Joey's Vocal Stack Approach

[@TylerGreenMusic]

This is the best lesson on layering vocals I think I’ve ever seen on KZbin

[@maxpinchuk5245]

I'm so shocked that this channel isn't one of the biggest pro audio channels on YT

[@joeymusic]

Here’s hoping 🤞 -Miami

[@tonybrandvold]

No doubt. Some of the best mixing plugins on the market honestly. And Joey knows his shit.

[@RoPanuganti]

I've been wanting this kind of video for YEARS, thanks JST!!!

[@JamesBoldi]

Oh hi, Ro!

[@misesification]

Me too

[@TLAudioMixingMastering]

Is it weird that I find Joey's voice incredibly calming? Another great vid.

[@Trashmanpro]

Lol yeah I never expected that either

[@Anibiskus]

You explained it super easy and it sounds amazing! Thank You.

[@ICKY427]

good stuff. im new to the world of multiple vocal layers. i just finished a song where i ended up doing two main takes for the chorus, one panned left, one panned right, then bussed back to a channel for eq/soothe2/delay/verb. i just opened that project back up and tried it your way, keeping one of those takes centered, and the other one artificially doubled nice and wide with slightly varied eq and effects. it sounds so much better, a lot fuller

[@cobusprinsloo]

Great chorus!

[@ayeapprove]

These are some killer tricks, that's quality content I've been looking for.

[@matthewchavezm.b.s5503]

Those vocals sounded great! Nice job.

[@gergelytoth5613]

I made a great song and these tricks what're still missing. I watched some videos but this is the first useful one.

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

This is the most helpful video I've watched.

[@galbinobeats7283]

A+ tutorial!

[@zeenuf00]

Amazing vocalist

[@50bandzent40]

Extremely helpful

[@TheBissco]

Well, that was completely awesome! Thanks for sharing! Of course, it really helps when your singer is INSANELY AWESOME! Great vid!

[@lionnonny]

Oh wow, this is the JST I hear people talking about. Sweet 😁. Instant subaroony.

[@joriksson]

Nice tips, very useful! Although regarding the doubles - I used to use two different tracks (instead of one) splited into the left and the right channel behind the main vox to create more wideness. But it depends on what exactly you want to achieve from the sound I think, so using only one doubletrack may be more convenient in some situations

[@iLegitLyrics]

Wow this is gonna up my recording/mixing by so much. That distortion layer is genius!

[@mylesclayborne6534]

I’ve been getting more into doing vocals and thinking I’m not doing enough, it’s a breath of fresh air to come watch this and see a few of the things I’m already doing!!! Thanks for the video Joey 🔥🔥🔥

[@misesification]

Thanks for so many hints master

[@JamesBoldi]

I’m so happy to find this. Seeing as I’m about to do vocal mixing in a few.

[@FADY-MAALOUF]

Fantastic 🎉

[@AlbertodeVictoria]

An outstanding song

[@trollingisasport]

Great info! Very clear

[@aeiplanner]

Great content. Clear, concise, packaged and delivered in an efficient manner. Subbed!!

[@krovi_ch]

This is so unbelievably helpful

[@djsusan00]

I only really record Hip-hop/Rap vocals now, and I mainly just process 5 vocal tracks 1 main, a double, ad libs, and backing vocals for extra emphasis, into a main and backing vocal bus with gain reduction and EQ, and some stereo widening. That gets sent to a delay and reverb bus and then all of those go into the parallel compression bus and bus glue. If I want to throw a delay/ reverb throw I do the Joey Sturgis Method of drag and drop on a track that's a folder under the main vocal track. I love that there is no rules to this, I'm definitely going to try this on the Prog/Djent mix I'm working on currently for a friend.

[@CarloCabiling-r6r]

why mine in delay throw not sitting in the mix? i put it in the main vocal bus as well. how to fix this?

