Background vocals aren’t just “more singing”; they have a job in the arrangement.
Specifically, background vocals are usually either:
a) A layer of the lead vocal track intended to provide strength through tonal complexity, or
b) An additional instrumental idea intended to provide harmonic context for the melody.
Whether you’re planning overdubs or you’re in the middle of a mix, it’s never too late to be sure the background vocals are fulfilling their musical ‘special purpose’.
Here are a few simple techniques that help.
1. Mono Layers
When a vocal track is intended to be a layer of the lead vocal track (like a double or simple parallel harmony), the layered affect is more easily achieved without stereo separation.
Unfortunately the tonal complexity and dynamic range of a lot of vocal performances can make mono vocal layers inconsistent or just plain confusing.
To help establish the lead vocal track as the primary vocal track try:
—Limiting the bandwidth of the background vocal track(s) with high-pass filtering (you could go as high as 200 Hz without affecting lyrical intelligibility)
—Limiting the articulation dynamics of the background vocal track(s) with de-essing (even if they aren’t too sibilant)
Simple as it sounds, the thing to remember when working on layered elements is to listen ‘in place’. The sound of an effective layer may strike you as downright nasty in isolation. Don’t make choices about the background layers unless you’re hearing their effect on the lead vocal track.
2. Power Through Symmetry
When vocal tracks are intended to provide harmonic context for the melody (like a string section or keyboard pad might), the affect is much more easily achieved with symmetrical stereo separation.
The goal with this type of background vocal technique is to create a stereo instrument that is clearly distinguished from the centered lead vocal content. If you’re still in arrangement and overdub mode, this can be easily facilitated by getting good doubles of any background vocal tracks that might be used this way.
