the "synth" sound you mentioned is actually vocals, but with effects on it. on some songs they will add some effects on their voices to add an extra layer, if they feel the song needs a little extra.
Actually, they didn't cheat at all with this cover. That is their beat boxer, Layne. Voiceplay doesn't cheat on their covers at all. And they do all their own staging, makeup, lighting, editing, arrangements, et cetera, tho they occasionally recruit family members to help.
geoff himself said in the how to sing low video i think tha he eqs his voice in post. that doesn't mean he is any less talented or has a less incridible voice tho
Yeah, they do some stuff in post, but if you want to hear what they “really” sound like there are some videos of live performances. They really don’t change anything big in post.
@@lkayh In the live performances, Elvira for instance, you can see Geoff change the volume on his mic for the low notes. He has to get right on top of the mic for those. I think they don't do his super low notes when they do live without mics for that reason.
VoicePlay have done a couple of videos called Loops. It shows each members individual part and then finishes with them combined. If your doubting Geoff’s sound before and after Huldra Draco has a video showing side by side
You’ll find that all top modern acapella groups have multi-tracking and post-production on all of their professionally produced music. Why would they not make the best sounding product as possible? Since all the vocal tracks are produced with the human voice (percussion included), it is acapella. VoicePlay is very open about the fact that they have post-production in their music and it’s more obvious in some tracks than others. All this to say it’s not really “cheating”, just keeping up with what any other professional artist would do in a studio setting.
Voiceplay have never been shy about their post-production work...especially in these 'apocalypse' type videos, there are some wide effects going on. However, they never use instruments or sounds unless they're shown on screen (eg Violayne moments and in world sound effect like the bat being dragged). They've really upped this since lockdowns, and are open about trying to push what a capella can be. If you want to hear some less 'produced' tracks check out some of their earlier stuff, or newer songs like 'I can't make you love me'.
Geoff does amazing arrangements in addition to crazy bass. If you want to hear his most complex work, Voiceplay’s ”Wicked Medley” is just a beast of a performance. So great!
Thanks for coming back to Voice Play! I really enjoyed your reaction and typical skepticism regarding the authenticity of Voice Play and Geoff Catellucci's bass voice- yes it is all done with voice and yes Geoff is incredible with his 5 octave voice range and different vocal techniques. As the other "Voice Players" (huge fans of Voice Play) will tell you in the comments, there are some great channels and interviews with other musicians/reactors (Peter Barber and Charismatic Voice to name two) as well as Geoff Castellucci's solo channel and Huldra Draco's channel that detail how they do their production. Often they include BTS footage and such at the end of their videos so you will want to watch to the end to catch some of that. They are different than the other acapella groups as they are very theatrical (called the theater kids of acapella music) and do all of their own production in a studio owned by beatboxer, Layne Stein, and former baritone singer for their group, Tony Wakim. They are from Orlando Florida and all the members and most of their frequently featured guests worked as performers at Universal and/or Disney theme parks but have retired and gone completely independent by choice with no contract or record label so they have complete control of their creative expression. They are focused more on their video production and don't tour much anymore so they have less of the demands of touring vs family life. The other two most popular acapella groups that you will want to react to are Pentatonix (current trendy Pop music style) and Home Free (Country/Folk style). Each of these three groups has a different style and approach to acapella music that is innovative and includes beatboxing and won't adhere to the traditional choir or barbershop quartet form that you may expect as they all competed in a competition on TV ('The Sing Off') that required them to present acapella music in a new way that was different to be competitive and win. Voice Play is very much patron supported and they do covers from all genres of music that are patron requests and are very creative in their post production as needed in requested covers that you would think can't be done acapella. Voice Play can really rock out on their covers of classic rock songs and create visuals for character development in their Disney and video game covers. Pentatonix has a very difficult record label/contract with SME so you may need to be creative using screens and filters along with more pauses to prevent copyright strikes and blocks (not an issue with Voice Play as they have no outside record label or contract and want you to enjoy their visual enhancements too) but don't give up on Pentatonix ( Going into the holidays you will find that Voice Play and solo Geoff have the best Halloween themed videos on the internet and Pentatonix has the best Christmas music on the internet. Some of my favorite Voice Play covers are: "In The Air Tonight", "Creep", "Valhalla Calling",, and "Hoist The Colors". If you want more raw Voice Play with less production, click on the "shorts" on their channel. Their shorts really showcase their individual vocal talent, are fun, silly and filmed in the Oviedo mall near their 'Patty Cake Productions' studio in Florida (this video was also filmed there).
These guys like to play with the effects every now and then, for sure, but their vocal talent is absolutely wild. Layne is a beast. When you hear him do something live, it still sounds like actual drums, especially that snare! As for Geoff, he actually does get that low, lol. He did a version of "I See Fire" on his channel a while back. He did a Tic Tok (that's a short here on UA-cam) of him singing a little of it live and it sounds even better than the actual video (to me anyway, lol). But yeah, it's so low they have to make it so you can hear it properly. "Everybody sleeps on the bass until it isn't there." So true, sir! Congrats on the band doing well! That's exciting! ❤
Voiceplay since covid has really gone for premium videos and recordings that can include a lot of layering or tracks to get all the effects and can really push the voice to the limits to get one good take in one section . Voiceplay doesn't arrange their songs for touring. Pentatonix and home free make every arrangement to be able to tour with their whole catalog. It us all really good but that is the main difference you hear on arrangements. Each has their own style as well.
Any sound they make with an instrument or object is shown on screen (Cesar plays and vocalizes an electric air guitar in Hellfire 🤣) . You should definitely check out Geoff's channel, and possibly his videos showing how he hits those low notes. I think you'll be a little surprised.
Man, I am loving you guys's reactions! I really enjoy listening to people who know and understand music go over the elements of a song, finding things I never noticed. (And I love VoicePlay, so: bonus.) I'm gonna recommend Valhalla Calling for the full VP costumes-and-makeup effect, plus Geoff piledrivng straight bass through the center of the earth. Also Geoff's channel, yes, check it out! Most people start with his "Sixteen Tons" or "I See Fire", both of which are awesome.