[@That1Guy]

Excellent

[@willai4999]

great video man this channel isa diamond

[@Roadtoconsciousness]

This reminds me of the vocals of PVRIS. I really dig this approach. Subscribed

[@platonkalinin7385]

Precious

[@bradzillarocks]

Hot damn that's outstanding! Working on vocals for an album now and may have to borrow some of these techniques. Thanks, Joey!

[@TheThundersturm]

Great video Joey! Thanks for sharing your process

[@wilpharma16]

JUST PURE GOLD

[@rickbergsma4354]

I have a very similar work flow... nice to know...I am also super picky about how tight the doubles are, makes a huge difference on the clarity and impact.

[@ScottyWiard]

Love my Conquer Divide girlies. Got to chat with your wife the other day. I’m so sorry BRRF was a nightmare.

[@billfelixc]

thank you!

[@focusflute]

GOLD. Thank you!!!

[@l1nsan374]

That fading color on your bus tracks is insane! How?

[@jonahmiller3551]

masterpiece....

[@peterbecerra4243]

Great channel 👍😁

[@spm1209]

YAY CONQUER DIVIDE... ughhh im a total fanboy.

[@konamipls]

Thanks

[@jasonclark6058]

Awesome video!!!!

[@rainysummer1981]

What are you doing JOEY ? are you going to put all the production channels in shame? they're poor people go easy on them... youve started a goddamn revoloution ... damn. OG fan here btw

[@StimulusFamsChannel]

Thanks sir 🍻

[@mitekillem]

That's some pretty awesome insight into your workflow. I've always been curious about how to make a stack NOT overpower any one vocal, or other instruments in the mix. As one adds vocals, let's say their 440hz area is really heavy during the verse. As I add layers, it just starts feeling thick and muddy, but EQ and volume cuts alone don't make it sound cohesive or give me the inpact I want, yet stereo spreading sometimes gets in the way of other instruments. I guess the main thing is, how do I keep the undesirable Fq bumps from peaking out, while keeping from over processing and compressing them? Compression is awesome, but it can suck away transients and life, quickly....and automation seems time consuming.

[@drinkinouttacups2665]

Gentle dynamic eq would be the first thing I'd try

[@Guitargasmist]

Joey and Team, If you see this, I was wondering what I could do to get some advice on a mixing/mastering issue I’m facing where the vocals get distorted at near max-max volume in car speakers. It happens in multiple sets of speakers in different cars. When I listen to a track in a similar Genre (Shout by Tears for Fears) there is no issue with this so I know it’s not the car speakers. In every other type of speaker we’ve used to test the mixes, which has to be an upward of 10 or so different headphones and speakers, this isn’t an issue at all. I’ve gainstaged a couple of the mixes so I have a good amount of headroom on the master bus. I’m using AR TG Mastering to master the track. I have a couple of different FX chains for the vocals in different songs. I have a main one I used and then one I used to try to fix the issue and both have the issue still. Let me know if there is anything I can do or pay in order to pick your brain on this issue. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and I hope you have an amazing new year! Sincerely, Matthew

[@willai4999]

at 4:20 you say the high harmony ha a doubling effect, but I only see one take. Do you mean you mix it like the double (meaning with the stereo widener). And then you mix the lower harmony without the stereo widener like the main?

[@joeymusic]

Yes. Often times harmonies can be difficult for a vocalist. So we are having them do it only once and then using processing to make it sound like more.

[@peterbecerra4243]

Vary useful guys

[@austinrolla5614]

Would you be able to do a similar video but with death metal/screamed vocals? I'd love to learn how this concept applies to heavy vocals.

[@XRaym]

Nice tutorial and greta effects! I prefer sends rather than copy media item section to be able to send post FX signal without using render. :) Insert FX VS Sends: I often end up with sends cause the mix knob will lower incoming signal volume (when use as insert), I prefer dry and wet volumes knobs... which which is what two tracks will be.

[@danthemanmillan]

So were the vocals recorded in stereo or were they panned mono tracks summed together?

