Mixing Vocoders

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Mixing Vocoders

Postby JSynth » 23 Mar 2014 20:20

So I am working on a thing and using some vocoders. However, I am having trouble getting some clarity out of them, I already have some of the dry mixed in, but it still feels really muddy. Advice?

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Re: Mixing Vocoders

Postby Captain Ironhelm » 24 Mar 2014 03:09

Danger zones I look out for are # of bands you are using (more=higher clarity), the tone of the carrier (testing with different synth patches is good way to get a good idea but simple is usually better), and width of the bands (thinner bands=higher clarity). I never mix in dry because I want vocode sound not original sound. 40 or more bands should be ample but you can get by with 20.

In your example you may want to mix down the volume of your other instruments just a smidge, as they seem to perhaps muddy together with the vocoder sound.

hope this helps
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Re: Mixing Vocoders

Postby Pulse Wave » 25 Mar 2014 06:01

It's not as much about mixing as it is about the vocoder. If the vocoder produces garbage, you cannot shine it up in the mix.

If the consonants are barely audible because the high-frequency noises (like those that make up an "s") are missing, see if you can adjust the sibillance. If there's no such parameter, see if you can get a different vocider because yours sucks for what you want to do.

Also, the carrier is important. Dull carriers aren't good for vocoding. Technically speaking, a raw, unfiltered sawtooth wave works best (although it might not sound best).
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Re: Mixing Vocoders

Postby Freewave » 27 Mar 2014 07:41

Make sure the vocal is as clean (little or no back ground noise) and avoid any effects before it goes to the vocoder chain (or too much after). For vocoders its smart to keep it as simple as possible for clarity as the more effects you add will muddy up the clarity. As stated you will need to cut ample space for it in the mix too so it doesn't get drowned out by other midrange instruments.
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Re: Mixing Vocoders

Postby TheLydeOctave » 30 Mar 2014 23:39

Make sure you experiment and try out as many carriers for your vocoder as possible. Getting just the right sound can mean everything.
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