Spiritbox “Holy Roller” Vocal FX: Daniel Braunstein’s MIDI & Vocoder Techniques

Ever heard a vocal effect that just grabs you and makes you wonder, “How the heck did they do that?” Spiritbox’s “Holy Roller” is packed with those moments, and one of the standout ear candy parts is that instantly recognizable, manipulated vocal at the very start. Lucky for us, producer Daniel Braunstein (who mixed the track) pulled back the curtain on how he transformed Courtney LaPlante’s spoken word into that iconic sound. If you’re looking to add unique textures and memorable effects to your own metal productions, you’re in the right place. Let’s dive into how he did it.

You can grab the multi-tracks and watch Daniel mix “Holy Roller” from scratch as part of your Nail The Mix membership.

The Foundation: Starting with a Spoken Take

Believe it or not, that super catchy, rhythmic vocal phrase at the beginning of “Holy Roller” didn’t start as a sung melody.

"Holy Roller sits in the garden, we fled blood into wine, tick my body instead. Holy roller"

Daniel reveals that it was simply Courtney LaPlante talking the line. That’s right, a straight-up spoken word performance. This is a great reminder that sometimes the most creative vocal effects can stem from unconventional source material. The magic, as we’ll see, lies in the processing.

Before diving into the specific effects, it’s worth noting that a clean, well-recorded vocal is paramount. While Daniel doesn’t detail his entire initial vocal chain in this specific clip, a solid foundation often involves careful EQ strategies to carve out space and some compression to manage dynamics before you even think about heavy effects.

Crafting the Core Effect: MIDI-Controlled Vocoding

The star player for this initial vocal transformation is iZotope VocalSynth 2. Daniel uses it in a pretty cool way – MIDI mode.

iZotope VocalSynth 2 in MIDI Mode

Instead of letting VocalSynth 2 automatically process the vocal, Daniel took manual control by feeding MIDI notes into it. This means the vocoder (and other modules within VocalSynth) only “sings” the notes he plays on a MIDI keyboard, and only when those MIDI notes are active.

Programming the MIDI Trigger

Daniel literally played a melody on his keyboard, trying to follow the phrasing and rhythm of Courtney’s spoken words. This isn’t about perfectly matching pitch, but about creating a rhythmic pulse and melodic contour that the vocoder will then impose on the vocal. He emphasized that starting and stopping the MIDI notes at the right times was key to creating that signature stuttering, pulsed feel in sync with Courtney’s delivery. The vocoder effect stops when the MIDI note is released, making the MIDI performance crucial for the rhythm of the effect.

Blending VocalSynth Modules

Inside VocalSynth 2, Daniel blended a couple of its modules to achieve the desired texture:

• Vocoder: This is the primary engine for the pitched, robotic effect. By sending MIDI to it, the spoken vocal takes on the melodic characteristics of the MIDI notes.
• Polyvox: Daniel mentions adding this in. Polyvox is great for creating harmonies and adding thickness or, in this case, unique textural layers to the main vocoded sound. It can add a lot of character even when used subtly.

The combination of these, driven by the custom MIDI performance, turns the spoken phrase into that distinct, rhythmic, and melodic earworm.

Adding Grit, Character, and Space

With the main vocoded sound sculpted, Daniel layered on a few more plugins to give it extra attitude and place it in the mix.

FabFilter Saturn 2 for Gnarly Rectification

Next up, Daniel reached for FabFilter Saturn 2, a versatile saturation and distortion plugin. He specifically used the “Rectify” style. If you crank “Rectify” up, it gets, as Daniel puts it, “pretty fucking gnarly,” sounding like a “psychotic mouse demon.” He wasn’t going for the full-on demon, though! Instead, he blended in just a little bit of this aggressive, almost broken-speaker sound to add some unique bite and texture to the vocoded vocal. It’s a great example of using extreme settings in subtle ways to add character.

Soundtoys Little AlterBoy (for Later)

Interestingly, Daniel had Soundtoys Little AlterBoy on the track. While he noted he wasn’t actually using its pitch or formant shifting for this specific opening part (it was intended for later in the song), it’s a good reminder that vocal chains can evolve, and plugins might be in place for other sections. Little AlterBoy is a go-to for many producers for quick pitch and formant manipulation, often used for vocal doubles, harmonies, or more extreme effects.

Subtle Reverb with Valhalla

Finally, a touch of reverb was added, likely using a Valhalla DSP plugin (a popular choice for lush reverbs). The goal here wasn’t to drench the vocal but to give it a little bit of space and depth, helping it sit in the mix without sounding completely dry and disconnected.

The “Holy Roller” Hip Hop Drop Effect

Later in the track, when Courtney emphatically says “Holy Roller,” Daniel wanted a big, impactful, almost hip-hop-style “drop the beat” moment. For this, he doubled down on VocalSynth.

Layering More VocalSynth Instances

He brought in two more instances of iZotope VocalSynth 2, this time in “Auto” mode. He didn’t specify the exact preset but mentioned one was pitching her voice down and adding more vocoder textures.

Panning for Width

Crucially, he used two instances, likely with similar settings but from the same take slightly shifted or processed to create a stereo effect. These were then panned out wide. This “old trick” of duplicating a signal, slightly altering one (e.g., tiny time shift, different processing nuance), and panning them left and right creates a much larger, wider, and more impactful sound than a single mono effect. This gives that “Holy Roller” call-to-action a massive, engulfing presence.

Bringing It All Together (And Learning More!)

So, to recap Daniel Braunstein’s approach to that killer “Holy Roller” opening vocal:

1. Start with a spoken take: Don’t be afraid to use unconventional source material.
2. MIDI-Controlled Vocoding: Use iZotope VocalSynth 2 in MIDI mode, playing in the notes to create a rhythmic and melodic pulse. Blend modules like Vocoder and Polyvox.
3. Add Aggressive Texture Subtly: Introduce grit with FabFilter Saturn 2 on the “Rectify” setting, mixing it in lightly.
4. Create Impactful Accents: For big moments, layer multiple instances of VocalSynth 2 (perhaps in Auto mode with pitch shifting) and pan them wide for a massive sound.
5. Don’t Forget Space: A touch of reverb (like Valhalla) helps it sit in the track.

These techniques are powerful tools you can experiment with in your own productions. The key is understanding how each plugin works and then creatively combining them.

Want to see exactly how Daniel Braunstein dials in these settings, makes his mixing decisions, and builds the entire “Holy Roller” mix from the ground up? You can! With a Nail The Mix membership, you get access to the raw multitracks from Spiritbox and watch Daniel mix the entire song, explaining every step. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn directly from the pros who are shaping the sound of modern metal. If you’re serious about taking your mixes to the next level, beyond just relying on presets, check out how to Unlock Your Sound and Mix Modern Metal.