hardware ADT, my bad memory.

[BruceBanner]

I am ashamed of myself. When I was in highschool I interned then worked in a studio and we had something in the rack for getting a double tracked vocal sound (slightly before computers). I can't remember what it was.

I am looking for a couple decent options for fake double tracking some vocals on an upcoming project. Think T.Rex, Bowie, Lou Reed, but without any god given talent.

cheaper is better. I don't want to spring for some $700 TC Helicopter unit that has more RAM than me.

thanks.

[Snarl 12/8]

I'm assuming you mean old-school, hardware?

Have you seen this thread?
http://acapella.harmony-central.com/showthread.php?1955792-Automatic-Double-Tracking-%28ADT%29-vocals

Looks like some good info/suggestions there.
_________________
Carl Keil

[BruceBanner]

yeah, I am looking for something late 70's - mid 90's that would fit the bill.

I got an ok sound today with the modulation on the cheap old delay in our rack, but it bends the notes a little too noticeably. But it will do if it's my only option.

[Dakota]

Key to the real excellence of the Beatles type ADT was the irregular pitch and time modulation of the double, plus the natural variation in the doubled tape signal.

The LFO in a decent sounding delay does ok for sort-of ADT, but it gives itself away as one can hear the regularity of the up/down swoop, not at all like the random variations of a doubled vocal.

I get great really authentic yummy ADT this way: main vocal out to tube echoplex and from there printed to a new track. Set 100% wet, no repeats, long delay time - and have the cover off the tape guard, and use my fingernail to ever so slowly move the tape between the record and play heads longer and shorter, which varies both the pitch and delay time. I do it back and forth at smooth but varying speeds, so it's never regular LFO, but keeps constantly moving around. Then I move that "double" track back so it's on average in synch with the main vocal, or slightly behind. I usually do two different passes of this, and pan them out LR. But they sound great mono down the middle as well. Most of the vox here have this to varying degrees: http://thebewitched.bandcamp.com/album/without-a-net

A tube echoplex is out of your budget - but any tape echo that you can vary the time on by hand will do this, or any tape deck with a varispeed you can vary by hand.

[BruceBanner]

Thanks for the advice. We don't have a tape delay at the moment but it is on the list of things to acquire (a very long list). I think I have a couple solutions for this project.

1. Don't let the singer drink at all, schedule 3x the amount of time I would normally need for vocals and make him do it right twice.

2. Use the 70's delay rack with the LFO, keep it low in the mix. This would be perfect for all backups.

3. Apparently my partner at the studio has a TC Helicopter rack in his live rack setup for his live vocals, it has a double tracked vocal feature. He already spent the money I didn't want to!

Thanks for the help.