Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 5: Image-Line Vocodex

This is part 5 of a multi-part tutorial on setting up vocoder plugins in Cubase. See part 1 if you missed the introduction.

Vocodex is a great-sounding vocoder produced by Image-Line, whose best-known product is the FL Studio DAW. This plugin only offers VST 2 format, not VST 3, meaning that configuring it for external carrier use is very different from what you do with Waldorf Lector or XILS V+. We're going to take a look at three different configurations: One using Vocodex's built-in synth engine as the carrier, one employing mono modulator and external carrier channels (similar to the TAL-Vocoder external carrier setup), and one that uses stereo channels for both modulator and external carrier.

The screenshots below use the Vocoder Tutorial Projects that you can download at the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page.

USING VOCODEX'S INTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration we'll use Vocodex's built-in synthesizer as the carrier, what Image-Line calls the "immediate method." This means we need an audio track or group channel to serve as the modulator (voice), and a MIDI track to play the carrier signal on the plugin's synth. The Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project in the tutorial projects download is already set up for this.

1. In the Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add Vocodex as an insert on the audio track or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with Vocodex's outputs.)
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Not all of the Vocodex presets work in this configuration. I recommend starting with the Chord preset.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. On your MIDI track's inspector, route the track's MIDI output to your Vocodex instance, as shown here:
   
4. IMPORTANT: Vocodex can be quite loud at its default settings. Dial back the volume of your Modulator Audio track to at least -6db before continuing.
   
   
   
5. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. This plugin gives you a ton of visual feedback to indicate levels and incoming MIDI. If you don't hear anything, make sure you've got a known-good preset selected (like Chord), and check your audio and MIDI routing.
   
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER: INTERLACED METHOD

In this configuration, we'll pass mono audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material. Instead of using a sidechain input for carrier audio like we're able to do with Waldorf Lector and XILS V+, in this method Vocodex has to sit on a single stereo track or group that uses the left and right channels to carry the modulator and carrier audio separately.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), select Project > Add Track > Group Channel and create a Stereo group named Vocodex.
   
2. Add Vocodex as an insert on the newly-created group channel.
   
3. Select the Stereo interlacing preset in Vocodex to illuminate the L-R Encoding LED.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Pan your Modulator Audio channel all the way to the left and route the track's audio output to the Vocodex group.
   
5. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the Carrier track's inspector, pan it all the way to the right and route its output to the Vocodex group.
   
   
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, pan the track to the left and change the output routing to the Vocodex group channel.
   
6. Some of the Vocodex presets can be pretty loud. Dial back the volume of your Vocodex group track to at least -6db before continuing.
   
   
   
   
7. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks.  If you hear distortion, you might have to check the levels of your group channel, the modulator, or the carrier. If you don't hear anything, make sure the Stereo interlacing preset is selected and check the routing on your mod and carrier sources.

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER: PRODUCTION METHOD

In this configuration, we'll pass stereo audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material. Instead of using a sidechain input for carrier audio like we're able to do with Waldorf Lector and XILS V+, in this method Vocodex has to sit on a special group track with multiple stereo inputs for modulator and carrier. In Cubase circles, this is known as "the Quadro trick."

Note
This method only works in Cubase Pro. It can't be done in Cubase Artist, because that edition only allows mono or stereo group channels.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), select Project > Add Track > Group Channel. Enter Vocodex for Track Name, and for Configuration, select More > Quadro.
   
   
   
   
2. Go to Devices > VST Connections and select the Group/FX tab. Under Bus Name, right-click your Vocodex group, and then pick Add Child Bus to "Vocodex" > Stereo. This adds a new bus under the Vocodex group named Stereo.
   
   
   
3. Select the new Stereo bus and then click it once (don't double-click) to select its name, and name this bus Modulator In.
   
4. To create one more bus, right-click your Vocodex group again, and then pick Add Child Bus to "Vocodex" > Stereo (Ls Rs). This adds a new bus under the Vocodex group named Stereo (Ls Rs).
   
5. Select the new Stereo (Ls Rs) bus and then click it once (again, don't double-click) to select its name, and name this bus Carrier In.
   
6. Close the VST Connections dialog and then add Vocodex as an insert on your Vocodex group channel.
   
7. Select the Sidechained carrier preset in Vocodex, causing the MOD box to read 0 and the CAR box to read 1.
   
8. Select your Modulator Audio channel in the arrangement view and route the track's output to the Modulator In bus of your Vocodex group.
   
9. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the Carrier track's inspector, route its output to the Carrier In bus of the Vocodex group.
   
   
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the Cubase MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, change the output routing to the Carrier In bus of the Vocodex group channel.
   
10. Some of the Vocodex presets can be pretty loud. Dial back the volume of your Vocodex group track to at least -6db before continuing.
    
    
    
    
11. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks.  If you hear distortion, you might have to check the levels of your group channel, the modulator, or the carrier. If you don't hear anything, make sure the Sidechain carrier preset is selected and check the routing on your mod and carrier sources.

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

Conclusion

If you were successful in following the above use cases, you should now be able to jump in and explore Vocodex's various features.

In the next part of this tutorial, we'll set up Native Instruments Razor...

Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 4: TAL-Vocoder

This is part 4 of a multi-part tutorial on setting up vocoder plugins in Cubase. See part 1 if you missed the introduction.

TAL-Vocoder is a free vintage vocoder emulation produced by one of my favorite indie plugin publishers, Togu Audio Line. While I'm not 100% certain, I think TAL-Vocoder might be the only free vocoder plugin that is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors. This plugin only offers VST 2 format, not VST 3, meaning that configuring it for external carrier use is very different from what you do with Waldorf Lector or XILS V+. We're going to take a look at two different configurations: One using TAL-Vocoder's built-in synth engine as the carrier, and another using an external carrier.

The screenshots below use the Vocoder Tutorial Projects that you can download at the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page.

USING TAL-VOCODER'S INTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration we'll use TAL-Vocoder's built-in synthesizer as the carrier. This means we need an audio track or group channel to serve as the modulator (voice), and a MIDI track to play the carrier signal on the plugin's synth. The Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project in the tutorial projects download is already set up for this.

1. In the Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add TAL-Vocoder as an insert on the audio track or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with TAL-Vocoder's outputs.)
   
   
   
2. The default preset, A Voice Robot 1, is a good one to begin with.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. On your MIDI track's inspector, route the track's MIDI output to your TAL-Vocoder instance, as shown here:
   
4. IMPORTANT: TAL-Vocoder is quite loud at its default settings. Dial back the volume of your Modulator Audio track to around -12db before continuing. If you're using a preset with the CHORUS feature toggled on, dial back a little further, like -15db or so to avoid clipping.
   
   
   
5. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. There isn't any visual feedback in TAL-Vocoder except for a single clipping LED.
   
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration, we'll pass audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material. Instead of using a sidechain input for carrier audio like we're able to do with Waldorf Lector and XILS V+, TAL-Vocoder has to sit on a single stereo track or group that uses the left and right channels to carry the modulator and carrier audio separately.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), select Project > Add Track > Group Channel and create a Stereo group named TAL-Vocoder.
   
2. Add TAL-Vocoder as an insert on the newly-created group channel.
   
3. I like the preset B Voice Robot Harmonic for this configuration.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Click the Input Mode On button so that the green LED is lit.
   
    
5. Pan your Modulator Audio channel all the way to the right and route the track's audio output to the TAL-Vocoder group.
   
6. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the Carrier track's inspector, pan it all the way to the left and route its output to the TAL-Vocoder group.
   
   
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, pan the track to the left and change the output routing to the TAL-Vocoder group channel.
   
7. Some of the TAL-Vocoder presets can be pretty loud. Dial back the volume of your TAL-Vocoder group track to at least -6db before continuing.
   
   
   
   
8. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks.  If you hear distortion, you might have to check the levels of your group channel, the modulator, or the carrier. If you don't hear anything, make sure the green Input Mode On button is pressed (I've noticed it sometimes toggles off when switching presets).

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

Conclusion

If you were successful in following the above use cases, you should now be able to jump in and explore TAL-Vocoder's various features.

In the next part of this tutorial, we'll set up Image-Line Vocodex...

Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 3: XILS V+

This is part 3 of a multi-part tutorial on setting up vocoder plugins in Cubase. See part 1 if you missed the introduction.

