I don't remember who posted their cover of "The Wanderer" (attached) around October 2015, but I thought he did a fabulous job with the sampled background vocals. Anyone here claim the honor so you can tell me how you did it and what keyboard you used?

Well, you can't imagine how surprised I was when I clicked on your link, Mark. Guilty, as charged. Your kind comments are appreciated.

Hopefully, the video attached. Anyway, here's the rundown.

It's just the missus and I messing around in the basement. It was recorded live, one take, on my iPad which was propped up on a sofa across from us.

The keyboard, as you can see, is the Korg Pa1xPro in style play mode using the style Rock Shuffle and the main sounds are the stock Grand Piano and Tenor Breath for the sax solo. I may have tweaked them a bit over time, but nothing drastic.

The harmoniser is the on-board TC Helicon and Wifey's backing harmonies are totally live, no sampling or other jiggery-pokery going on. The girl can sing .

The PA (out of shot) is the Bose L1 mod. II with the Tonematch unit. The mixer, sat on the keyboard is the Behringer Xenyx 602.

Thanks again for enjoying it.

(Oops, I see the video didn't attach. File size too big or somethin, even though my iPad compressed it.)

124....Thanks for responding. I'm really impressed with the recording. Others have posted good covers here, but your version of Wanderer really fills out the song. More musicians should be "messing around in the basement" when they do a recording.

Anyhow, I'm intrigued how you used the harmonizer. It certainly made it sound like there were more than two people doing it.

Now, understand I'm NOT into technology now but years ago I used a vocoder/harmonizer and was impressed with my own results.

So, your other half, I'm assuming just sang into it impromptu. She has a good voice, good ideas, and a good imagination. Could you also do it like this? Sample like an "oo" and an "ah" (or anything) and then "play" those notes through the harmonizer (to make multiple simultaneous voices) and playing the notes on the keyboard that she sang?

I have a PA3x that I haven't touched yet. Now I'm thinking that harmonizer really comes in handy if you're using something like a "oo" sample.

Are you able to do something like "In the Still of the Night" with your wife singing those choral parts?

......and.......I liked the sax solo also....and.......your singing.

Mark

Hi Mark. We only use the harmoniser on board 'as is'. Usually it's voices 2 above + 1 below. We don't use any doubling or thickening as I think that just tends to overdo things. So it is just the two of us.

I wouldn't say our harmony arrangement is "impromptu". I mean, we work out what and where the 'oohs', 'aahs', phrases, etc. are going to go beforehand, and we always try to use them effectively. So we try to arrange the songs in the same way a real group would. In effect then, there's my lead vocal plus three harmony voices. Four voices in total, then, pretty much the usual number of voices in a pop vocal group.

In some songs, like The Wanderer, they're in pretty heavy concentration throughout. In others, there might just be a short phrase here and there. The harmony setup we use most is the 'two above and one below' as we find that to be nice and full sounding.

I'm not into the tech side of things either, and working with samples is well beyond my capabilities and interests. I suppose you could sample and ooh or an aah and insert them as you mention, it's just that I've never dabbled with that sort of thing.

Sure, a doo-wop tune like In The Still of The Night would be like any other, as far as the way we use the harmoniser. We do Daddy's Home, by Shep and The Limelights, as an example of doo-wop. Again it's just a matter of singing the oohs and aahs in the right places. There's nothing very complicated about it.

Anyway, thanks again for your very kind comments and I hope how we use the harmoniser has helped you with your own efforts.
Best regards.

Hi 124......it certainly sounds like the two of you really have fun with your music, and......you must bounce off of each other with ideas.

You make it all sound simple and I'm sure it is if you work at it. But you've got to have a good idea in the first place to "work at it." What you guys did was a "good idea!"

I listened to your recording WITHOUT analyzing it (as a listener does) and it really sounds full with those extra voices. That's the only extra instrument a OMB needs (more human voices).

I listened to it a few more times not only for appreciation but to remind myself that there ARE ways, besides good playing, to differentiate yourself from other musicians.

I'd be looking forward to you posting some more "harmonizer heavy" songs in the future of arrangements that you think came out really good. At present, I'm going stagnant for lack of refreshingly new ideas.

Respectfully

Mark