[@AdamShepard]

the doubled takes are mono tracks with stereo widening summed to a stereo track. The background vocals are two mono takes panned then summed. If you listen closely on headphones you can tell which is which. You get a slightly different tone when widening vs double tracking.

[@KevinCornwell]

@@AdamShepard Hey Adam! Thanks for the clarification on this, I too was wondering same thing. Could you please explain what you mean by "stereo widening summed to a stereo track" and "two mono takes panned then summed"? I was under the impression every vocal track on this video was centered and not hard panned L/R, with the overdubs/background vocals/harmonies having stereo widener plugins directly on those tracks. Thanks!

[@Garotte14]

I have a question that I’m hoping you can answer. Maybe it’s in another video, and I’ll keep looking, but I’m interested in the tracking portion. Looking at that vocal stack, it seems like so overwhelming, and I have no clue what is just a copy/paste, and what is a completely separate take? And more importantly, what is allowed, and what is a big no-no when copying vocals tracks. With phasing concerns, I understand you can’t just double tracks, but with the sections where you’re adding distortion and throws, copying tracks, does phasing come into play? I guess my question is, how should I track/record vocals before I even make it to the mixing portion?

[@moshhammer666]

I really wonder how screamed or shouted choruses layered with cleans are being mixed. Im a total beginner and really trying to make a chorus like this sound good.

[@SayakPChatterjee]

Plzzz make a video...on Gain staging Metal guitars.. With Vu meter...

[@zlodr9369]

Чисто случайно наткнулся, не плохие советы, спасибо, чел 🤘

[@ctld5266]

which reaper theme is it ? very nice looking

[@natanjafet8034]

Great

[@JoaoNina]

@jst great content, keep it up! by the way, how do you pan vocals in the chorus? :)

[@guillaumereimnitz7494]

Are the main takes both in the center or panned left and right ? Thank you ! Great video , super helpful.

[@MofosRealReviews]

Good question wondering the same

[@AdamShepard]

They're both center-panned, the double is just widened.

[@drummingjeremy11]

I get confused right at around 4:05. I notice all the waveforms for the chorus vocals are stereo opposed to the vocals in the verse being mono. Can someone give a more detailed explanation of what is exactly happening here with the "v sing mains" and "v sing dubs" tracks?

[@djentlover]

Joey often bounces tracks to stereo, even from a mono source. So those the waveforms in both channels are identical, and the behavior excactly the same as a mono track. Just takes more hard drive space haha

[@drummingjeremy11]

@@djentlover Thank you Why does he do this ? What would the advantages be?

[@Bozie8823]

I've seen Joey do the mono to stereo bounce thing that djentlover noted below before. Although "v sing main" looks wonky and gets confusing looking at a stereo bounce with differing waveform info for a main, it's likely a mono track, sitting on the center channel. I think the waveforms looking different are likely a result of the original session mono track being bounced with it's FX (delay throw/verb information included) which is why the L/R info on the waveforms look different.

[@nwilt7114]

@@Bozie8823 So the V sing mains is one take and the V sing dubs one take each?

[@KirkFilms]

🔥

[@lexigrimmmusic]

Whats the name if the distortion plugging pls

[@Rndhld]

'' so stay tuned '' ;) i see what you did there! lol

[@isaachagoel7344]

Sounds like a good song. Where can I listen to it?

[@CarlGonzalesGuitar]

Can I know what reaper theme is this one? Thanks a lot JST! 💯

[@DivyanshuGautam]

Smooth 6 dark...

[@CarlGonzalesGuitar]

@@DivyanshuGautam found it as soon as I tried hard looking for it! Thanks tho 🤙

[@kofiassor2164]

hi joey, do you advise thickening background vocals too?

[@ouchmatt9178]

what is the daw he used ?