XILS V+ is modeled after the classic Roland VP-330 Vocoder Plus, which sported both string and voice synthesis capabilities in addition to a vocoder. V+ is available in VST 3 format, making it easier to configure than most other vocoder plugins, however the plugin itself is quite complex. You will need to devote some focused time to studying the user guide and experimenting with this plugin to get the most out of it, but this tutorial will at least help you get the vocoder section working in Cubase. We're going to take a look at two different configurations: One using V+'s built-in synth engine as the carrier, and another using an external carrier.

The screenshots below use the Vocoder Tutorial Projects that you can download at the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page.

USING V+'S INTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration we'll use V+'s built-in synthesizer as the carrier. This means we need an audio track or group channel to serve as the modulator (voice), and a MIDI track to play the carrier signal on the plugin's synth. The Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project in the tutorial projects download is already set up for this.

1. In the Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add V+ as an insert on the audio track or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with V+'s outputs.)
   
   Note
   If you have both the VST 2 and VST 3 versions installed, both will probably appear in the plugin selector, because unlike Waldorf Lector, XILS internally uses different plugin IDs for the two flavors of V+. (The VST 3 version has an "III" icon in its entry in the plugin list.) While VST 3 is not really required for this configuration, it's usually best to use VST 3 when available.
   
2. Since V+ isn't just a vocoder, not all of its presets use the vocoder feature. Choose the Factory > XILS-lab > VOC Reverb Vocoder XO preset to begin with.
   
   
   
   
   
3. On your MIDI track's inspector, route the track's MIDI output to your V+ instance, as shown here:
   
   
   
   
   
4. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. There isn't a whole lot of visual feedback in V+. The green LED will illuminate when the plugin receives a modulator signal, and the red LED comes on if the modulator is nearing maximum volume (though it doesn't necessarily mean that it's clipping). Lower the volume on your modulator track if you hear clipping or distortion. The keys on V+'s virtual keyboard will indicate when the plugin is receiving MIDI. If you don't hear anything or see key movement, check your MIDI routing. Also make sure the EXT SYNTH fader next to the Master Volume knob is all the way down.
   
   
   
   
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration, we'll pass audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add V+ as an insert on the audio track, instrument track, or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with V+'s outputs.)
   
   Note
   This configuration requires the VST 3 version of V+. If you have a VST 3 version installed, it will have a little "III" icon in the plugin seV+, like this:
   
   
   
    
2. Since V+ isn't just a vocoder, not all of its presets use the vocoder feature. Choose the Factory > XILS-lab > VOC Reverb Vocoder XO preset to begin with.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click the Activate Side-Chain button so that it lights up in orange. 
   
   
   
4. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the track's inspector, route its output to V+'s sidechain input.
   
   Otherwise, if you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, change the output routing to V+'s sidechain input.

   

   Route VST plugin outputs from the MixConsole window. Above picture is from the Lector post. You will see "XILS" here instead.

5. In V+, put the EXT SYNTH fader all the way up and make sure the SIDE CHAIN SELECTION rocker is in the up ("Synth: Side, Mic: Input") position.
   
   
   
   
   
6. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. The green LED will illuminate when the plugin receives a modulator signal, and the red LED comes on if the modulator is nearing maximum volume (though it doesn't necessarily mean that it's clipping). Lower the volume on your modulator track if you hear clipping or distortion. If you don't hear anything, make sure the EXT SYNTH fader next to the Master Volume knob is all the way up and double-check your routing of your carrier audio source (step 5).
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

Conclusion

If you were successful in following the above use cases, you should now be able to jump in and explore V+'s many features.

In the next part of this tutorial, we'll set up TAL-Vocoder...

Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 2: Waldorf Lector

This is part 2 of a multi-part tutorial on setting up vocoder plugins in Cubase. See part 1 if you missed the introduction.

Waldorf Lector is a powerful vocoder plugin, and since it is available in VST 3 format, it's one of the easiest vocoders to configure in Cubase. We're going to take a look at two different configurations: One using Lector's built-in synth engine as the carrier, and another using an external carrier.

The screenshots below use the Vocoder Tutorial Projects that you can download at the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page.

Please note that this is not a comprehensive Lector tutorial- it only covers the steps necessary to properly route audio and MIDI to the plugin with Cubase.

USING LECTOR'S INTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration we'll use Lector's built-in synthesizer as the carrier. This means we need an audio track or group channel to serve as the modulator (voice), and a MIDI track to play the carrier signal on the plugin's synth. The Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project in the download is already set up for this.

