ghost like effect

mind synthesis · Post by **mind synthesis** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 10:45 am

i did a search and couldn't find an answer so i figured i would ask.

how does one make a ghost like effect on vocals? i am pretty sure it's done with reverb but i can not figure out how to create it proper.

here is a link of what i am talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt0Zqo-vOFM

it's Tool's opiate and the ghost like effect starts at 2:45.

thanx

A.David.MacKinnon · Post by **A.David.MacKinnon** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 11:11 am

Backwards reverb.
If you're on tape filp the reels and record reverb from the vocal to a tape track. Flip the reels back to normal and the reverb you recorded will now happen before the vocal does.

In the DAW world I usually reverse the vocal, buss it to a reverb and record the wet reverb to it's own track. Reverse both tracks again and then slide the reverb around till it's sitting just right timing-wise.

Go easy though. Backwards reverb is like the vibra-slap, gated reverb or the mono verse/stereo chorus trick. It screams production and should be used sparingly.

The Scum · Post by **The Scum** » Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:01 pm

Being October, doesn't this depend on the kind of ghosts you're dealing with?

The ghosts in my 100 year old house are mainly in the steam radiators...some whispery stuff, and some banging & clanking. Plus random weird smells.

I'd think that somewhere out there, there's a ghost that sounds like a ring modulator.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 9:59 am

I've also found plenty of times that simply reversing the vox on another track works just as well without any reverb, in fact I like it better dry because even at low volumes levels you're still working with solid mids to help cut through the mix where reverb can muddy up the lower mids.

RodC · Post by **RodC** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:49 pm

There was a perfect thread about this at one time.... Ill try to dig it up.

I think it went like this:

Bounce a track that has just the verb, wet signal only.

Pitch shift it lower

Reverse it

Mix that track with the original to taste

RodC · Post by **RodC** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 12:53 pm

This was for a metal thread, but will give you some ideas:

http://messageboard.tapeop.com/viewtopic.php?t=53308

signorMars · Post by **signorMars** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:32 pm

i did something similar a couple days ago for a lead in to a vocal track... bussed the vocal to a delay/reverb (actually a space echo plugin... since i don't have a real one) and after the vocals stopped, cranked the feedback on the delay and then dropped the delay time, making the delay self-oscillate and then the pitch dive. did it twice with slightly different results, reversed both and added some panning so they move around each other... creepy as hell.

mr.adambeck · Post by **mr.adambeck** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:27 am

One of my favs is to double a vocal with a whisper. Take out all the lows and body of the whisper, and raise the volume enough so that it's just barely behind an evil (often yelling/screaming) vocal and is a little hard to aurally separate from the original vocal track. It get's an interesting vibe that people aren't used to hearing (how often do you hear whispers in recordings!?)

mind synthesis · Post by **mind synthesis** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 7:51 am

thanx for all the ideas

i haven't had the chance to try any of them out yet.

i actually recorded a whisper for a track a few months ago...it didn't come out the way i hoped. i am gonna keep trying till i get it right

erniegeorge · Post by **erniegeorge** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 1:45 pm

check this for a cool whisper effect: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbPUzhWeeI

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