Yes - as he has commented, he uses his channel to arrange with music as a different outlet of creativity than straight acapella, since he has VoicePlay for that outlet
They do layer there songs and I do know that they use some effects against there voices. If I'm not mistaken Geoff (Bass) and Layne (percussion) do most of the arrangements for the group. They do have quite a few songs that are just them maybe layered but less effects added in post and they still sound amazing. As far as acapella groups go they are at the top of my list. They do really well not crowding their arrangements or making them too noisy which tends to happen with some groups. Especially larger groups. Also check out Valhalla Calling to hear an incredible B0 note Geoff hits if you have not already.
Thanks for this VoicePlay reaction. for VoicePlay I recommend: Dream On; In The Air Tonight; Creep; Hellfire; Black Hole Sun; Hoist the Colors; Drunken Sailor; The Dragonborn Comes; The Way you Make Me Feel and my fav is Valhalla Calling. for Geoff, I recommend: Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold; I see Fire; 16 Tons; Unshaken; Sound of Silence; Jack's Lament and Ain't No Sunshine.
Check out their credits to see who is doing what. And you'll see that it's all them. Layn'e drum effects are often uique and amazing. It's not cheating but they do add post production effects in the final mix. This is not a live recording of course, they create in the way all stuido recording do it, although they don't need pitch correction like many do. Even Home Free have used pitch correction in the past. They also have a beatboxer in the group. It's often a part of a capella these days. Check out Geoff's solo covers to see just how low he can go.
You need to check out the videos of Geoff showing how he goes low. He really does go that low. Cesar is usually the source of anything synth sounding as he's taken the role in three or four different videos that I know of. Bass is absolutely the key to the rhythym and feel of a song
The amount of vocal effects used varies depending on the song but the only instrument they have ever used is a violin (3 times) and it always appears on screen. Songs with simpler production include Whiskey in the Jar, The Way You Make Me Feel, and if you want ones without beatboxing try True Colors and I can't make you love me.
The guys in VP are open books to their Patreon members, with behind the scenes videos and other gems. If they use something other than a human voice or body percussion, you can see it on screen, like the shackle Cesar holds in Hoist the Colors. Or the baby rattle Geoff shakes in the mini, Baby On Board. A great thing about VP being independent is they have complete control of every step of the creative process, and can pivot when needed. They presented an early cut of Golden Hour, also featuring Anthony (gar-jew-luh), and our collective response was, sounds great, but what's with the video? So they brainstormed and came up with the idea of Geoff's wife Kathy as a toymaker, and it's a beautiful video as well as song. Because they're from Orlando and everyone has worked at theme parks at some point, VP really gets into the theatrics sometimes, earning the nickname "theater kids of a capella." SNA is the third video in an unofficial trio of post-apocalyptic videos. Warriors is first, with original tenor Earl Elkins and baritone J.None, filmed in a working warehouse. The zombies got Earl and J (Earl left in 2020, and J joined the Navy in 2021 though he collaborates several times a year). The survivors picked up Cesar (new member) and Omar Cardona (frequent guest and Cesar's best friend) for Dream On, filmed in an abandoned high school. Then they collected Anthony for SNA and filmed in a vacant department store. VP covers just about every genre, heavy on Disney, and can make you laugh (We Don't Talk About Bruno) or cry (I Can't Make You Love Me or Creep) and sometimes both in the same video. They're also really good at medleys. Queen In Five Minutes is fabulous, with an entire story told in the video. The guys love Halloween -- they have an entire playlist from Nightmare Before Christmas. Start with Jack's Lament on Geoff's solo channel, then back to VP for This Is Halloween, What's This, Kidnap the Sandy Claws, and finish with Oogie Boogie's Song to see them in the order they appear in the movie. Welcome to the VP rabbit hole! Geoff started his solo channel during the pandemic, when VP stopped touring. He plays piano and creates the music using plug-ins, but all the voices you hear are him. If he wants to do an a capella arrangement, he says, he plays in VoicePlay's sandbox. Most of VP's songs were arranged by Geoff or Layne, taking turns, but lately Eli has started arranging more.
VoicePlay and Geoff fans, subscribers and patrons will always be here for them. They never disappoint. So no matter what you choose from eather VoicePlays or Geoffs channel we show up.
Yeah, they will add effects sometimes depending on what sound and artistic approach they are going for with a particular cover. But everything starts with voice which makes them true acapella. With the exception of course of extra sound effects like the bullet and bat dragging 😅 These guys typically do more than just sit or stand and sing, it’s a whole production which is why we love them. 😊
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed. Go back a couple years when they went through their pirate and viking phases. Geoff, Sixteen tons, Folsom Prison Blues to name just a couple.
They do add effects to their voices. If they use an instrument, they show it on the video like Violayne in the last vid. They do eq Geoff’s bass. He does sing very very low. Some vids on his channel showing him singing without any production.
Yes they do use post production, that's normal for all modern a cappella groups. If you're more interested in a bit more of a traditional a cappella sound and would like to hear one of their pieces that leans more towards straight singing and less heavily on distortions, check out something like Can't Help Falling in Love.
While VoicePlay is truly a cappella, they are more likely than Pentatonix or Home Free to use post-production techniques on their vocal recordings to achieve the exact sounds that they want. This particular video is (IMO) one of their more heavily processed soundscapes in recent years, although most of their videos will have at least some processing done. So the "synth" sound you heard was vocal in its original form, but modified in post to create the sound that they were looking for. Likewise, Eli's (bald with the bat) tenor rock-scream was modified in post to achieve their desired sound. Most of Layne's percussion goes through at least a little post production work, to make the sounds "cleaner" and do things like cut back on high frequencies for his kick drums. On the other hand, Layne is capable of producing sounds on his own that really don't sound like they are produced by a human, so sometimes what you're hearing is just the raw sound that he makes. Both Geoff and VoicePlay have a number of songs that were specifically made for the Halloween season, so I'm leaving all of those out of the recommendations - most are fairly obvious from the titles or thumbnails, and since we're coming up on the Spooky Season fairly soon, you'll probably get a lot of those in other recommendations. VoicePlay: The Dragonborn Comes (Skyrim), Warriors (Imagine Dragons cover), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt cover), Valhalla Calling Geoff Castellucci: Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire (both from The Hobbit movies), Blackbird (Beatles cover), Sound of Silence
It's all voices and Voiceplay. I recommend.... Voiceplay - Classical Chaos. In The Hall of The Mountain King. Dragonborn Comes Skyrim. Kidnap The Sandy Claws. Geoff Castellucci - Unshaken. Ghost Riders In The Sky. Rains of Castamere. Jack's Lament.
