How To Record That Foo Fighters (Dave Grohl) Vocal Sound - RecordingRevolution.com 

the key to making badass doubles is BEING ABLE TO RECORD BADASS DOUBLES. your timing, tone and pronunciation has to be damn near perfect.

"Weezer-Hit04" Thats my favorite sample name ever

I love doing this to beef up chorus sections. I've found sometimes it's really nice to just use the double take for the reverb send and keep the main take dry. I got the idea from Warren Huart using snare samples for his reverb sends to avoid the real snare mic's spill getting into the verb send. You can get away with a few double take layers this way and use one to trigger a short delay and one for a reverb. This is particularly nice when the main vocal take is pitch corrected, you can leave the doubles as they were performed and get a nice polished but natural sound by blending them all.

*I'm falling in love with that tele :)*

Double/triple tracking vocals is life! Do it all the time

First step of grunge rock: awesome vocalist who says “yeah” and “hey” frequently

If you have a vocalist recording for you at a different location... Always always always get a triple of every vocal line, every backup, and every harmony, so you can alternate between when you need to.

I do the doubling effect in my choruses always and sometimes in my verses but I didn't think about the tripling or even hard panning the 2 takes L/R - definitely excited to put these tips to use in my music. BTW great song Graham. You've got a killer voice man!

The tripe doubling, with the doubles panned left and right sounds so much cooler than just the two tracks. Thank you for this video!

Excellent technique and singing! Still use this myself. Like the song too. Reminds me of "Say it ain't so" a little bit.

I started out knowing NOTHING, zero, about mixing. Then I started following Graham. Now, in this video, for the very first time he is showing a trick that I've used for years allready. Makes me feel like I've actually got somewhere. I am currently working on two albums for two separate clients, and I'm building a 40 square meter studio. And again, its ALL thanks to Sir Graham Cochrane. I am living proof that how ever bad you are at this when you start, as long as you stick with it and love what you do for your own sake, results will come. Peace from Norway.

def use this. enhances the vocals 100%. was also the trick that made all the beatles songs sound amazing

I LOVE THIS!!! i have done this for years, kurt cobain, john lennon , as well as dave have all used this amazing effect

Yesterday I was experimenting this triple vocal by myself, and I thought, wow it sounds so great ! Why didn't I ever see a video about this in recordingrevolution, and now he uploaded this !

I use it all the time, it give more powerful performance. Usually I add chorus (fx) in the chorus and the result is amazing

I recorded a 4 part vocal which was the main, doubled, a higher harmony, and a whispered part and it sounded great.

I was so used to hard-pan rhythm guitars. but when i saw that on vocals... That blew me away for a second :)

Probably one of the best short pieces of info that will change many DIY recordings. Yes and almost exactly like you demo'd here. Lining up consonants, cutting/moving/or attentuating sibilants, plosives, etc that don't line up. and lately this: Triple with +20 LEFT -6dB Center at 0 (main) +20 RIGHT -6dB

I'll use the triple effect on a chorus, but I've just never cared for the way my voice sounds doubled. However, sometimes I'll sing a double that's an octave lower, and I usually double harmonies and pan them left and right.

I've been writing and recording for years and I was never able to get a decent sounding vocal track...hence most of my songs are instrumental only, with a huge folder of lyrics waiting for...something. THIS is what I have been waiting for! Foo Fighters are not only one of my favorite bands, his vocal effects are what makes his sound unique, and now I finally know how he does it. Thanks SO much for putting this video out...I'm stoked to record vocals, where I've always avoided it in the past.

Yep, I use the double vocal when I'm recording my own band and other vocalists too. Ever since I found out about Butch Vig doing it on Nevermind! :)

HEY! WAIT! i've got a new complain!

Holy shit, I've been searching EXACTLY for this for the last few days. My search keywords were 'Dave Grohl Vocal Mix Technique'. Thank you so much!

Yes, I use this technique quite a bit. I am a huge Beatles fan & they did a lot of double tracking of vocals..very cool effect. I have read where John Lennon said he didn't like to double track his vocal parts because he couldn't get it exactly the same as the 1st take & If you listen to early Beatles some of the vocal's were off a little but it didn't matter, it still sounded fantastic! Graham, thanks so much for your awesome videos & courses!

I’m new to recording and mixing vocals. I’ve had some experience with drums, guitar and bass but not vocals. I’ve noticed this doubling effect and when I went to actually do it, funny thing is I did it exactly the way you did with one track centered and one hard panned right and one left. Thought that was the coolest sounding. I was doing a Helmet cover of ‘Easy to Get Bored’ and he used a lot of vocal doubling. Great video.

