2.8 Production Techniques

Over the decades, producer’s have stumbled across certain techniques that can vary the way we do things to achieve different sounds. You can try these for yourself.

Reverse Reverb

This technique is super easy to achieve in all DAW’s. Every DAW should have a reverse function in it. If you don’t know where it is, do a quick google to find out.
First of all you need a source. Let’s go with a vocal.

• Add reverb to the vocal track and put the mix knob on 100% wet.
• Now you should hear your vocal track inside a huge reverb space.
• Next, highlight the region and reverse it.
• Now move that reverse vocal to just before the downbeat on a chorus.
• This will add excitement in the build up to the chorus.

Stacking Vocals

This is a production technique you will find in a lot of pop songs, particularly in the chorus.

This is done by recording your lead vocal and leaving it centre panned.
Next, record the exact same vocal part and try to match the original as close as possible. Pan this one hard right. Do another and pan that one hard left.

You should now have three lead vocal parts that are all as identical as possible, one panned left, one panned right and one in the middle.
This can create a larger than life vocal sound which can make a chorus really pop!