1. In the Vocoder Internal Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add Lector as an insert on the audio track or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with Lector's outputs.)
   

   

   We are inserting Lector as an audio effect on the demo project's Modulator Audio track.

2. For the purposes of getting things working, choose the Classic 80s Normal preset in Lector, and make sure the Synthesizer option is selected.
   
   
   
3. Important: Some Lector presets are very loud! Dial back Lector's Vocoder volume to about 50% (-20db) before continuing to the next step.
   
   
4. On your MIDI track's inspector, route the track's MIDI output to your Lector instance, as shown here:
   
   
   
5. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. The upper section of the spectrogram in Lector shows the levels and frequencies of the incoming modulator signal and the lower section shows those values for the carrier. If you don't see any activity in the carrier section, check your MIDI routing and make sure Synthesizer is selected (step 2).
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

USING AN EXTERNAL CARRIER

In this configuration, we'll pass audio signals for both modulator and carrier. The Vocoder External Carrier demo project includes an audio clip to use for the carrier, but the carrier could be a VST instrument as well if you have programmed MIDI that matches your audio material.

1. In the Vocoder External Carrier demo project (or your own Cubase project), add Lector as an insert on the audio track, instrument track, or group channel you wish to use as your modulator. (If you are using a group channel in a Cubase project of your own, make sure that your modulator source's output is not routed to Cubase's "Stereo Out," because if it is, then you will always hear the raw modulator audio mixed in with Lector's outputs.)
   
   Note
   This configuration requires the VST 3 version of Lector. If you have a VST 3 version installed, it will have a little "III" icon in the plugin selector, like this:
    
    
2. Select the Classic 80s Normal preset and then click the Activate Side-Chain button so that the indicator lights up in orange.
   
3. Select the Sidechain option in Lector.
   
4. If you're using an audio track or group channel as your carrier signal, select that track in Cubase. In the track's inspector, route its output to Lector's sidechain input.

   

   You can route audio and group channel outputs from the arrangement window.

   If you are using a VST plugin as your carrier, open the MixConsole, and on the channel strip where your plugin resides, change the output routing to Lector's sidechain input.

   

   Route VST plugin outputs from the MixConsole window.

5. Important: Some Lector presets are very loud! Dial back Lector's Vocoder volume to about -15db before continuing to the next step.
   
6. Begin playback on a section of your project that loops your modulator and carrier tracks. You should now hear a vocoded harmony line. The upper section of the spectrogram in Lector shows the levels and frequencies of the incoming modulator signal and the lower section shows those values for the carrier. If you don't see any activity in the carrier section, check your audio routing and make sure Sidechain is selected in the plugin (step 3).
   
   
   
   
   

If you followed along using the tutorial project, the result should sound like this:

Conclusion

If you were successful in following the above use cases, you should now be able to jump in and explore Lector's many features.

In the next part of this tutorial, we'll set up XILS V+...

Setting Up Vocoders in Cubase Part 1: Getting Started

There are lots of great free and commercial vocoder plugins available these days, but setting them up in Cubase isn't always straightforward. On top of that, there's a lot more to getting a good-sounding vocoder than simply getting your DAW routing configured properly. For that reason, this first post covers some general tips that will help you get the most out of any vocoder plugin you end up using, and the posts that follow walk you through configuring a number of specific vocoders.

At the bottom of this post you'll find links to each of my tutorials for configuring several different vocoder plugins. But for now, let's cover the basics.

VOCODER FUNDAMENTALS

There are different applications for vocoders and their various components, but these tutorials are just going to cover the most common use case for music production: For our purposes, a vocoder is a tool that analyzes an incoming audio signal (usually a human voice) called the modulator, breaks that source signal into an arbitrary number of signal bands, and uses this encoded information to modulate a secondary audio source (usually a synth patch) called the carrier.

Another way of putting it: The vocoder attempts to approximate the sound of the modulator signal using audio material from the carrier.

