RECORDING March 2023 - 22

-Review by Bill Stunt
IK MultimediaT-RackS
Joe Chiccarelli
Vocal Strip
A recording master's bespoke
vocal chain in a plugin
GRAMMY®
award-winning engineer/producer Joe Chiccarelli
has teamed up with IK Multimedia for a new signature
plugin. The Joe Chiccarelli Vocal Strip plugin brings Joe's
unique vocal processing chain (EQ, compression and
effects) to the popular IK Multimedia T-RackS software
platform, where it can run as a plugin inside your DAW or
standalone in the T-RackS app.
From the Racks of the Gods
Joe Chiccarelli is a prolific presence in the modern production
world. His resumé includes a diverse range of artists from Jason Mraz
to Jack White, Morrissey to Alanis Morissette, and Bono to Beck. Joe
Chiccarelli's work is especially notable for the power of the vocals.
Joe's Signal Path
The channel strip begins with a large input level slider. Next
is a high-pass filter knob with a range from 20 to 250 Hz,
and a simple yet effective de-esser. The de-esser has a knob
to control the amount of attenuation and a switch for choosing
between 6.4 and 8.6 kHz center frequencies.
Next up are a trio of compressors all running in parallel-a
prime component of the Joe Chiccarelli workflow. The Main
Parallel Compressor is modeled on a UREI 1176, the Vintage
Parallel Compressor on a Fairchild 670 and the Heavy Parallel
Compressor is a hybrid unit based on a UA 176 and Tube-Tech
CL 1B. They share an identical set of controls consisting of a
large Amount knob, an Output knob and a Mute button.
Shape Up
A three-band EQ with single knobs labeled Body, Presence and
Air can be inserted Pre or Post compression. Body and Air are
boost only. Also, note that the presence boosting mid band is always
applied to the output of the Main Parallel Compressor, while
presence cuts are applied as per the Pre/Post comp selection.
Effected
The effects section includes a reverb (plate or a chamber) with
controls for amount and decay time. Next, you choose between two
Mod (modulation) options (doubler or chorus) with a single control.
Echo options include a vintage tape delay or a Ping Pong delay
22 RECORDING March 2023
option. There are controls for amount and time division, which
range from 1/64 to 1/1 values based on the host application tempo.
Drive and Color
The output section offers a Drive knob with an accompanying Color
(tone) control for blending in saturation from subtle to wrecked.
Finally, there is a global Dry/Wet control and a large Output slider.
Mess Around
Cycling through the Joe Chiccarelli crafted presets serves as a
great primer and grants insight into his technique and craft. From
there, it's just a matter of mastering the controls and dialing in the
right blend of compression and tone. The Main Parallel Comp
(1176) tames the transients. The Retro Parallel Comp (Fairchild)
adds body and warmth, while the Heavy Parallel Comp is harmonically
rich and aggressive. They sound great in isolation, but
the magic happens when you find a blend that flatters your vocal.
Keep in mind that each compressor's Amount control is a macro,
and variables like input level, threshold and output level change
as you adjust. The same goes for the Presence and Air EQ bands,
which, to my ears, add some saturation and harmonics when boosted.
A great feature of this plugin is the small, controlled range of
the available settings that makes it hard to create a complete sonic
mess. In fact, coming up with attractive mix-friendly vocal treatments
is easy, and crafting the right blend for your tune is the art.
Adding the Spice
Though the compressors have pride of place, the de-esser
and the effects add a lot of value. The reverbs are perfectly
tuned for vocals, and the modulation options sound like effects
that you would spend a lot of time dialing in on an expensive
time domain unit like an Eventide Harmonizer, a classic TC
Chorus and such. Driving home the deal is the ability to spice
up the sound further with delicious analog saturation.
It's a Wrap
This plugin had me revisit my latest mixes to see how my vocal
chain stacks up. I will end by saying there were some (most) remixes
where I (humbly) substituted the IK Multimedia T-RackS Joe Chiccarelli
Vocal Strip to great effect. Do I have a shot at a GRAMMY now?
Probably not, but my vocal tracks sound a lot better.
Price: $159.99 More From: ikmultimedia.com
http://arturia.com http://www.ikmultimedia.com
RECORDING March 2023

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