In house music, using vocals effectively can significantly enhance a track’s appeal. Here, UK producer Huxley shares five practical tips for incorporating vocals into house music.
With a background in blending deep and tech house elements, Huxley’s advice is grounded in experience. Recently, he teamed up with Poker Flat founder Steve Bug on L.O.V.E – a huge upfront house cut that blended classic rave stabs with a timeless vocal sample and firing drums: a surefire party starter and a perfect summation of the producer’s individual talents.
Across 5 simple but effective tips, this guide presents straightforward strategies aiming to improve the quality and impact of your music production. Dive into Huxley’s insights for a thoughtful approach to using vocals, offering producers a way to refine their sound and create more engaging tracks.
Simple Vocal Cuts
Instead of manually slicing vocals as audio, drag them into a sampler. In Logic, using the slice mode on the sampler automatically cuts them. Each word is assigned to a key with the optimal setting, allowing for easy playback. This method enables the creation of unique cuts, ideal for house or UKG genres. Pitching and cutoff adjustments are also manageable within the sampler.
Create a Bed
This is a frequent practice of mine. Often, vocals are used solely for their intended purpose. However, I usually select a section of an adlib or another nonsensical part to create a background layer that complements the beats when the main vocal is absent. This technique adds depth and can introduce an intriguing rhythm.
Looping a bar, applying heavy reverb, cutting the bass and highs, then adding a pronounced side chain effect and blending it with the beat eliminates the need to search for additional atmospheric elements or fillers for certain frequencies.
Think Outside the Box
The habit of relying on resources like Splice, Loopcloud, or old R&B acapellas is common, but exploring new sources is beneficial. Sampling from YouTube, TV programs, films, or social media adds unique textures to music, despite occasional quality issues.
Discovering vocals in old sample CDs, which are often not featured on platforms like Splice, can unearth rare and unused sounds.
Adlibs
For tech house or deep house tracks, valuable one-liners often reside in adlibs. Instead of focusing on verses, explore adlibs for impactful phrases.
Chorus/Phasing/Ringshifter
Chorus, phasing, and ringshifter effects can enhance movement and tension in vocal build-ups, particularly for spoken word. These effects are underutilized, offering new dimensions beyond standard automation practices. While adding effects like an endless smile is common, adjusting parameters on these effects can reveal new, creative possibilities.
Steve Bug & Huxley – L.O.V.E is out now on Poker Flat
