Reverb or Delay for vocals thru PA?

[skier4467]

Do you guys use reverb or delay for vocals thru the PA? What kind of reverb (plate, spring, hall)? A little or a lot?

[bassred]

I tend to use a splash of 'Verb on vox, just enough to add some shimmer. I have used delay, and I've used a good blend of both, but I try not to hide the vocals under effects. I'm not saying that spicing to taste is bad, I just tend to keep it light.

[nobrainer440]

I usually add a big spacey hall reverb, and bring it up just til I can hear it. Just to add depth, not to sound like a huge reverb.

[agedhorse]

Depends on what I am trying to accomplish.

 

Usually a little medium hall to taste, but I have a delay available as well and sometimes use it to thicken up a weak or thin vocal. Gotta be careful though.

[flanc]

I tend to use a medium type reverb for most songs and something more lush for a more vocal oriented ballad. I use delay as a situational effect in particular songs. I don't genrally use slapback or thickening delays.

[where02190]

I use very little fx on vocals unless the room is pitifully dead. Nothing destroys vocal clarity like efx, and for a vocal act IMHO it is crutial they be on top and crystal clear all the time.

 

When I do use fx, I like a TC M1XL. I will put a small plate on one engine, about 1.2ms of decay with a fairly steep lp filter(arund 3.4k) and on the second engine a pitch shifter, +/- 2 or 3 cents just to thicken. I use the front panel control to blend the two.

 

I occaisionally use delay as a special fx only, maybe once or twice in a set at specific spots. I like Roland SDE3000 or a TC D-2, and tap in a 1/4 note with several repeats. I use the send, not the return to the delay to control when and what goes to it. Often I run the delay return also to the reverb if I am using one a bit, so the delay repeats sound like the original dry vocal.

[agedhorse]

Let me add that a little effects tends to go a long way. Just a little to taste is my preference.

[6Imzadi]

For lead vocal I use delay only. I have a Roland SDE-1000 tapped to the beat for this. Depending on the song, this could be rather long or short. Repeat, or not. Generally loud enough to hear the delay just behind the dry signal. This gives the singer a 3 dimentional sound that comes "out" of the speakers, instead of the "flat" sound that stays "on" the speakers.

 

For backup vocals, I like to put a touch of the delay on them, and a touch of the drum verb for shimmer and/or warmth.

 

Alas, only 2 aux sends available to use for effects.

[joel77]

I use either a short vocal plate or a delay, depending on the room. As others have said, use sparingly, you don't want to wash out the vocals.

 

Joel

[B. Adams]

Most of the time I just use a little reverb, but I usually have at least one delay available as well. I'm with Where in that I don't like a whole lot of vocal effect, so I use it pretty sparingly. One thing that I've been using a fair amount of lately is one of the presets in the M-One XL called Big Vocal Lead or something like that, I think it's number 8. It's a mono reverb (plate, I think) which is then delayed, which I think has a good sound for certain things, mostly pop/rock. I add just enough so that it's barely perceptible, so it's not overbearing. It's important to tap the tempo, or the out-of-sync delay can muddy things up a little. Lately I haven't used that preset too much since we've been in freakin' echo-chamber venues with like 8 second decays. Stupid 100-year-old theaters.

 

Otherwise I just use a pretty normal reverb or two for vocals, usually another for drums and one just for snare. I've been happy with our M-One's on vocals, and I like our SPX-900's on drums and not much else. I tend not to spend too much time with presets, I usually just go through and find something I like and use it, and if I get bored or decide I don't like it I'll find something else. Nothing too fancy.

[witesol]

on many shows I'll end up using nothing at all, but I always patch in a TC M-one and a Lexicon

LXP-1( my fave for quick knob-grabbing decay and predelay settings). Delay is tricky, depending on how much drum bleed there is.. I do quite a few rockabilly shows per year, you gotta have the Sun Records slap delay for those guys.