Here's an example I put together for this tutorial. First, we have a three-part harmony I recorded to use as my modulator signal. There is some mild compression on it to even out the dynamics, and I edited the audio to remove some unwanted breath and to tighten up the timing:



Next, here's a MIDI track I recorded for the carrier signal. It's a synth pad from HALion Sonic that has some reverb and delay that creates some movement in the final vocoder output. In this example, the MIDI timing very closely follows the vocals (or rather, I sung the vocals to closely follow this MIDI part):



And here's the final result, as processed by Image-Line's Vocodex plug-in:

 
This very basic way of looking at the vocoder leads us to a few simple rules we can follow to ensure we get the best sounding results:

THE CARRIER AND MODULATOR SHOULD MATCH EACH OTHER IN PITCH

Vocoders are very often used for rich harmonized vocal sections. Frequently (even in some tutorials I've seen), I notice people will feed a non-harmonized vocal source/modulator into a vocoder where only the synth/carrier signal is harmonized. The result sometimes sounds okay, simply because of the harmonics (frequencies surrounding the root note) that might be going on in the carrier signal- but more often only the notes in the carrier that match whatever was in the source signal will come through very well.

So, if you want the end result to be harmonized both your carrier and your modulator signals need to be harmonized. And not just the same notes, but the same octaves/frequency ranges as well.

THE CARRIER SHOULD BE RICH IN HARMONICS

The human voice covers a lot of the audible spectrum when you consider not just the pitched vowel sounds, but the unpitched consonant sounds as well. All the various resonances and vibrations involved in the human voice, can result in a harmonically rich sound, even when just singing vowels. If you use a carrier signal that only matches the exact frequencies of the musical notes in your modulator's melody, you will likely lose a lot of the consonant sounds, because there won't be enough high-frequency content in your carrier to reproduce them.

Some vocoders include features to add noise to the carrier (which gives the vocoder some high-frequency content to shape consonants with) or mix some of the original modulator into the sound keep things intelligible, but simply choosing your carrier patches wisely can go a long way.

We can illustrate this pretty clearly. I used Voxengo SPAN to capture what some different signals look like on the audio spectrum. Here's a snapshot of my modulator signal, which is me singing a three-part harmony, with a little compression but no other processing or effects:

Here is my carrier signal, a synth pad from Steinberg HALion Sonic 2. The carrier is playing a MIDI version of the same harmonies I'm singing in the modulator. You can see that it has good coverage across the same spectrum as the vocal line. There is some content below 80Hz that will be discarded by the vocoder, since there's nothing that low in the modulator:

For comparison, here's a terrible carrier playing the same MIDI line. It's a pure sine patch I made in Native Instruments Massive. There are no harmonics and no high-frequency content. If your pitches didn't match this part's narrow frequency range exactly (like if your source singing went sharp or flat), you'd probably hear an unpleasant tremolo in the output:

You would also lose a ton of definition in the final product using the above signal as a carrier. Below you can see my vocals superimposed over the sine wave carrier. The yellow area on the left is where the two signals overlap. All the green on the right (everything above 250Hz) is signal information from the modulator that's simply lost in the final output:

START WITH A CARRIER THAT HAS FAST ATTACK, SHORT RELEASE, AND MINIMAL FX

In order to properly follow the melody of your incoming modulator signal, it helps to have a carrier that starts and stops quickly so it always (and only) plays the notes you need, when you need them. You can get some interesting results by messing with longer attack and especially release times once you've got everything set up, but sticking to fast/responsive patches can speed up your auditioning and troubleshooting process.

Similar to sounds with long release stages, patches that have noticeable reverb tails or delays can also be interesting, but they can also give you unexpected results when auditioning sounds. Try disabling reverb or dialing back decay times if you notice pitch changes that seem to get muddled in the vocoded results.

PICK REASONABLE VOLUMES FOR BOTH MODULATOR AND CARRIER

Some vocoders have limited "sweet spots" when it comes to the levels of the signals you feed to them- particularly the modulators. Vocoders are also easily overloaded due to the mixing of the various signals, and not all of them have level meters or internal gain controls. Start out with moderate, matching levels for both your carrier and modulator signals when you're just trying to confirm things are working properly. You can experiment with overdriving (or dialing back) different levels when you're refining your sound.

TREAT YOUR MODULATOR SIGNAL AS IF IT WERE A FINAL VOCAL TRACK

Even though little to none of the original modulator signal will make it into your final vocoded output, if your volumes are uneven, pitches are wobbly, or timing is bad, your final result will be bad as well. (Like some folks say, "Garbage in, garbage out.")

Compressing the modulator before it hits your vocoder can both even out the dynamics and bring out some of the unpitched consonant sounds, making the vocoder voice more intelligible.

