Essential Guide to Producing Backing Vocals with Waves Plugins

From first decisions to final production, here are the tactics, thought processes and plugin techniques you need to know to add effective backing vocals in your work.

Vocals are a big deal in music production. You’ll find techniques, plugins and masterclasses dedicated to vocal production and mixing.… but most of that usually focuses on lead vocals. Those poor old backing vocals tend to get less of the spotlight, but with a little illumination, your song’s backing vocals can shine through on their own, well-deserved merit.

In this article, we’ll show you a range of thought processes behind backing vocals, and suggest some strategies for how to build new harmony ideas in a song.

So You’ve Got the Lead Vocal… Now What?

Most studio productions follow something of a process: writing, recording, mixing and, finally,  mastering. Some producers venture outside this chronology, applying some mixing effects as they go, or roughly mixing the instrumental tracks before vocals are added. However, one thing’s for certain: the vocals are all typically recorded in the same recording phase, during a single session. With that in mind, it’s important to think about your approach to backing vocals beforehand – they shouldn’t be an afterthought.

So, how many backing vocal takes do you need? Sometimes, a single backing track is enough. Other times, a classic two-track setup (panned left and right) works best. Some producers add a third, pitched-down track behind the lead vocal for extra thickness. For choruses, a five-part harmony might be ideal. Let’s explore these options and their pros and cons in more detail.

Decided on Having a Single Backing Vocal?

As a creative music maker, you’ve probably heard the phrases “less is more” and “simplicity is key” drilled into your head enough, but sometimes it holds true. Having a single backing vocal is a simple way to add some flavor and depth to your vocal assets overall. There are two cases where using a single backing vocal can be the most appropriate creative choice, and it comes down to how you place the backing vocals relative to the lead.

One way to approach backing vocals is to create contrast, where the backing vocal complements the lead while maintaining its own distinct identity. This can be achieved through creative techniques like panning, pitching, or even bringing in a different performer. A classic example of this is The Beatles’ Come Together, where Paul McCartney’s vocal weaves in and out, providing a striking contrast to John Lennon’s lead.

The second approach blends the two vocals into a unified entity, using harmony. An example of this done right would be Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence. You can hear both performers’ vocals perfectly in sync, however, operating at different pitches, forming an almost ethereal and eerie presence – something most suitable for this timeless classic.

Ways to achieve this type of blending are to place the vocal at different depths (using reverb and/or a stereo imager) or use different pitches. You can also increase the low end on the deeper vocal to bring out its thickness. Again, mid/side EQ can also be used to separate the lows and mids in an attempt to separate both vocals fighting for the same space.

How to Generate Artificial Backing Vocals

In modern music production, we have a few more tools at our disposal compared to our not-so-distant relatives. For example, we can rely on a plugin like Waves Harmony or OVox to artificially introduce backing vocals to our track. This can be a great choice if you only have access to a single lead vocal stem, with no option for further recording.

Waves Harmony is a powerful vocal harmonizing tool that can add up to seven backing vocals anywhere in the stereo field, all generated from the original lead vocal. Each layer is artificially created and can be individually shaped and tuned using various controls, making it an excellent choice for adding artificial harmonies.

You can learn a few Music Theory Tips for Working With Harmonizers for better results.

OVox, a versatile vocal synth, offers even greater creative possibilities. It functions as a traditional vocoder, building chords, harmonies, or scales from an input track, but that’s just the beginning. Check out our Building Vocal FX and Harmonies in Real Time with OVox page to learn more.

How About Using Double Backing Vocals?

One of the most common backing vocal techniques relies on taking two separate harmonising layers and panning one to the left and one to the right. You can either push them 100% to either side, creating as wide an effect as possible, or, perhaps, push them only part way for a more balanced, thicker effect.

This technique is typically more of a one-size-fits-all solution for many vocal sections because you’re not so much relying on using the backing vocal for artistic expression (as with the examples in the single vocal section) but rather using the backing vocals primarily for the sole purpose of enhancing the lead. You can then simply adjust the volume faders to adjust the intensity of the effect (good for differentiating between chorus and verse sections).

There are some key things to keep in mind with this method. First, it’s important to record separate takes for each layer and not just rely on duplicates, otherwise, you can have phase issues and an unnatural, robotic-sounding backing vocal. Typically you can get away with a duplicate if adding a third, pitched-down backing vocal to sit directly under the lead, but you’ll have more natural variation with different human takes. It’s also essential that the performer perfects the timing of each take, so the layers are as in-sync as possible.

Lastly, if you want to create true harmonisation, you’ll need each of your layers to be playing at different in-key pitches. You can do this by tuning each BV layer to a third and fifth key (according to the pitch and scale of your lead vocal). You can do this manually, or, if working with a professional singer, get them to sing their backing vocals in the desired pitch. Another simpler option is to pitch each layer a whole octave lower or higher than the original tonic layer.

