Harmonies:

Another common technique is to re-record the vocals, but harmonize them. So you would be singing the other parts of the chord, like a 5th up or a 7th, and so on. This technique will get you closer to a vocoder sound and a harmonized vocal. The key here is to have really solid intonation. All the vocal takes need to be spot on in terms of pitch, otherwise strange harmonics will come out and not sound as good as you will like.

Different Processing:

If you only have one good take of the vocals, there are a few ways to “hack” it into sounding like a backing track. One way is using the Complex Pro technique I showed in the Creative Vocal Effects Article. You can also duplicate the vocal and then process the second vocal a little different and lower it in the mix to give it a backing vocal sound. One example would be to use a different reverb and have it 80-100% wet. Or you can nudge the sample slightly before or after the Lead Vocal.

Here is an image nudging the sample. You can click the Clip and then press ALT and hold it to move the sample off the Grid. Slight movements here help give it a different timing and create that doubling effect.

Pro Tip: Use Warp Markers for interesting backing vocals.

If you want to take this a step further play with the vocal timing with Warp Markers. You can slightly change note by note, or word by word. This will give it that natural backing vocal sound of not being the same take. Use wisely. I also like using effects like saturation, EQ, slight delays, and so on to the vocal to change the character of the duplicated vocal. If it’s low in the mix and panned differently, it can give it a unique quality.

Share your Tips and Tricks:

If you have techniques you like to use for backing tracks, please share a comment bellow. Love to hear what other ideas are out there. Also check out Cheraki’s music to hear here brand new album