Geoff can sing in subharmonic. The guys don't use other instruments unless you see it on screen. In one video they used shackles (Pirates Of The Caribbean). These guys are the most talented and entertaining I've seen.😊
Strangely enough when they dropped this one, I had not heard it. I just want to watch you react to this. VoicePlay has done a post-apocalyptic trilogy over a period of 3 yrs or so. It began with Warriors (Imagine Dragons), followed by Dream On (Aerosmith), and then this one. Each building they've used are hard up, Warriors was an unused factory of some sort, Dream On was Eli's old high school now defunct, and this was an unused part of a mall. VioLayne has only pressed his violin into service 3 times since 1997- Warriors (with J None also playing his violin), Nothing Else Matters which you know! and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Some VP favorites - In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton), Creep (Radiohead), Valhalla Calling (Miracle of Sound), Dragonborn Comes Skyrim, Drunken Sailor (old sea shanty), Sleeping in the Cold Below (Warframe), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) and tons more! Geoff's solo work is not acapella but it is stunning, He does play the piano and also the harmonica (Folsom Prison Blues). Some favorites, Jack's Lament, Unshaken, Wicked Games, Imagine, Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire, Shenandoah, Blackbird, Sound of Silence.
All vocals with effects on them. There are only a couple VoicePlay songs with instruments added. Normally, it's just vocals manipulated by the sound-effect master Layne or post-production effects.
Thanks for checking out more from VoicePlay. 👍👍🎶🎶 To really hear Goeff's range, check out their cover of "Oogie Boogie song" (Nightmare Before Christmas).
This! Oogie Boogie also showcases a lot more of the theatrics they're known for. And to answer the question of how much of it is their real voices, check out the recording of the same from one of their live shows!
If you want to hear a bass voice that blows the minds of even other pro basses then you need to check out Colm McGuinnis. He is unusually dark even compared to Geoff. His range is about as wide too. Only Eric Holloway can out dark his lower tones. (Thatbassvoice)
A cappella simply means no instruments. There may be some distortion of their voices or beatboxing or body percussion (slapping the chest or thighs or the water drip "pop") I think the only exemptions I've seen is when Geoff cocks the gun and when Rupp makes like to cock a rifle in "Folsom Prison Blues" (that was from his gun stored in his closet, he said). If there are actually instruments played you will see them playing them. This cover of Seven Nation Army is part 3 of a post-apocalyptic story line. Parts 1 & 2 are Warriors by Imagine Dragon and Dream On. The groups lineup change are due to the zombies getting one or two of their number and them finding more survivors along the way. Most count the top 3 a cappella groups as Tentatonix, VoicePlay, and Home Free but my personal tastes put The Bass Gang in place of PTX. I hope you can put those four groups on your list of groups to react to. I also want to thank you for continuing to watch after the song ended. With VoicePlay and Home Free videos, group and solo, there is often a bit more after the screen goes black. Maybe a message for us , maybe a bit more to the story (like in VP's Drunken Sailor), or a few moments of bloopers. So it's best to keep watching until the Patreon names start scrolling.
Thanks for coming back to VoicePlay. Hoping for reactions to Geoff's solo channel too. He has some shorts on his solo channel where you can hear his raw vocals...just singing into his iPhone.
Check out a couple of Geoff's recent releases: Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", and Marty Robins' "Big Iron". Also, "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis and made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford. These are not a cappella as such, but his vocal harmonies are awesome. Check out these two recent, related, VoicePlay OMVs: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg, and "Classical Chaos", a medley of a bunch of classical tunes. They're a hoot.
The pitch and his range is NOT altered. Check Geoff's solo work doing "I See Fire: and Song of Durin" where he plays all the parts and he's in different make-up for each person he's voicing. It is EYE-poppingly good!
I'd love to see you react to Voic eplays versions of Queen in 5 minutes, Trapped a Billie Eilish medley, We don't talk about Bruno, Creep, Valhalla calling, the dragonborn comes.
Deke Sharon explains/teaches how to emulate instruments vocally. The human voice is incredible. Edit: Geoff has unprocessed shorts of his voice on his channel if you want to hear what he sounds like.
I came across voiceplay a few months ago and I'm hooked, these guys are truly amazing and incredibly talented, Jeff gives me chills, the base is just wow and his range is just awesome. Can I suggest you react to an incredible beatboxer/classical singer MB14 (LA Cup Worldwide Showcase 2018), he will blow your socks off. And a more recent discovery is Livingston, either Shadow or Last Man Standing. Great reactions guys😊
You really have to listen to Geoff by himself. His bass is actually that rich and that low. He has his own channel with a lot of songs done by him and with himself harmonizing with himself.
I do like VoicePlay, they've really stepped it up! Geoff has went BEYOND in his solo stuff for sure! I'm Country - and pulling off country like it's nothing is impressive, so - when ya get to Home Free ... I'll be there for that (as will many many others!). Be Safe
Chris, been thinking more about your comments. I'm wondering if you're conflating "a cappella" with "acoustic" performance. A group that just uses their voices (maybe finger snaps and clapping, too) is by definition singing a cappella.
Geoff has an incredible 5 octave range: A0 (growl in Enemy), B0 (subharmonics - see in Valhalla Calling, and Halo), F1 (full chest voice), B4 (sometimes add head mix), Bb (his highest note so far in Mario's Peaches). He can go from B0 to well into head mix and back again. Check some of his solos - Unshaken, Sound of Silence, Way Down, Imagine, High and Dry, Blackbird, Ain't No Sunshine, Wicked Games, Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire, Song of Durin and you'll have a good start. VP (Layne, Geoff and Eli take turns doing eachbn mn m, new project) and Geoff do all the arranging, staging, costuming, camera work, video, pre-mix audio with the final mix by Ed Boyer who does all the final mix for the best acapella groups.
