Second voice
In music production, the second voice or support voice refers to those voices that support and reinforce other main voices.
method
The additional voice is recorded separately and mixed into a first voice track at a comparatively low volume , so that it has a strengthening effect, but without being clearly heard itself. The overall sound changes only minimally. This procedure is a pure mixed technique and must not be confused with a real second voice of similar volume with mostly a different melody, which serves the musical development by forming thirds and other multiple sounds.
Instrumental music
In the field of instrumental music, this can e.g. B. be a subtle bass, which plays an octave lower and amplifies the main bass. However, the same instrument can simply be used again and mixed in. In contrast to the artificial chorus , which is achieved through a technical doubling of voices, one achieves an effect of naturalness and the possibility of tonal coloring with a second voice . Occasionally, this technique also compensates for weaknesses in expression and playing in the first voice afterwards. This can go so far that the level of both voices is briefly inverted, so that the substitute voice no longer simply has an additive coloring, but is equal or even dominant. A well-known case for this are some CD productions by the trumpeter Stefan Mross , in which the actually supporting voice of a Belgian studio musician is much louder in most places than Mross's trumpet. With this Mross basically plays the additional part for the Belgian trumpeter. This later prompted the studio musician to file a lawsuit against Mross in order to get more royalties as a performer in accordance with the GVL . After a trial before the Frankfurt Regional Court, both parties are said to have reached an agreement.
Vocal music
This stylistic device is also often used in the field of vocal music to give thin voices more expression: a second singer sings exactly the same passage a second time, subtly reinforcing the first. Singers who intonate particularly well know how to sing the given melody in important passages with a slightly different pitch and thus to give the notes a lot of sonic richness through the beginning beat . In individual cases, subliminal blue notes and real tension notes are also introduced.
It is also not uncommon that slightly unsuccessful productions with artificially highly promoted musicians or purely optical performers who are not particularly capable of singing are supported by voices of well-trained singers. Sometimes producers even use this approach to give their front vocalists reasonable voices in the first place. The best- known examples are Boney M and Milli Vanilli , where it is proven that completely different people sang. In these cases, of course, there can no longer be any talk of "second voice" technology, but one should speak of voice replacement, so-called "replacing".
Modern music
In the field of pop music and electronic dance music , the "second voice" technology is almost the standard today, although voice doubling is often used here. The additional voices in the dance area are now used specifically with a similar level. You almost never hear a single voice, but several parts are always heard. The boundaries to a real duo or background vocals are naturally fluid here.
Numerous singers have already found their way into productions in this way and can be heard on many CDs without ever having appeared or been visible themselves. Well-trained and talented artists so often make the leap into the spotlight. Examples are Shanna Nova , Kim Sanders, and Heather Small . Quite a few musicians remain in the background for their entire musical life. Reasons are often a lack of ability to live, an appearance that is not fit to start, but also an aversion to the public or a pronounced stage fright.