Vocal Harmony
Headrush Vocal FX

Vocal Harmony

Inspired by HeadRush® Original

Create automatic harmonies above/below your vocals.

It can work:

  • based on Key/Scale
  • following chords (Auto Source)

Includes:

  • intelligent pitch shifting
  • humanization
  • Separate EQ
  • stereo control

Control Parameters

Delay Sync

Synchronize any internal delays to the global tempo (BPM)

  • ON → musical values ​​(1/4, 1/8…)
  • OFF → values ​​in ms
Scale Key

Basic key (C, C#, D… B)

Scale Type

Scale type:

  • Major / Minor
  • Harmonic / Melodic
  • Modes (Dorian, Mixolydian etc.)

Determine which notes are “correct”

Oct Split

Divides harmonic behavior between registers (low/high)

It is used for:

  • avoid strange harmonies between octaves
  • make voices more musical
AutoSource

Source for detecting chords:

  • Off: just use Key/Scale
  • Guitar: follows played chords
  • MIDI: follows keyboard

Fundamental for live dynamic harmonies

Lead LeveldB

Volume of the original voice

Harm LeveldB

Global volume of harmonies

Humanize%

Adds natural variations:

  • pitch micro-variations
  • timing

Effect:

  • 0% → robotic
  • 30–60% → natural
  • 80+ → very “human” (less precise)
Stereo

Global stereo width of the harmonies

EQ High / Mid / LowdB

Earnings per band

EQ High FreqHz

High frequencies (typically 5k–12k)

EQ Mid FreqHz

Average frequency (500 Hz – 3 kHz)

EQ Low FreqHz

Low frequencies (80–300 Hz)

It is used for:

  • separate harmonies from the lead vocal
  • avoid “dough”
Out Bus

Output Routing:

  • Main
  • Alt

useful for sending separate harmonies to the mixer

Onfor Voice 1–4

Toggles single harmony on/off

Modes

Type of harmonization

Typical:

  • Scales (key based)
  • Fixed (fixed interval)
  • Chord (follows chords)

Determines musical behavior

Pitch

Voice range

Examples:

  • +3 → third up
  • −3 → third down
  • +7 → fifth above
  • +12 → octave up

Expressed in scale degrees

Gender

Simulates vowel formant (masculine/feminine)

Effect:

  • negative → more “severe”
  • positive → more “acute”

NOT change pitch → change timbre

Smooth%

Transition speed between notes

Behavior:

  • low → fast shifts (robotic)
  • high → natural glide
VolumedB

Volume of the single harmonized voice

Pan%

Stereo position

  • 100: left
  • 0: center
  • +100: right
Delayms

Voice delay

It is used for:

  • simulate multiple singers
  • avoid phase
  • increase depth

Pro Tips

  • Wrong Key/Scale → out of tune harmonies
  • Too much Harm Level → lead vocal disappears
  • Extreme gender → artificial effect
  • High delay → perceivable echo effect

Quick Reference

  • General: Delay, Key, Scale, Auto Source, Humanize
  • Mixes: Lead Level, Harm Level
  • Stereo: Stereo width
  • EQ: High/Mid/Low + Frequencies
  • Voices: Pitch, Gender, Smooth, Pan, Delay

Setup Examples

Realistic duo

Voice 1+3
Voice 2−3
Humanize40%
Delay10–20 ms
PanL/R

Effect two real singers

Pop choir

Voices3–4 active
Pitch+3 / +5 / −3
Humanize50–70%
StereoHigh

Modern radio sound

Cinematic Choir

Voicesall active
Delay20–40 ms
  • Gender varied
  • Pan wide

Large choral effect

Trap / hyperpop

  • Extreme pitches (+12 / −12)
  • Smooth bass
  • Humanize low

Artificial/glitch effect