My top 3 recommendations (and I really can't choose, because they're all so amazing to me,) are My mother told me, Golden Hour, and Drunken sailor (which includes one of my favorite Eli rock screams.) My Geoff Castellucci recommendation is Big Iron. Much love.
Love Voice Play! Love Geoff Castellucci (the man has an insane range plus a real talent for creating arrangements). May I also suggest a less-well-known a cappella group called Kings Return? R&B, jazz, pop, gospel, even classics from vocal repertoire (with new arrangements). To start, check out their cover of Sir Duke.
with october coming up, I want to recommend a song that both voiceplay and bass gang did covers acapella of with the same guest artist. Hide and seek. Nicely spooky vibes, VP went very playful, bassgang went darker XD
Yes, reacting to all three acapella groups will really grow your channel quickly. Later you may chose to have separate playlists for the groups as the list gets longer.
@@nightthornkvala94132 Yes, they would enjoy the bass. They might want to check out Voctave as they have a more traditional choir style of acapella without beatboxing that they are more use to.
One of you mentioned liking Johnny Cash. Geoff Castellucci does an amazing multi-vocal of "Folsom Prison Blues" on his channel. Home Free does their own version, too; you might consider doing a comparison of the two versions.
Also, please please please add Pentatonix videos to your list. For example, their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody is AMAZING. Oh, for solo Castellucci, Big Bad John, Don't Mess Around With Jim, Bear Necessities, Big John, Big Iron On His Hip, and especially 16 tons.
Do Voiceplay's Hoist the Colors, Tennessee Whiskey, Bang, and Enemy and from Geoff do 16 Tons and Ain't No Sunshine Oh! Also Voiceplay doing My Mother Told Me, We Don't Talk About Bruno, and Oogie Boogie
That depends on what you call cheating. All of these sounds were made by human instruments, but they unapologetically admit they use some post-processing to round out their sound.
So in the acapella "big 3" of VP (theater kids), HF (country/blues/soul), & PTX (all genres & Xmas Royalty), only PTX has stated they record what they can reproduce live because they CONSTANTLY tour (they sometimes rearrange for live shows). All 3 do in fact use effects etc in post production. HF never uses instruments. VP & PTX occasionally use strings, & PTX has also used piano. However, in all cases if there's an instrument used it's shown in their videos. Imho PTX is the only group that has mastered the live aspect of it. 3 Grammys (5 noms) a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame & countless movie/show cameos also says so lol. But I love all 3 groups because of their differences & styles. And trust me all the group's basses ( Tim, Geoff, Matt or Avi) can indeed hit bum rattling, speaker busting notes, & all the vocal percussionists are otherworldly. Adam of HF is a world champ beatboxer, Layne of HF is inhuman & also sings & plays violin, & Kevin of PTX is well there's no word in the English language for him lol. He cello-boxes (simultaneously plays cello while beatboxing) as well as sings, has perfect pitch, plays saxophone as well, speaks Mandarin fluently & was pre-med at Yale. The acapella world is vast & full of yummy ear candy & amazing human beings all around!!!!
That synth sound is just Layne through a filter...he does ALL the sound effects naturally, but they def have a LOT of post production on this. This is SO far superior to the original it's not even funny!
What to do with a drunken sailor.... unbelievably funny. If they re going to use an instrument they feature the instrument like you saw in "Nothing Else Matters"
Every modern artist uses at least light pitch correction and post-production. Not sure why this is even a conversation. 🤷🏻♀️ If the voice is the instrument.. is adding a plugin or a filter / effect on an instrument that confusing?
VP has done a ton of halloween stuff! You all should def check out theirt covers of Oogie Boogie Song, the classic piece In The Hall Of The Mountain King , and whatever it is this year!
the "synth" sound you mentioned is actually vocals, but with effects on it. on some songs they will add some effects on their voices to add an extra layer, if they feel the song needs a little extra.
Actually, they didn't cheat at all with this cover. That is their beat boxer, Layne. Voiceplay doesn't cheat on their covers at all. And they do all their own staging, makeup, lighting, editing, arrangements, et cetera, tho they occasionally recruit family members to help.
I'm sorry to say they do cheat and have admitted to doing so. With this cover there is some post production but they can do it all live still.
geoff himself said in the how to sing low video i think tha he eqs his voice in post. that doesn't mean he is any less talented or has a less incridible voice tho
Yeah, they do some stuff in post, but if you want to hear what they “really” sound like there are some videos of live performances. They really don’t change anything big in post.
@@lkayh In the live performances, Elvira for instance, you can see Geoff change the volume on his mic for the low notes. He has to get right on top of the mic for those. I think they don't do his super low notes when they do live without mics for that reason.
VoicePlay have done a couple of videos called Loops. It shows each members individual part and then finishes with them combined. If your doubting Geoff’s sound before and after Huldra Draco has a video showing side by side
There's a great interview with Layne and the Charismatic Voice on how VoicePlay did the Moana Meledy and Classical Chaos productions.
You’ll find that all top modern acapella groups have multi-tracking and post-production on all of their professionally produced music. Why would they not make the best sounding product as possible? Since all the vocal tracks are produced with the human voice (percussion included), it is acapella. VoicePlay is very open about the fact that they have post-production in their music and it’s more obvious in some tracks than others. All this to say it’s not really “cheating”, just keeping up with what any other professional artist would do in a studio setting.
I must demur on a point: if all of the sounds are made with their mouths (aside from production, etc), even 'drums', It is still acapella.
Voiceplay have never been shy about their post-production work...especially in these 'apocalypse' type videos, there are some wide effects going on. However, they never use instruments or sounds unless they're shown on screen (eg Violayne moments and in world sound effect like the bat being dragged). They've really upped this since lockdowns, and are open about trying to push what a capella can be. If you want to hear some less 'produced' tracks check out some of their earlier stuff, or newer songs like 'I can't make you love me'.
Geoff does amazing arrangements in addition to crazy bass. If you want to hear his most complex work, Voiceplay’s ”Wicked Medley” is just a beast of a performance. So great!