Keeping Backing Vocals in Sync

In the previous section, we mentioned briefly about the importance of keeping your harmonising layers in sync. If this is not adhered to, it can sometimes result in unwanted noises popping up. This is mostly problematic with consonant sounds and not so much with elongated vowel pronunciations.

Let’s say you have four vocalists singing the phrase “Love you too” with the final syllable on the word “too” elongated, holding its note, extending over two bars. If each take doesn’t finish its vowel stress at the same time, it won’t tarnish the effect. The tones in the vocals will still harmonize nicely, and the “oooh” sound in the word “too” will sound luscious to the ear. However, if the starting consonant “t” is out of time on each take, you could hear up to four different sharp “t” sounds where there’s supposed to be only one. So, how do we solve this?

If working with a single syllable word like this, where there’s only one consonant, you could slice the word “too” from each take and manually align the waveforms, so the “t” sound has the same starting point per take. But, if working with a word like “tight” then it’s unlikely that both “t” consonants (at the start and end of the word) will align, even if you amend the starting point. In situations like this, you can rely on some neat EQ, Compression, and even in some cases, de-esser tricks to solve the problem.

Using EQ to target troublesome consonants

First, you’ll want to identify the problematic frequency using a frequency analyser. An EQ plugin like F6 has one built in, and we can also use F6’s dynamic capabilities for the next step. Once the Hz of the “t” consonant has been found, you can apply a dynamic EQ band, from a plugin like F6, to that specific range and activate the threshold so that the attenuation only occurs when that frequency is triggered.

Then, adjust the controls accordingly to increase the intensity of the effect. When done right, you should be able to reduce the plosivity of the backing vocals’ replicate “t” sounds until barely noticeable. This method also ensures that the rest of the backing vocals takes are left unaltered.

Using Compression to target troublesome consonants

To use a compressor, to target those pesky, poking-out consonants, we can choose a separate compressor with a fast attack time and high ratio to apply strictly to our backing vocals. A multiband compressor like C6 will do this job even better, because you can apply the compression band only to the problematic Hz range.

Simply, section your compression band to the desired range, set a fast-acting attack time (<50ms should work), and a reasonably high ratio (around 8:1). Now, the transients of the consonant sounds should be heavily reduced, making them barely noticeable in the same way as the dynamic EQ effect. With the same desired result of not having affected the other vocals.

Another plus side to this method, is you can whack and instance of C6 (or other multiband) straight onto your backing vocal FX chain at the end, without worrying about disturbing any preexisting compression that might be applied to ALL of your vocals through a bus track (more on these in the next section)

Using a De-esser to Target Troublesome Consonants

The third FX type you can use in an attempt to reduce problematic consonants is a de-esser, however, naturally, these are more suited toward sibilant sounds (words starting with “s”, “sh”). They can also be handy for “f” sounds, including “ph” in words like “phone”.

So, once more, you can identify the problematic frequency in your backing vocal tracks and apply a de-esser, like Sibilance, to that specific range. It’s recommended to also keep your de-esser set to split-band mode if possible, so the reduction is only applied to the target area, leaving the remaining vocal unscathed. With a de-esser the primary control you’ll usually have is a simple Threshold knob or fader to adjust intensity. It’s really as simple as that. Just remember, a de-esser might not be as handy for consonants other than “s” or “f”.

How About Five-Part Harmony?

We’ve covered using double backing vocals to create a triad harmony. We’ve also spoken about using Waves Harmony to introduce up to seven different harmonising layers artificially. Of course, you can add as many layers as you want, but your stereo field can soon become too cluttered. Five layers can be an effective harmony, allowing for lots of chords and width, but this complexity introduces some complexity to mixing.

Outside of a plugin like Waves Harmony, where all of the layers are added autonomously, we can create the same harmonisation effect manually, by using different vocal takes. It just takes a little extra work. However, when executed attentively and with unique takes per harmonic layer, this will result in more natural and human-sounding backing vocals, with better variation between takes.

So, once you’ve got five different takes and decided on which one is going to be your lead, you can setup the lead in the center, pan two of the spares 100% left and right, and the two remaining spares 50% left and right. You can also experiment with different widths, as long as you keep them balanced. For example, if the first setup is too wide, try setting your furthest couplet at 70-80% and then half the value for the second couplet (35-40%).

Now time for the harmonisation. To achieve true harmonisation between each vocal track, we need them pitched at suitable intervals. If you’re adept with music theory, you probably already understand what this means, and the choice is really up to you. As long as each layer is in tune, the harmonisation will work.

