AUDIO
CONSOLE EFFECTS : OFF THE BEATEN PATH , PART 1 | Jeff Hawley
I ’ d be willing to bet that if I checked out the effects that are in the usual rotation for 95 % of live audio engineers , I could count them on one hand . I ’ d likely spy a room type reverb , some compression , a bit of delay , maybe something a bit more fancy with a dynamic EQ . As I ’ ve mentioned in past articles , these go-to effects are in the go-to category because modern musical styles generally include them in the studio production process and the polished finished recorded results we hear on radio or web videos or in film set the standard for what ‘ professional ’ audio should sound like . But many live consoles include a number of audio effects that fall outside of the standard fare . Even if your console doesn ’ t have additional ‘ non-standard ’ effects on board , we can integrate outboard effects that are no different than the full set used in the studio via integration with Waves , etc . Let ’ s dig into a few effects that are a bit off the proverbial beaten path and consider when they might come in handy in future live mix scenarios .
AUTOMATIC DOUBLE TRACKING : You might have heard of this band that had a hit or two a long time ago called The Beatles . Well , those trendsetting English lads are generally credited with building upon earlier experimentation by Les Paul and Buddy Holly and creating a new recording technique called automatic double tracking ( or sometimes artificial double tracking )— ADT . As the story goes , John Lennon was tired of having to actually record the doubled vocal tracks for Beatles sessions and asked the crack Abbey Road Studios team to find a way to achieve the same effect without taking up his time . Intended to simulate the sound of the natural doubling of voices or instruments achieved by manually double tracking , ADT adds a characteristic thickness and complexity to a vocal performance and can even be used to fatten up a drum mix .
The obvious use of this effect in a live sound mix comes up when you are looking for the 60 ’ s psychedelic ‘ Beatles-y ’ sort of vibe . But used with a slightly lighter touch , ADT is a great way to hint at a chorus sort of effect or add just a bit of ‘ thickness ’ to just about any instrument in your mix . Guitarists often have an ADT pedal on their pedalboard ( the Keeley 30ms Double Tracker comes to mind ) or achieve similar sort of tones via a delay / chorus combination . Perhaps engaging an ADT at FOH to help a chimey arpeggiated electric guitar part sit in the mix and tie things together could be just what the mix needs .
Check out a few examples of the A . D . T . Doubler within the Allen & Heath dLive
here :
The ‘ Delay Separation ’ control is the real star on this effect . Use short Separation with Thickness
96 December 2022
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