The best keyboards to elevate backing vocals and choirs

[Alucard]

Heavy metal is a genre synonymous with powerful guitar riffs, thunderous drums, and soaring vocals. However, the integration of keyboards, especially in supporting backing vocals and choirs, can significantly enhance the depth and grandeur of the music. The right keyboard can transform a metal composition, adding layers of harmonic complexity and orchestral richness that amplify the impact of vocal harmonies. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the best keyboards to elevate backing vocals and choirs in heavy metal, detailing their unique features, integration techniques, and examples from prominent bands. Prepare to revolutionize your heavy metal sound with the perfect keyboard accompaniment.

The Role of Keyboards in Enhancing Backing Vocals and Choirs

Keyboards bring a versatile and expansive sound palette to heavy metal, capable of mimicking orchestral instruments, creating atmospheric textures, and providing harmonic support. When paired with backing vocals and choirs, keyboards can enhance the harmonic richness, add symphonic elements, and create an immersive soundscape that elevates the overall musical experience.

1. Digital Piano

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Realistic Acoustic Sounds: High-quality digital pianos offer realistic acoustic piano sounds that can provide a strong harmonic foundation.
• Dynamic Range: Capable of both soft, delicate accompaniments and powerful, driving chords, a digital piano can adapt to various dynamic needs.
• Ease of Use: Digital pianos are typically user-friendly and often come with built-in effects and settings that enhance the sound.

How to Integrate Digital Piano:

• Use the digital piano to play sustained chords that underpin the choir’s harmonies, providing a rich, full-bodied sound.
• Layer digital piano with other keyboard sounds, such as strings or pads, to create a lush, multi-layered texture.
• Experiment with different piano voices and effects to find the perfect tone that complements the vocal harmonies.

Notable Examples:

• Dream Theater: Known for their complex compositions, they often use digital pianos to add depth to their vocal harmonies.
• Nightwish: Utilizes digital pianos to provide a solid harmonic base for their symphonic arrangements.

2. Synthesizer

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Versatility: Synthesizers can produce a wide range of sounds, from lush pads to aggressive leads, making them highly adaptable.
• Customizable Sounds: Synthesizers allow for extensive sound design, enabling you to create unique tones that perfectly match the choir’s timbre.
• Atmospheric Textures: Capable of creating atmospheric sounds and textures that enhance the emotional impact of the music.

How to Integrate Synthesizer:

• Use synth pads to create a sustained harmonic backdrop that supports the vocal harmonies and adds depth to the mix.
• Layer synthesizer strings or brass sounds with the choir to create a full, orchestral sound.
• Experiment with modulation and effects to create evolving soundscapes that enhance the dynamic range of the composition.

Notable Examples:

• Children of Bodom: Frequently uses synthesizers to add melodic and atmospheric layers to their music.
• Within Temptation: Utilizes synths to create rich, cinematic soundscapes that complement their symphonic metal style.

3. Organ

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Powerful, Full Sound: The organ’s rich, resonant tones can provide a powerful foundation for vocal harmonies.
• Versatile Registrations: Modern keyboards with organ sounds offer a variety of registrations, allowing for a wide range of tonal possibilities.
• Classic and Gothic Feel: The organ can add a classic or gothic touch to metal music, enhancing its dramatic and epic qualities.

How to Integrate Organ:

• Use the organ to play sustained chords and harmonies that support and blend with the choir, creating a powerful and cohesive sound.
• Combine the organ with other keyboard sounds, such as strings or brass, to add complexity and depth to the arrangement.
• Experiment with different organ registrations to find the perfect tone that complements the vocal harmonies.

Notable Examples:

• Deep Purple: Known for their iconic use of the organ, which adds a rich, powerful layer to their music.
• Opeth: Utilizes organ sounds to enhance their progressive metal compositions, adding a unique and epic quality to their sound.

4. String Ensemble

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Orchestral Richness: String ensembles provide a rich, orchestral sound that can elevate the choir’s harmonies.
• Layering Capabilities: The ability to layer different string sounds creates a lush, full-bodied texture that enhances the overall sound.
• Emotional Impact: Strings can evoke a wide range of emotions, from sweeping, dramatic crescendos to delicate, intimate passages.

How to Integrate String Ensemble:

• Use string ensembles to play sustained chords that support and enrich the vocal harmonies, adding a symphonic layer to the music.
• Layer string sounds with other keyboard instruments, such as piano or synth pads, to create a multi-dimensional texture.
• Experiment with different articulations, such as legato, staccato, and pizzicato, to add variety and depth to the arrangement.

Notable Examples:

• Epica: Frequently uses string ensembles to add a symphonic and epic quality to their music.
• Kamelot: Incorporates string sounds to create a rich, orchestral backdrop that complements their vocal harmonies.

5. Choir Synths

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Realistic Vocal Simulations: High-quality choir synths can simulate the sound of a real choir, providing additional vocal layers.
• Harmonic Support: Choir synths can reinforce the vocal harmonies, adding depth and richness to the overall sound.
• Atmospheric Enhancements: Capable of creating ethereal and atmospheric sounds that complement and enhance the choir.

How to Integrate Choir Synths:

• Use choir synths to double the vocal harmonies, creating a fuller and more immersive sound.
• Layer choir synths with real backing vocals to add depth and texture to the arrangement.
• Experiment with different choir sounds and settings to find the perfect blend that complements the vocal harmonies.

Notable Examples:

• Rhapsody of Fire: Utilizes choir synths to create epic and symphonic soundscapes that enhance their vocal harmonies.
• Therion: Incorporates choir synths to add a rich, orchestral quality to their music.

6. Mellotron

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Vintage Sound: The Mellotron offers a unique, vintage sound that can add a distinctive character to the music.
• Classic Choir Sounds: Known for its iconic choir sounds, the Mellotron can provide an additional vocal layer that complements the choir.
• Textural Depth: The Mellotron’s rich and textured sounds can enhance the overall depth and complexity of the arrangement.

How to Integrate Mellotron:

• Use the Mellotron to add a vintage choir sound that complements the real backing vocals and choir.
• Layer Mellotron sounds with other keyboard instruments to create a rich, multi-layered texture.
• Experiment with different Mellotron settings and sounds to find the perfect tone that enhances the vocal harmonies.

Notable Examples:

• King Crimson: Known for their innovative use of the Mellotron, which adds a unique and distinctive layer to their music.
• Opeth: Incorporates Mellotron sounds to add a vintage and atmospheric quality to their progressive metal compositions.

7. Hybrid Keyboards

Why It’s Great for Backing Vocals and Choirs:

• Versatile Sound Options: Hybrid keyboards combine the best features of digital pianos, synthesizers, and organs, offering a wide range of sounds.
• Customizable Sound Design: Hybrid keyboards allow for extensive sound customization, enabling you to create unique tones that match the choir’s timbre.
• Performance Flexibility: Suitable for both studio recording and live performance, hybrid keyboards offer flexibility and ease of use.

How to Integrate Hybrid Keyboards:

• Use hybrid keyboards to create complex and multi-layered soundscapes that support the vocal harmonies.
• Experiment with combining different sounds, such as piano, strings, and synth pads, to create a rich and dynamic texture.
• Utilize the keyboard’s customization features to design unique sounds that enhance the choir’s impact.

Notable Examples:

• Dream Theater: Uses hybrid keyboards to create intricate and layered arrangements that complement their complex vocal harmonies.
• Symphony X: Incorporates hybrid keyboards to add depth and richness to their symphonic metal compositions.