I tend to use one track on verses and two on choruses but I definitely want to try 3 on the next chorus that I write. Thanks again Graham for a great and informative video.

Duuuuude those are so on point they sound like there's a chorus on it. Incredible!

ive been using the double since I was 19. I'm 30 now and I have never tried the triple. I only stumbled on your channel a few months ago and I realised how many of my own mistakes I have been practicing! I would recommend this channel 100% to anybody!

I’ve been doing this since almost day one, because I love Foo Fighters and I love Deftones

Everytime I try to vocal stack it sounds like shit. I definitely needed this video

Nice! I’ve seen Devin Townsend using this technique even on his guitar tracks. Will definitely try that. Thanks for sharing 😃

Wow, great track Graham. Best I've ever heard from you. Love that drum sound

I've followed you for several years Graham and you have really helped me focus on the things I did miss in my production arsenal. This is by far the best song you've made to this day! Well done! As an answer to your question, I always double. You get that nice chorus vibe when you get it right but I always try to get it in the take, not with editing.

Worth pointing out- and Graham you have emphasized this all along- is your exceptional vocal performance. Both tracks are production quality at the mic- solid, well-supported, in tune, intelligible, and phrased exactly alike. That is being prepared. Great technique, I use it all the time. I also meld it with the delay trick you taught me- tuck the second part under the lead, -7dB and use some low pass filtering to hide it in the mix. Great way to pop a lead vocal you don't want to sound doubled.

Nice to see someone else still using the triple.

Badass tune! Love it.

I use triple vocal recording regularly in my tracks. Its a great trick.

MAJORKOOL !!!!!! I USED THAT ON MY OLD ZOOM PS2 PALM STUDIO .. HAD NO IDEA JUST INSTINCT.....

You're good dude 👌🏻 Update: yes me and my brother do this all the time

Yup. I’m gonna use it, Graham. Thank you, sir. You probably won’t see this because you’re busy elsewhere… but still. God bless.

I've needed this video for ages.... and you've uploaded it on my birthday! bless you Graham!

Great vid! I usually triple track, and use L and R tracks as the lower, effected tracks, and the middle track as the main, strongest track. Works well in country, softer rock stuff.

Jamming out to this tune! Would be cool to hear this track in that gang vocal style

Yup! Used it on an ep I did back in 2015.

Congrats on 400K Graham, keep up with your great work!

I just would like to say that this song is 🔥

Yes, I use it. I probably use the Triple more than a straight double and often, I will HP and compress the outside tracks a little more aggressively than the main vocal.

Great tip! I always do this, but I do a lot of choral and folk music so since my instrumentation is more simplistic I use vocals to add character and dynamics - I'm more of a vocalist too, so I play to my strengths XD I tend to do the triple method always if I'm going to plan to layer, and if I want to hard pan or set up a staircase of sorts for thickness, I get to about six or eight layers. Nice to see your process, as always.

You are a great resource for DAW help. I'm old school analog guy, just getting my feet wet in digital within last year. I do a lot of doubling or tripling and pan hard right+left pushed back with middle track out front. U da man Graham!!

I use this every now and then for my own vocals; it really depends on if the song lends itself to that effect. As far as recording other people, this trick is really good if you have a singer with a thinner sounding voice. It gives some density so they can hold up in the mix.

I always use it. Usually double and then higher octave take double lower in the mix. All panned to taste. Great stuff Graham!

That's right. I used in every single song That's I record. I LOVE THIS TECHNIC

I've been using triple vocals for a while. I actually add a bit of reverb to the two spare panned tracks to push them further back in the mix. However, it could make the song more muddy if done poorly.

Thanks Graham, I have been trying to incorporate the Foo Fighters vocal sound into my recordings, your timing is impeccable! As always your videos have been a big part of my songwriting and recording education.

Thank you Graham 🙏🙌 I record doubles all the time, but never thought about moving the consonants I will be trying this next time 🎶🎶🔥🔥👍👍

I use this technique a lot in my vocal recordings.... LOVE THE FEEL!!

Sang so close to the same each time it's too perfect

Yes I do use this. I produce my two children's band Second 2 None. It depends on the song. My kids band went viral on Facebook with 20.5 million views covering Teen Spirit. We recorded it on their album. I triple tracked the lead singer. Exactly in the same manner you used it. When I watched this it validated some of my production decisions, which is nice.

"Slide the continents"? Wow, you really are a powerful man :O) Great video, very useful, especially when showing how to clean up the 2nd take in reference to the first, or master take, as those little inconsistencies show up even more when you use delay.

This song is killer, Graham

Will use it.