TIP: EXPERIMENT WITH EVOLVING CARRIERS AND SIMPLIFIED MIDI

As you might imagine, synth patches that change over time can be very interesting vocoder carriers. To take advantage of such sounds you might find that it helps to simplify your MIDI data. For example, if you sing three notes in a row at the same pitch, your MIDI might just have a single extended note at that pitch to give your patch some time to evolve.

Patches that begin with a click or a pluck of some kind might also influence your decision of whether to exactly mirror the individual notes of the modulator in MIDI or only follow the pitches.

VOCODER TUTORIAL PROJECTS (DOWNLOAD)

I made a couple of simple tutorial projects you can use to test out the vocoder plugin of your choice. You can get them from the Ultimate Outsider Downloads page. I made the projects in Cubase Pro 8, but they should load in either Cubase Pro or Cubase Artist, and should work for version 7, 7.5, and 8. Each project is for a different kind of configuration:

VOCODER INTERNAL CARRIER PROJECT

This project is for cases where you want to use the plugin's built-in synthesizer/carrier instead of supplying your own carrier signal. The project includes an audio clip with harmonized vocals and a MIDI clip that plays the same harmony/melody as the vocal track.

The MIDI clip is not routed to any instrument when you first load the project, so you won't hear anything but the vocal track when you play it. The "internal carrier" examples in the following posts will tell you when to use this track.

VOCODER EXTERNAL CARRIER PROJECT

This is for situations where you want to provide your own external carrier signal instead of using the vocoder's built-in carrier. (Some vocoder plugins like mda Vocoder don't even have an internal carrier, so this is the project you'd use.)

The project contains a vocal clip to serve as the modulator and a synth pad clip to serve as the carrier.

MY VOCODER TEST PROJECT

When preparing this tutorial, I put together a Cubase project that uses five different vocoders in eight different configurations, with a lot of group channels for routing the source audio to the various plugins. Here's a quick run-down of the project, in case you're interested in more advanced routing than we'll talk about in the subsequent parts of the tutorial. (Note: This project is not included in the tutorial projects download, since it requires a number of commercial plugins.)

• Tracks 3-8 are the original vocal audio tracks I recorded to use as my modulator. I recorded three parts, but duplicated each track to smooth out the initial "Hello" when looping. All of these tracks are routed to the "Modulator Vocals (Stereo)" group channel.
• Track 14 is an instrument track with an instance of HALion Sonic, playing a MIDI part that serves as the carrier for all vocoder configurations that use an external carrier. This track has two sends, routed to each of the "External Carrier" group channels.
• Tracks 16-19 are MIDI tracks which send MIDI to individual vocoder plugin instances that are configured to use the given plugin's internal carrier. They are color-coded to indicate which plugin instance they play into.
• Tracks 20-23 are group channels that route audio to the various plugin configurations via sends. The reason there are two stereo groups and two single-channel groups is because some plugins only accept audio as a stereo pair, where the Left and Right channels independently deliver the carrier or modulator.
• Tracks 25-32 are the individual plugin configuration groups. Each one contains a single instance of a given vocoder as an audio insert, and each one receives audio from one of the Modulator Vocals buses. Additionally, the "external carrier" configurations receive audio from one of the "External Carrier" groups, and the "internal carrier" configurations instead receive MIDI from their respective MIDI track, as indicated by the track color. NOTE: These are the only channels in the project that send audio to Cubase's "Stereo Out." All other channels and tracks are set to either "No bus" or routed to other channels, since we only want to hear the vocoder output, not the raw modulator or carrier signals.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what 8 vocoders stacked together sounds like, here you go:

SETTING UP SPECIFIC PLUGINS

Now that we have a good understanding of the fundamentals, let's start setting up some plugins:

• Part 2: Waldorf Lector
• Part 3: XILS V+
• Part 4: TAL-Vocoder (free plugin)
• Part 5: Image-Line Vocodex
• Part 6: Native Instruments Razor
• Part 7: mda Vocoder and the Steinberg Vocoder (free plugins)
• Part 8: Waves Morphoder

I set up a SoundCloud playlist of all the clips I recorded for this tutorial. It contains the raw modulator and carrier as well as examples of every plugin mentioned in these tutorials, in each of their possible routing configurations- so you can hear all the vocoders side-by-side.