However, if you’re not so well-versed in music theory, a good rule of thumb setup is to have your far-left vocal layer set at a whole octave below your main vocal, your far-right layer a whole octave higher, and your two midway layers at a fifth interval (left side lower and right side higher). Again, this is where a plugin like Waves Harmony can do all the complex music theory for you, automatically. It also allows you to structure your vocals in any conceivable chord type, at the click of your mouse.

Finally, you can put some icing on the cake of your five-part harmony by incorporating some further distinction between each harmonic layer. Reverb is often used to push each widening interval of the stereo field further back into the mix. You can achieve this effect by applying a more intense reverb, with a longer delay and wetter mix to your furthest-panned vocals, and a less intense reverb (one with a shorter delay and at a lower level) to your midway-panned vocals. You might even have a third variation on your lead vocal itself.

Another option is to add different room settings per reverb. Overall, the choice is yours to get creative. You might even opt to automate some delay throws in there too. Whatever, the choice is, you can rely on bussing your FX tracks to save time and computer power. We’ll move onto that in the next section

Tightening Multiple Backing Vocal Tracks That Sound out of Time

Let’s now talk about working with multiple vocal tracks recorded live. Timing and pitch inconsistencies can occur quite easily which create a jagged, unpolished sounding mix. Backing vocals that are slightly out of sync and/or tune with each other and/or the lead vocal can introduce unwanted distractions, drawing the listener’s attention away from the song’s intended focus. These subtle misalignments, particularly harmonies or layered backing tracks, can muddy the mix and detract from its overall impact.

Achieving perfect multi-layered vocal alignment manually isn’t for the faint hearted, it can take a lot of time often requiring precise DAW edits and adjustments that still may not give you the best of results.

Earlier in this article we suggested some ways you can mask the effects of poor vocal timing with EQ and compression, but there’s a better way to get truly amazing results using Sync Vx by Waves. Offering a powerful solution to tighten and synchronize your vocal layers with precision and speed, SyncVx uses advanced algorithms combined with ARA (Audio Random Access) integration to seamlessly align vocal timing and pitch in just a matter of clicks. By referencing say your lead vocal, Sync Vx automatically matches the time of your backing tracks to it, eliminating any need for manual edits.

The benefits of Syn cVx extend beyond saving time, it also enhances the emotional connection of a song by maintaining consistency and clarity. Tight backing vocals are an easy way of adding depth, interest and energy without taking the spotlight away from the lead.

Bussing Backing Vocals

We just briefly touched on reverb at the end of the last section, which is often a great tool to distinguish different backing tracks, but aside from reverb, you might want to apply a whole host of processing to your backing vocals. But, It can take up a lot of computing power to process them all on different tracks.

That’s where a technique like bussing can be extremely handy. For example, you can load up a single instance of R-verb on an FX send track and route your widest side vocals at a 100% mix intensity, whilst only routing your secondary side vocals (the ones panned at 50%) at 50% intensity, therefore reducing the reverb at each narrowing of the harmonic spectrum.

But, that’s not all FX sends can be used for. You might have compression and/or EQ that you want applied to all of your vocals at the same time. This can be achieved through an aux track. Signal routing using send tracks can get a bit finicky, especially if you’re new to it, but it has the potential to save you a lot of time and computing power once you’re familiar with it.

EQ and Compression for Backing Vocals

Finally, we have typical processing effects like EQ (try out Q10) and compression (like R-Vox) that we can use strategically when working with backing vocals. Often, we will want to apply differing EQ and compression settings to our backing vocals compared to our lead. Why? Because it can help us differentiate between the two and create more separation in the mix. As is the case with our mid-side EQ example in the single vocal section.

For example, your backing vocal might be clashing with the lead at a specific range. You could use a dynamic EQ, like F6, and sidechain the two vocals at the problematic frequency. (This is a separate case as mentioned in the Keeping Backing Vocals In Sync section).

If you have overly prominent transients throughout your backing tracks (not just at consonant points), you can use a more aggressive (faster attack, higher ratio) compressor like the CLA-2A as a blanket solution for all your backing vocals to heavily reduce the overall transients, whilst still retaining the integrity of the harmonisation and thickening.

A dynamic EQ with sidechain functionality can be used in the same way as mentioned above to also target problematic consonants. Or, you can use a de-esser or resonance suppressor. De-essers are naturally more suited toward sibilant sounds. Just identify the harsh ‘S’ frequency and target it with something like Sibilance.

Back To Work

Backing vocals are an essential part of producing a song and often transform the feel when handled thoughtfully. Whether you’re blending harmonies to create a seamless wall of sound or using contrasting layers to add depth and interest, the approach you choose can significantly impact the overall feel of your track. Techniques like panning, auto pitch & time correction and utilizing plugins such as Waves Harmony or OVox allow you to unlock new creative possibilities, even when working with limited vocal stems. By carefully considering the placement and tone of your backing vocals, you can add extra layers to the emotional and sonic quality of your song.