solution to make it real?

Best,

Arash

The best solution for a real voice is to record a new voice at the desired pitch.

Otherwise the quality of sound depends on the original voice recording, the tool and algo used to pitch the recording, and the amount of transposition (how far the new pitch is from the original pitch).

prob would not attempt to use them as solo vocals (some artifacts show)

I've used Flex Pitch very successfully on lead vocals. But you do have to finesse things here and there such as cut some regions and turn Flex off for them, adjust the drifts, the vibrato, the fine pitch etc. (...)

+1 here, I use Flex Pitich quite often, both on leads and backings, and I'm quite satisfied with the result, to be honnest.

To add to this discussion, which was primarily about creating harmonies, two tools to mention, from iZotope (I need to say I got them for vitually free as I'd purchased other of their products, mostly their mastering suite, but as standalone plugins I guess they should range in the $50-$150 price tag each, I guess):

* Nectar 2 : it's a whole suite of tools in just one plugin, devoted to mixing vocals, and among them you get a pretty decent harmonizer, works quite fine;

* Vocal Synth: same concept as above (several tools in one), but this one is dedicated to processing vocals (vocoding, etc), hovewer, among the available tools you get quite a flexible & good harmonizer as well, plus a very good means of controlling formants (which has a HUGE impact re: whether transposed vocals have a natural feel - or not).

Basicall, I use all 3 ones mentioned above (Flex Pitch, Nectar 2, Vocal Synth), and I first go to Flex Pitch in my workflow. Again, I should say I'm pretty statisfied.

Last but not least, recording additional vocal tracks along the lead one is what does, and will always IMHO, work best. The tools above are more to be used for fine-tuning/mixing/arranging (minute details) purposes.

Cheers to all.

I want to have the vocal one octave lower and one octave higher ( 2 separate files ).

Yup, that's quite a big gap.