Thanks for coming back to Voice Play! I really enjoyed your reaction and typical skepticism regarding the authenticity of Voice Play and Geoff Catellucci's bass voice- yes it is all done with voice and yes Geoff is incredible with his 5 octave voice range and different vocal techniques. As the other "Voice Players" (huge fans of Voice Play) will tell you in the comments, there are some great channels and interviews with other musicians/reactors (Peter Barber and Charismatic Voice to name two) as well as Geoff Castellucci's solo channel and Huldra Draco's channel that detail how they do their production. Often they include BTS footage and such at the end of their videos so you will want to watch to the end to catch some of that. They are different than the other acapella groups as they are very theatrical (called the theater kids of acapella music) and do all of their own production in a studio owned by beatboxer, Layne Stein, and former baritone singer for their group, Tony Wakim. They are from Orlando Florida and all the members and most of their frequently featured guests worked as performers at Universal and/or Disney theme parks but have retired and gone completely independent by choice with no contract or record label so they have complete control of their creative expression. They are focused more on their video production and don't tour much anymore so they have less of the demands of touring vs family life. The other two most popular acapella groups that you will want to react to are Pentatonix (current trendy Pop music style) and Home Free (Country/Folk style). Each of these three groups has a different style and approach to acapella music that is innovative and includes beatboxing and won't adhere to the traditional choir or barbershop quartet form that you may expect as they all competed in a competition on TV ('The Sing Off') that required them to present acapella music in a new way that was different to be competitive and win. Voice Play is very much patron supported and they do covers from all genres of music that are patron requests and are very creative in their post production as needed in requested covers that you would think can't be done acapella. Voice Play can really rock out on their covers of classic rock songs and create visuals for character development in their Disney and video game covers. Pentatonix has a very difficult record label/contract with SME so you may need to be creative using screens and filters along with more pauses to prevent copyright strikes and blocks (not an issue with Voice Play as they have no outside record label or contract and want you to enjoy their visual enhancements too) but don't give up on Pentatonix ( Going into the holidays you will find that Voice Play and solo Geoff have the best Halloween themed videos on the internet and Pentatonix has the best Christmas music on the internet. Some of my favorite Voice Play covers are: "In The Air Tonight", "Creep", "Valhalla Calling",, and "Hoist The Colors". If you want more raw Voice Play with less production, click on the "shorts" on their channel. Their shorts really showcase their individual vocal talent, are fun, silly and filmed in the Oviedo mall near their 'Patty Cake Productions' studio in Florida (this video was also filmed there).
Very well said.👏
These guys like to play with the effects every now and then, for sure, but their vocal talent is absolutely wild. Layne is a beast. When you hear him do something live, it still sounds like actual drums, especially that snare!
As for Geoff, he actually does get that low, lol. He did a version of "I See Fire" on his channel a while back. He did a Tic Tok (that's a short here on UA-cam) of him singing a little of it live and it sounds even better than the actual video (to me anyway, lol). But yeah, it's so low they have to make it so you can hear it properly.
"Everybody sleeps on the bass until it isn't there." So true, sir!
Congrats on the band doing well! That's exciting! ❤
Voiceplay since covid has really gone for premium videos and recordings that can include a lot of layering or tracks to get all the effects and can really push the voice to the limits to get one good take in one section . Voiceplay doesn't arrange their songs for touring.
Pentatonix and home free make every arrangement to be able to tour with their whole catalog.
It us all really good but that is the main difference you hear on arrangements. Each has their own style as well.
Any sound they make with an instrument or object is shown on screen (Cesar plays and vocalizes an electric air guitar in Hellfire 🤣) . You should definitely check out Geoff's channel, and possibly his videos showing how he hits those low notes. I think you'll be a little surprised.
Man, I am loving you guys's reactions! I really enjoy listening to people who know and understand music go over the elements of a song, finding things I never noticed. (And I love VoicePlay, so: bonus.) I'm gonna recommend Valhalla Calling for the full VP costumes-and-makeup effect, plus Geoff piledrivng straight bass through the center of the earth. Also Geoff's channel, yes, check it out! Most people start with his "Sixteen Tons" or "I See Fire", both of which are awesome.
Valhala calling, Oogie boogie song, wellerman, my mother told me….. love them all❤❤❤❤❤
Geoff Castellucci does use instruments on his solo channel so it is not acapella.
Yes - as he has commented, he uses his channel to arrange with music as a different outlet of creativity than straight acapella, since he has VoicePlay for that outlet
Thank you guys so much for this reaction. Looking forward for more VoicePlay!
They do layer there songs and I do know that they use some effects against there voices. If I'm not mistaken Geoff (Bass) and Layne (percussion) do most of the arrangements for the group. They do have quite a few songs that are just them maybe layered but less effects added in post and they still sound amazing. As far as acapella groups go they are at the top of my list. They do really well not crowding their arrangements or making them too noisy which tends to happen with some groups. Especially larger groups. Also check out Valhalla Calling to hear an incredible B0 note Geoff hits if you have not already.
He not only hits the B0, but he holds it for forever (6 bars, I think). Incredible breath control.
Thanks for this VoicePlay reaction.
for VoicePlay I recommend: Dream On; In The Air Tonight; Creep; Hellfire; Black Hole Sun; Hoist the Colors; Drunken Sailor; The Dragonborn Comes; The Way you Make Me Feel and my fav is Valhalla Calling.
for Geoff, I recommend: Far Over The Misty Mountains Cold; I see Fire; 16 Tons; Unshaken; Sound of Silence; Jack's Lament and Ain't No Sunshine.
Note: Unshaken is the followup to Ghost Riders in the Sky. Done without "Geoff" and before the Ghost Riders were dead.
Couldn't agree more to the suggestions but there is one missing. Voiceplay: Carry on Wayward Son. They got creative with that one.
Check out their credits to see who is doing what. And you'll see that it's all them. Layn'e drum effects are often uique and amazing. It's not cheating but they do add post production effects in the final mix. This is not a live recording of course, they create in the way all stuido recording do it, although they don't need pitch correction like many do. Even Home Free have used pitch correction in the past. They also have a beatboxer in the group. It's often a part of a capella these days. Check out Geoff's solo covers to see just how low he can go.
