Tandem

Tandem turns one take into two, or four: copies a few cents sharp and flat, a little late, each wandering in time the way a second performance does, spread across the stereo field. It's the sound of a double-tracked vocal or guitar without recording it twice.

The controls

Detune

How far the copies are pitched from the original, in cents. 5 to 12 is natural; 20 is obvious.

Delay

How late the copies are. 10 to 20 ms is a tight double; 30 ms and up starts to sound like an echo.

Variation

How much the timing wanders, like a real second take.

Voices

Two copies (left and right) or four, for a thicker, choir-like spread.

Spread

How wide the copies sit.

Tone

Darkens the copies so they sit behind the original.

Mix

How much of the doubling you hear.

Best for

• Lead vocals in a chorus: instant width and size
• Backing vocals: one take becomes a group
• Rhythm guitars: the wide, double-tracked wall
• Synth leads: thicker without a chorus wobble

Starting points

Load Tandem, set these, then adjust by ear. In the plugin, Level match helps you judge the sound, not the loudness.

Hints and tips

• Keep the lead vocal's verse dry and bring Tandem in on the chorus for lift.
• Darken the copies with Tone so the original stays in front.
• Check in mono: Tandem stays solid, but very high Detune can thin out.

Chains it works best in

Every Original works in a chain with the others and with members' hardware. These are good places to start.

• Esscape then Tandem: de-ess first so the copies don't double the esses
• Tandem then Rebound: a wide doubled vocal with synced echoes
• Tandem then Nave: a doubled vocal in a wide hall

Watch out for

• Doubling everything: if every part is wide, nothing is.
• Long Delay and high Detune on a lead vocal: it starts to sound out of tune.