{"id":5764,"date":"2019-01-07T11:13:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-07T16:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/?p=5764"},"modified":"2025-07-22T11:55:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T15:55:04","slug":"how-to-harmonize-vocals-vocalsynth-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/how-to-harmonize-vocals-vocalsynth-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to create vocal harmonies with iZotope’s VocalSynth 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Creating a unique sound for your vocals is key when it comes to producing a track that stands out from the rest.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there are many ways to do this, today\u2019s largest artists such as Zedd, Daft Punk, and Halsey have been embracing vocoders and other similar harmonic effects as their go-to method for adding interest to their vocals. You can distinctly hear these techniques in the choruses of Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey\u2019s \u201cThe Middle\u201d<\/a> and more recently, Halsey\u2019s \u201cWithout Me.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

iZotope\u2019s VocalSynth 2<\/a> allows you to bring these sorts of vocal effects to your own production with ease\u2014in this blog post, let\u2019s dive into how to create compelling vocal harmonies<\/a> with VocalSynth 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll be using the track below for demonstration purposes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Voice to verse\u2014anywhere. With the addition of Splice Mic, you can instantly test and record ideas, explore genres, and unlock new creative possibilities, all from <\/strong>the Splice mobile app.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Set up VocalSynth 2 on a software instrument<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"vocalsynth-2-modes\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

First, create a new software instrument track in whichever DAW you\u2019re using, and select VocalSynth 2 from your plugins as the instrument. Then, open up VocalSynth 2 and click on the Auto Mode<\/strong> button on the top bar. This will open up a window that displays VocalSynth 2\u2019s three modes: Auto<\/strong>, MIDI<\/strong>, and Sidechain<\/strong>. Because we want to draw our own custom harmonies using MIDI, we\u2019re going to select MIDI<\/strong> and hit Accept<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once that\u2019s set, navigate to the top right of the GUI to find the Side Chain<\/strong> menu, and select the audio track that contains the vocal you want to harmonize. In my case, I\u2019ll select an audio track that I created named \u201cSide Chain Vocals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Pro Tip:<\/strong> Although we could select the lead vocal we\u2019re hearing in the production as the source, it\u2019s not a bad idea to create a separate dry<\/strong> and muted<\/strong> audio track that we can dedicate to our sidechaining needs. This allows us to process the lead vocal and harmonies separately\u2014otherwise, any reverbs, delays, etc. that we add to the lead vocal will bleed into the VocalSynth 2 track as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Insert MIDI for the harmonies onto your software instrument track<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Next, add MIDI to the VocalSynth 2 track that outlines your harmonies. Relatively smooth voice-leading<\/strong> (avoiding huge jumps or leaps) tends to work best for vocal harmonies, but definitely experiment with different options to find what works best for your particular project. It\u2019s also good to be aware of the range your lead vocal sits in, so that you can fill out the frequency spectrum with voices that sit below and \/ or above it. For this track, I\u2019m more-or-less just borrowing the chord voicings played by the piano that enters a few bars into the section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve mapped out your MIDI, hit play and hear VocalSynth 2 work its magic. This is what my harmonies sound like on their own:<\/p>\n\n\n\n