You need to check out the videos of Geoff showing how he goes low. He really does go that low. Cesar is usually the source of anything synth sounding as he's taken the role in three or four different videos that I know of. Bass is absolutely the key to the rhythym and feel of a song
The amount of vocal effects used varies depending on the song but the only instrument they have ever used is a violin (3 times) and it always appears on screen. Songs with simpler production include Whiskey in the Jar, The Way You Make Me Feel, and if you want ones without beatboxing try True Colors and I can't make you love me.
They also used boomwackers in attention many years ago
Well hoist has some beatboxing 2/3 in
Would love to see your minds blown by their version of Valhalla Calling!
The guys in VP are open books to their Patreon members, with behind the scenes videos and other gems. If they use something other than a human voice or body percussion, you can see it on screen, like the shackle Cesar holds in Hoist the Colors. Or the baby rattle Geoff shakes in the mini, Baby On Board.
A great thing about VP being independent is they have complete control of every step of the creative process, and can pivot when needed. They presented an early cut of Golden Hour, also featuring Anthony (gar-jew-luh), and our collective response was, sounds great, but what's with the video? So they brainstormed and came up with the idea of Geoff's wife Kathy as a toymaker, and it's a beautiful video as well as song.
Because they're from Orlando and everyone has worked at theme parks at some point, VP really gets into the theatrics sometimes, earning the nickname "theater kids of a capella." SNA is the third video in an unofficial trio of post-apocalyptic videos. Warriors is first, with original tenor Earl Elkins and baritone J.None, filmed in a working warehouse. The zombies got Earl and J (Earl left in 2020, and J joined the Navy in 2021 though he collaborates several times a year). The survivors picked up Cesar (new member) and Omar Cardona (frequent guest and Cesar's best friend) for Dream On, filmed in an abandoned high school. Then they collected Anthony for SNA and filmed in a vacant department store.
VP covers just about every genre, heavy on Disney, and can make you laugh (We Don't Talk About Bruno) or cry (I Can't Make You Love Me or Creep) and sometimes both in the same video. They're also really good at medleys. Queen In Five Minutes is fabulous, with an entire story told in the video. The guys love Halloween -- they have an entire playlist from Nightmare Before Christmas. Start with Jack's Lament on Geoff's solo channel, then back to VP for This Is Halloween, What's This, Kidnap the Sandy Claws, and finish with Oogie Boogie's Song to see them in the order they appear in the movie. Welcome to the VP rabbit hole!
Geoff started his solo channel during the pandemic, when VP stopped touring. He plays piano and creates the music using plug-ins, but all the voices you hear are him. If he wants to do an a capella arrangement, he says, he plays in VoicePlay's sandbox. Most of VP's songs were arranged by Geoff or Layne, taking turns, but lately Eli has started arranging more.
VoicePlay and Geoff fans, subscribers and patrons will always be here for them. They never disappoint. So no matter what you choose from eather VoicePlays or Geoffs channel we show up.
Absolutely!!🎉
Yeah, they will add effects sometimes depending on what sound and artistic approach they are going for with a particular cover. But everything starts with voice which makes them true acapella. With the exception of course of extra sound effects like the bullet and bat dragging 😅 These guys typically do more than just sit or stand and sing, it’s a whole production which is why we love them. 😊
Thanks for the reaction, as several have already said, yes, effects are there and it just depends on the song and the vibe they are going for.
Welcome to the Voiceplay rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed. Go back a couple years when they went through their pirate and viking phases. Geoff, Sixteen tons, Folsom Prison Blues to name just a couple.
Yeah, hoped for a VP reaction again ✌🏻
Nice reaction, thanks 🫶🏻
They do add effects to their voices. If they use an instrument, they show it on the video like Violayne in the last vid. They do eq Geoff’s bass. He does sing very very low. Some vids on his channel showing him singing without any production.
VoicePlay’s fan base is ridiculously loyal. You got yourself a lot of viewers with these videos, and believe me-more will come.
You can now add VP's Thriller and Be Prepared, their Oct '24 releases.
Yes they do use post production, that's normal for all modern a cappella groups. If you're more interested in a bit more of a traditional a cappella sound and would like to hear one of their pieces that leans more towards straight singing and less heavily on distortions, check out something like Can't Help Falling in Love.
Geoff's vocal range is from a B0 tovan A5# and he does subharmonics with those low notes. A 5 octave range.
Geoff DOES have the low. And it doesn't get 'propped', it is talent and practice. Keep listening and you will find this to be true.
I don't think he was talking about the note. I think he was talking about the volume in comparison to the other voices.
Voiceplay isn't a rabbit hole... It's a KANGAROO hole. Black Hole Sun and Golden Hour should be next! For the full Anthony G. Effect.
And creep!
@@joeholahan7619 YES! How could I forget Creep.
While VoicePlay is truly a cappella, they are more likely than Pentatonix or Home Free to use post-production techniques on their vocal recordings to achieve the exact sounds that they want. This particular video is (IMO) one of their more heavily processed soundscapes in recent years, although most of their videos will have at least some processing done.
So the "synth" sound you heard was vocal in its original form, but modified in post to create the sound that they were looking for. Likewise, Eli's (bald with the bat) tenor rock-scream was modified in post to achieve their desired sound.
Most of Layne's percussion goes through at least a little post production work, to make the sounds "cleaner" and do things like cut back on high frequencies for his kick drums. On the other hand, Layne is capable of producing sounds on his own that really don't sound like they are produced by a human, so sometimes what you're hearing is just the raw sound that he makes.
Both Geoff and VoicePlay have a number of songs that were specifically made for the Halloween season, so I'm leaving all of those out of the recommendations - most are fairly obvious from the titles or thumbnails, and since we're coming up on the Spooky Season fairly soon, you'll probably get a lot of those in other recommendations.
VoicePlay: The Dragonborn Comes (Skyrim), Warriors (Imagine Dragons cover), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt cover), Valhalla Calling
Geoff Castellucci: Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire (both from The Hobbit movies), Blackbird (Beatles cover), Sound of Silence
It's all voices and Voiceplay.