I came here because I was searching for the Foo Fighters effect! So super cool. If I ever record my voice, I'm pretty sure I'll be tempted 😉

it was originally Butch Vig’s idea since Smells Like Teen Spirits on Cobain’s vocals. Since cobain died, butch vig helped foo fighters until today.

Discovered it randomly by messing around with vocals for a thicker sound! It's good in a lot of rock that I produce and works great 👍🏻

Thanks, Graham! I occasionally double the lead in a chorus but I'm not going as far as you did here. I have a hearing impairment prohibiting to hear stereo, so I leave that to my producer. It's nice to know the tricks you explained nevertheless. I'll discuss it with my producer.

Sure going to use it!! but even more interested is this song! loving it..!

I'm one of those people that have been trying to do this without the second take, or rerecording the main vocal. I normally take a copy of the main vocal, and add elastic audio to get the same sound, but just doing a second take, or rerecording the main vocal is better from what I've heard and seen. So yes, I will try this again on my next Track. I have tried what you did in times past, but was unsuccessful. This video makes me want to try it again. I was even thinking that maybe people are putting flangers or phasers on the track to give it this sound. But I see now.

The late Kenny Hinson always used this effect. Love it

I have used the vocal doubling in my songs, it's quite effective using it to emphasize the strongest words in a verse, or to make the second verse a bit thicker so it's not the same intensity as the first. Classic trick!

Thank you for the great info I have been using this trick for my first attempt at recording just playing around with it. It is hard to nail the end of phrases for a newbie but I really like the effect so far.

Yes, I use this doubling and tripling technique in my own recordings, and on instruments and vocals. I enjoyed this video Graham, thank you.

Just finished a first take on a FooFighters cover. This answered everything I was looking for. Thanks mate. Great video.

I quadruple track my vocals a lot. Two in the middle, two left and right. I only use the left and right for choruses though. Sometimes I’ll also add an octave higher for extra feel

Good video, I did this on a lot of my songs. I used to do it with my 4 track recordings.

I'm planning on giving this technique a try.

you are making it look much easier to recreate a performance than it actually is! well done

Amazing video brow! I'm using this technique on my band !! ROCK ON!

Excellent, Graham! Just started doing this actually. Super helpful to see the "how to"!

I really would like to here this song finished. I watch a lot of your videos and this one grabbed me from the start. I bet the final mix is awesome. Please let me know where or if I can listen to it. Thanks for all the help I’ve been into recording since the early nineties when no one was out there to help or at least not that I knew of. You could have saved me a lot of time and frustration. Thanks again.

I use this technique sometimes. An other panning trick I use is a very little panning the main vocal track to one side and - simmetrically - the double track to the other side. Makes vocal sounding fat.

Great demonstration of this extremely useful technique, including the extra editing...bravo!

Great demo! Plus, this is my favorite song of yours.

You're such a talented and solid performer. I'm sure your skills behind the scenes overshadow your singing/playing sometimes because of how immensely helpful they are to me and everyone else here, but I really hope you get the credit you deserve for your voice and your playing!!

Love doing this in my vocal recording. Thanks for suggesting some more ideas! You’re the best Graham :)

Going to try this on my next recording. Great stuff and very helpful Graham!

O use this alot with my singer. Sometimes he sings it the same, sometimes he sings one lower than the other. But my favorite trick is to add a little distortion to the double

Also the vibe of the song is amazing, love it!

Awesome tutorial! Once you hear this doubled vocal effect sound, it is difficult to go back. By the way, great song!

I use the double but am going to experiment with the triple now. Thanks, great tips as always

you should also do a guide on using octave harmonies on vocals

Another cool Grohl trick is to add a Low octave of the root. Introduce it at the Pre-chorus or chorus.

Yes! Will be giving this a go!

Kinda applies to guitar tracks as well, allways fun and interesting to dubb a number of guitars and then play around with pan different ways. Great video, thanks!

This is cool. I’m definitely going to do this.

Thanks for this. On a few tracks on our record, I kept a melody double up the middle and we did harmony doubles wide left and right. It's a cool sound.

Excellent tutorial, thanks Graham

Another trick I've read about, and which seems to work well, is to nudge the double track back buy a few milliseconds.

Great tip! Definitely gonna experiment with this technique. Thanks Graham! BTW that track sounds awesome!

Excellent results so far. Thank you

Thanks Graham -always great tips on the Vox - especially when your dealing with a vocalist that tend to be a bit thin-soft sonically-BTW your vocal chops are sounding excellent and the tune is catchy and has lyrical depth-thanks for your contribution to better music -Scott