Do hard rock singers use distortion effects on their vocals?
I've been wondering how hard rock/metal singers (e.g. Layne Staley, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl) manage to achieve such a 'gritty' sound with their vocals. Do professional rock singers ever use distortion effects to enhance the 'grit', either in concert or when recording? Or would that sound too 'artificial' or 'fake' (or be considered 'cheating')?
If they do use electronic distortion, what sort of equipment would typically be used to achieve the effect? Would they use similar distortion to an electric guitar, or something more specialized?
voice effects distortion rock-n-roll
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
add a comment |
I've been wondering how hard rock/metal singers (e.g. Layne Staley, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl) manage to achieve such a 'gritty' sound with their vocals. Do professional rock singers ever use distortion effects to enhance the 'grit', either in concert or when recording? Or would that sound too 'artificial' or 'fake' (or be considered 'cheating')?
If they do use electronic distortion, what sort of equipment would typically be used to achieve the effect? Would they use similar distortion to an electric guitar, or something more specialized?
voice effects distortion rock-n-roll
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago
add a comment |
I've been wondering how hard rock/metal singers (e.g. Layne Staley, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl) manage to achieve such a 'gritty' sound with their vocals. Do professional rock singers ever use distortion effects to enhance the 'grit', either in concert or when recording? Or would that sound too 'artificial' or 'fake' (or be considered 'cheating')?
If they do use electronic distortion, what sort of equipment would typically be used to achieve the effect? Would they use similar distortion to an electric guitar, or something more specialized?
voice effects distortion rock-n-roll
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
I've been wondering how hard rock/metal singers (e.g. Layne Staley, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl) manage to achieve such a 'gritty' sound with their vocals. Do professional rock singers ever use distortion effects to enhance the 'grit', either in concert or when recording? Or would that sound too 'artificial' or 'fake' (or be considered 'cheating')?
If they do use electronic distortion, what sort of equipment would typically be used to achieve the effect? Would they use similar distortion to an electric guitar, or something more specialized?
voice effects distortion rock-n-roll
voice effects distortion rock-n-roll
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
asked 5 hours ago
Time4TeaTime4Tea
19410
19410
It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago
add a comment |
It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago
It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago
It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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There are many aspects to hard rock singing, and each singer (hell, each song) has a different approach. I know that even death metal vocalists can do their scary vocals without doctoring them in the studio, and I know some really "clean"-sounding singers have to fix uo the tone in the studio. So it depends a lot.
In hard rock, a lot of the "aggresiveness" of the tone does in fact come from the singer. Particularly, volume and punchiness are all by the singer, along with simply each singer's own vocal differences. Often, microphones themselves lend to the effort by changing the sound a little (even unintentionally). In the studio, they can doctor vocals to sound unintelligible or whatever, but I've never heard of any hard rock singer that didn't sound "hard rock" without using any effects.
Frank Sinatra considered his instrument to be not his voice, but his microphone.
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
add a comment |
Most of the times rock singers don't use distortions effects, many of them just have a very low voice, but of course there are some songs where they use effects, but I think they tend to use a kind of echo, reverb or vocover, not distortion.
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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active
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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There are many aspects to hard rock singing, and each singer (hell, each song) has a different approach. I know that even death metal vocalists can do their scary vocals without doctoring them in the studio, and I know some really "clean"-sounding singers have to fix uo the tone in the studio. So it depends a lot.
In hard rock, a lot of the "aggresiveness" of the tone does in fact come from the singer. Particularly, volume and punchiness are all by the singer, along with simply each singer's own vocal differences. Often, microphones themselves lend to the effort by changing the sound a little (even unintentionally). In the studio, they can doctor vocals to sound unintelligible or whatever, but I've never heard of any hard rock singer that didn't sound "hard rock" without using any effects.
Frank Sinatra considered his instrument to be not his voice, but his microphone.
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
add a comment |
There are many aspects to hard rock singing, and each singer (hell, each song) has a different approach. I know that even death metal vocalists can do their scary vocals without doctoring them in the studio, and I know some really "clean"-sounding singers have to fix uo the tone in the studio. So it depends a lot.
In hard rock, a lot of the "aggresiveness" of the tone does in fact come from the singer. Particularly, volume and punchiness are all by the singer, along with simply each singer's own vocal differences. Often, microphones themselves lend to the effort by changing the sound a little (even unintentionally). In the studio, they can doctor vocals to sound unintelligible or whatever, but I've never heard of any hard rock singer that didn't sound "hard rock" without using any effects.
Frank Sinatra considered his instrument to be not his voice, but his microphone.
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
add a comment |
There are many aspects to hard rock singing, and each singer (hell, each song) has a different approach. I know that even death metal vocalists can do their scary vocals without doctoring them in the studio, and I know some really "clean"-sounding singers have to fix uo the tone in the studio. So it depends a lot.
In hard rock, a lot of the "aggresiveness" of the tone does in fact come from the singer. Particularly, volume and punchiness are all by the singer, along with simply each singer's own vocal differences. Often, microphones themselves lend to the effort by changing the sound a little (even unintentionally). In the studio, they can doctor vocals to sound unintelligible or whatever, but I've never heard of any hard rock singer that didn't sound "hard rock" without using any effects.
Frank Sinatra considered his instrument to be not his voice, but his microphone.
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
There are many aspects to hard rock singing, and each singer (hell, each song) has a different approach. I know that even death metal vocalists can do their scary vocals without doctoring them in the studio, and I know some really "clean"-sounding singers have to fix uo the tone in the studio. So it depends a lot.
In hard rock, a lot of the "aggresiveness" of the tone does in fact come from the singer. Particularly, volume and punchiness are all by the singer, along with simply each singer's own vocal differences. Often, microphones themselves lend to the effort by changing the sound a little (even unintentionally). In the studio, they can doctor vocals to sound unintelligible or whatever, but I've never heard of any hard rock singer that didn't sound "hard rock" without using any effects.
Frank Sinatra considered his instrument to be not his voice, but his microphone.
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
answered 3 hours ago
user45266user45266
2,7591628
2,7591628
add a comment |
add a comment |
Most of the times rock singers don't use distortions effects, many of them just have a very low voice, but of course there are some songs where they use effects, but I think they tend to use a kind of echo, reverb or vocover, not distortion.
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
add a comment |
Most of the times rock singers don't use distortions effects, many of them just have a very low voice, but of course there are some songs where they use effects, but I think they tend to use a kind of echo, reverb or vocover, not distortion.
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
add a comment |
Most of the times rock singers don't use distortions effects, many of them just have a very low voice, but of course there are some songs where they use effects, but I think they tend to use a kind of echo, reverb or vocover, not distortion.
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
Most of the times rock singers don't use distortions effects, many of them just have a very low voice, but of course there are some songs where they use effects, but I think they tend to use a kind of echo, reverb or vocover, not distortion.
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
answered 5 hours ago
Milo_666Milo_666
916
916
add a comment |
add a comment |
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It's a singing technique, not a recording technique. See also music.stackexchange.com/questions/11111/… Distortion would sound like you're singing through a megaphone.
– Your Uncle Bob
4 hours ago