I recommend....
Voiceplay - Classical Chaos. In The Hall of The Mountain King. Dragonborn Comes Skyrim. Kidnap The Sandy Claws.
Geoff Castellucci - Unshaken. Ghost Riders In The Sky. Rains of Castamere. Jack's Lament.
Finally! (just kidding :)) I have been waiting since you made the first reaction.
This is my favorite version of this song. It somehow hits harder than the original.
Geoff can sing in subharmonic. The guys don't use other instruments unless you see it on screen. In one video they used shackles (Pirates Of The Caribbean).
These guys are the most talented and entertaining I've seen.😊
For Geoff’s solo stuff, Try “Don’t Mess Around With Jim”.
I’ve seen them live, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t put past their abilities anymore. 🤷♀️
Strangely enough when they dropped this one, I had not heard it. I just want to watch you react to this. VoicePlay has done a post-apocalyptic trilogy over a period of 3 yrs or so. It began with Warriors (Imagine Dragons), followed by Dream On (Aerosmith), and then this one. Each building they've used are hard up, Warriors was an unused factory of some sort, Dream On was Eli's old high school now defunct, and this was an unused part of a mall. VioLayne has only pressed his violin into service 3 times since 1997- Warriors (with J None also playing his violin), Nothing Else Matters which you know! and The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Some VP favorites - In the Air Tonight (Phil Collins), Tennessee Whiskey (Chris Stapleton), Creep (Radiohead), Valhalla Calling (Miracle of Sound), Dragonborn Comes Skyrim, Drunken Sailor (old sea shanty), Sleeping in the Cold Below (Warframe), I Can't Make You Love Me (Bonnie Raitt) and tons more! Geoff's solo work is not acapella but it is stunning, He does play the piano and also the harmonica (Folsom Prison Blues). Some favorites, Jack's Lament, Unshaken, Wicked Games, Imagine, Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire, Shenandoah, Blackbird, Sound of Silence.
All vocals with effects on them. There are only a couple VoicePlay songs with instruments added. Normally, it's just vocals manipulated by the sound-effect master Layne or post-production effects.
Thanks for checking out more from VoicePlay. 👍👍🎶🎶
To really hear Goeff's range, check out their cover of "Oogie Boogie song" (Nightmare Before Christmas).
This! Oogie Boogie also showcases a lot more of the theatrics they're known for. And to answer the question of how much of it is their real voices, check out the recording of the same from one of their live shows!
In the Oogie Boogie song, the voice of Santa is done by Eli (pronounced Ellie - lacking hair on top and great facial hair).
Black Hole Sun is amazing. Geoff’s cover of Jack’s Lament is really good, please check it out.
CLASSICAL CHAOS BY #VOICEPLAY
Its surprising how much you think is fake but is actually Layne 😊
If you want to hear a bass voice that blows the minds of even other pro basses then you need to check out Colm McGuinnis. He is unusually dark even compared to Geoff. His range is about as wide too. Only Eric Holloway can out dark his lower tones. (Thatbassvoice)
A cappella simply means no instruments. There may be some distortion of their voices or beatboxing or body percussion (slapping the chest or thighs or the water drip "pop") I think the only exemptions I've seen is when Geoff cocks the gun and when Rupp makes like to cock a rifle in "Folsom Prison Blues" (that was from his gun stored in his closet, he said). If there are actually instruments played you will see them playing them. This cover of Seven Nation Army is part 3 of a post-apocalyptic story line. Parts 1 & 2 are Warriors by Imagine Dragon and Dream On. The groups lineup change are due to the zombies getting one or two of their number and them finding more survivors along the way. Most count the top 3 a cappella groups as Tentatonix, VoicePlay, and Home Free but my personal tastes put The Bass Gang in place of PTX. I hope you can put those four groups on your list of groups to react to. I also want to thank you for continuing to watch after the song ended. With VoicePlay and Home Free videos, group and solo, there is often a bit more after the screen goes black. Maybe a message for us , maybe a bit more to the story (like in VP's Drunken Sailor), or a few moments of bloopers. So it's best to keep watching until the Patreon names start scrolling.
Thanks for coming back to VoicePlay. Hoping for reactions to Geoff's solo channel too. He has some shorts on his solo channel where you can hear his raw vocals...just singing into his iPhone.
Check out a couple of Geoff's recent releases: Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", and Marty Robins' "Big Iron". Also, "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis and made famous by Tennessee Ernie Ford. These are not a cappella as such, but his vocal harmonies are awesome.
Check out these two recent, related, VoicePlay OMVs: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg, and "Classical Chaos", a medley of a bunch of classical tunes. They're a hoot.
I’d love to see your reaction to Valhalla Calling with VoicePlay.
The pitch and his range is NOT altered. Check Geoff's solo work doing "I See Fire: and Song of Durin" where he plays all the parts and he's in different make-up for each person he's voicing. It is EYE-poppingly good!
Try Valhalla Calling and Hoist the Colors
I'd love to see you react to Voic eplays versions of Queen in 5 minutes, Trapped a Billie Eilish medley, We don't talk about Bruno, Creep, Valhalla calling, the dragonborn comes.
Voiceplay are great Talents for me! Goeff has such great Projects that are worth listening to. You'll be surprised by his Vocal range. ❤️🔥👍👍🙏
Deke Sharon explains/teaches how to emulate instruments vocally. The human voice is incredible. Edit: Geoff has unprocessed shorts of his voice on his channel if you want to hear what he sounds like.
I came across voiceplay a few months ago and I'm hooked, these guys are truly amazing and incredibly talented, Jeff gives me chills, the base is just wow and his range is just awesome. Can I suggest you react to an incredible beatboxer/classical singer MB14 (LA Cup Worldwide Showcase 2018), he will blow your socks off. And a more recent discovery is Livingston, either Shadow or Last Man Standing. Great reactions guys😊
Very cool. Vp and home free. The best! And thank you.
If you think the bass Geoff has help you should check out some of their live videos. He gets down into those sub harmonics live just fine.
But he does turn up his individual mic before going super low.
You really have to listen to Geoff by himself. His bass is actually that rich and that low. He has his own channel with a lot of songs done by him and with himself harmonizing with himself.