[@NIGHTOWLmetalcore]

I wonder if these are dry vocals cuz Kiarely is fire af 🔥

[@stephenfell4338]

That trick of duplicating a track lowering by 6 dB then widening it could this be done on a guitar track?

[@CollapseWithin]

Is the 1 vocal take recorded in stereo? Or are there 2 takes that blend into 1 stereo take in a single vocal track?

[@BoboRenthlei]

Are the chorus harmony vocals doubled L and R and then bounced in stereo?

[@neckutter1125]

The science of over-dubbing vocals is to sell your soul it sounds like, from the intro LOL.

[@yylfordt6125]

Does "duplicate" mean it is a legit copay & paste of the same take ? or does it have to be a separate take

[@AlexSaheli]

Tbh didn't like widening the 2nd vocal on the verse. Ty for the video tho!

[@sobersquad8300]

Nice!!btw what theme is this..looks nice

[@miguelowls]

hey joey! question for you as a cubase 10 user on your vocal all bus would you still send your reverb sends to it? so mono vocals to the vocal buss, and all sends keep them routed to the stereo out? or create a Stereo All vocal bus and have all the mono vocals and effects go to it?

[@Klevaer]

I knew Kia was good but God Damn. This is ridiculous. Time to step up my vocal,/production game.

[@OSdahl]

Is the chorus takes in stereo? they where recorded in mono right?

[@danielkavanagh8666]

Off topic but Joey can you advise on what screen recording software you are using? I'm struggling to find one that actually picks up audio from Cubase..

[@Steve-og8uo]

OBS with RME Audio drivers...

[@AHmusic]

We use Screenflow. Mac only tho. On windows, you can try OBS and Voicemeeter for routing.

[@CarloCabiling-r6r]

why is that when i copy the part that i wanna do delay throw. its not sitting in the mix properly? i follow your instruction. i put it in the vocal clean bus. how to fix this?

[@joeymusic]

Make sure the delay is set to 100% wet. If you don’t, it’s gonna double the volume of the vocal part. Also if your vocal clean bus has a compressor on it, then you’re gonna compress the delay tails which will not be the same effect as you hear on this video.

[@CarloCabiling-r6r]

@@joeymusic I put HBV in my Vocal Clean Bus and there is compressor turned on. which is I saw in this video as well. (Time Stamp 1:12)

[@carterfrodge5791]

Have always hard panned dbls L and R. Any specific reason for using one and spreading width instead of tracking two?

[@AdamShepard]

I think it's to make the chorus feel bigger. Whenever I use widening instead of doubling, it's bc a part is either too complicated and fast like a guitar solo, or bc I want a tighter and smaller tone that stereo tracking would give

[@robmlisanti]

So is the 2nd Take actually another shot of the same vocal or just copying the track?

[@camstanley]

I learned a lot from this but feel like it went too quick, how did you create the ohs?

[@kxoz_]

🔥🔥🔥

[@checkmatenate]

❤

[@tamarley2be]

Song name

[@esauvargas3647]

Am I the only one that wants the name lf the song? Sounds dope P.d.: If you know it, please tell me

[@alexdegiovanni1598]

How does he get the two vocal parts on one track. As soon as he got to the chorus part he lost me.

[@sheenmachine]

Pretty sure they're just bounced down

[@nicholasferris972]

What band is this?

[@wesborlandfan9453]

conquer divide - chemicals :)

[@vallabhsivaprasad]

What is the song name? sounds dope

[@stealthwolf2011]

Conquer Divide - Chemicals

[@saurabhftii]

Which Reaper skin is this?

[@DivyanshuGautam]

Smooth 6 dark

[@relaxingsounds1386]

You have to know how to write good vocal melodies.

[@jinxypoes1]

lot of low mid in this vocal,i would tweak it

[@joeymusic]

Easy to do with a multi band comp or dynamic eq

[@peterbecerra4243]

Gggg

[@thatguyfromthatband7746]

pop music...

[@LilView]

Bro im so sick of that demo song lol