I do like VoicePlay, they've really stepped it up! Geoff has went BEYOND in his solo stuff for sure! I'm Country - and pulling off country like it's nothing is impressive, so - when ya get to Home Free ... I'll be there for that (as will many many others!). Be Safe
All is vocal with productions. Geoff can hit a D#0 note. He has a 5 octave range.
Chris, been thinking more about your comments. I'm wondering if you're conflating "a cappella" with "acoustic" performance. A group that just uses their voices (maybe finger snaps and clapping, too) is by definition singing a cappella.
They 1000% are. Voiceplay isn't barbershop lol. But they've done it.
Geoff has an incredible 5 octave range: A0 (growl in Enemy), B0 (subharmonics - see in Valhalla Calling, and Halo), F1 (full chest voice), B4 (sometimes add head mix), Bb (his highest note so far in Mario's Peaches). He can go from B0 to well into head mix and back again. Check some of his solos - Unshaken, Sound of Silence, Way Down, Imagine, High and Dry, Blackbird, Ain't No Sunshine, Wicked Games, Misty Mountains Cold, I See Fire, Song of Durin and you'll have a good start. VP (Layne, Geoff and Eli take turns doing eachbn mn m, new project) and Geoff do all the arranging, staging, costuming, camera work, video, pre-mix audio with the final mix by Ed Boyer who does all the final mix for the best acapella groups.
My top 3 recommendations (and I really can't choose, because they're all so amazing to me,) are My mother told me, Golden Hour, and Drunken sailor (which includes one of my favorite Eli rock screams.) My Geoff Castellucci recommendation is Big Iron. Much love.
Love Voice Play! Love Geoff Castellucci (the man has an insane range plus a real talent for creating arrangements). May I also suggest a less-well-known a cappella group called Kings Return? R&B, jazz, pop, gospel, even classics from vocal repertoire (with new arrangements). To start, check out their cover of Sir Duke.
with october coming up, I want to recommend a song that both voiceplay and bass gang did covers acapella of with the same guest artist. Hide and seek. Nicely spooky vibes, VP went very playful, bassgang went darker XD
I would also recommend the other two big acapella groups #Pentatonix and #Homefree.Your playlist will become very large.
Yes, reacting to all three acapella groups will really grow your channel quickly. Later you may chose to have separate playlists for the groups as the list gets longer.
I'd also add The Bass Gang into that. The group's story is compelling and their voices and vocal ranges age amazing.
@@nightthornkvala94132 Yes, they would enjoy the bass. They might want to check out Voctave as they have a more traditional choir style of acapella without beatboxing that they are more use to.
One of you mentioned liking Johnny Cash. Geoff Castellucci does an amazing multi-vocal of "Folsom Prison Blues" on his channel. Home Free does their own version, too; you might consider doing a comparison of the two versions.
Also, please please please add Pentatonix videos to your list. For example, their cover of Bohemian Rhapsody is AMAZING.
Oh, for solo Castellucci, Big Bad John, Don't Mess Around With Jim, Bear Necessities, Big John, Big Iron On His Hip, and especially 16 tons.
Do Voiceplay's Hoist the Colors, Tennessee Whiskey, Bang, and Enemy and from Geoff do 16 Tons and Ain't No Sunshine
Oh! Also Voiceplay doing My Mother Told Me, We Don't Talk About Bruno, and Oogie Boogie
That depends on what you call cheating. All of these sounds were made by human instruments, but they unapologetically admit they use some post-processing to round out their sound.
Highly recommend the VoicePlay version of "Oogie Boogie Man" from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Welcome to the rabbit hole. We’re all mad here. 😮
Everything you hear is from their voice but they do use computers to distort them at times. And he really is that low.
So in the acapella "big 3" of VP (theater kids), HF (country/blues/soul), & PTX (all genres & Xmas Royalty), only PTX has stated they record what they can reproduce live because they CONSTANTLY tour (they sometimes rearrange for live shows). All 3 do in fact use effects etc in post production. HF never uses instruments. VP & PTX occasionally use strings, & PTX has also used piano. However, in all cases if there's an instrument used it's shown in their videos. Imho PTX is the only group that has mastered the live aspect of it. 3 Grammys (5 noms) a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame & countless movie/show cameos also says so lol. But I love all 3 groups because of their differences & styles. And trust me all the group's basses ( Tim, Geoff, Matt or Avi) can indeed hit bum rattling, speaker busting notes, & all the vocal percussionists are otherworldly. Adam of HF is a world champ beatboxer, Layne of HF is inhuman & also sings & plays violin, & Kevin of PTX is well there's no word in the English language for him lol. He cello-boxes (simultaneously plays cello while beatboxing) as well as sings, has perfect pitch, plays saxophone as well, speaks Mandarin fluently & was pre-med at Yale. The acapella world is vast & full of yummy ear candy & amazing human beings all around!!!!
Layne of Voiceplay, not HF. Typo, I know.
For Halloween, check out the Oogie Boogie song, where Geoff does the lead vocal
And now THRILLER
When I think bass guitar, I think Henrik Linder from Dirty Loops. Unbeatable and outrageous. Especially Run Away.
NOW YOU HAVE TO CHECK OUT SEVEN NATION ARMY BY POST MODERN JUKEBOX & HALEY REINHART
That synth sound is just Layne through a filter...he does ALL the sound effects naturally, but they def have a LOT of post production on this. This is SO far superior to the original it's not even funny!
Thanks for bringing voiceplay to your channel. You have my subscription. You should checkout Carry on wayward son.
Check out “Carry on my Wayward Son” by Kansas and “Dream On” by Aerosmith.
try Geoffs Monster Mash and Big Bad John, Voiceplay version of Chaos and Oogie Boogie
Valhalla calling
Please react to something by Geoff Castellucci alone. He does some amazing work like "16 Tons".❤❤
What to do with a drunken sailor.... unbelievably funny. If they re going to use an instrument they feature the instrument like you saw in "Nothing Else Matters"
Listen to Geoff giving a tutorial on how to sing lower. Please😊
Gottlieb Bridge
❤
here are 2 suggestions for you
VoicePlay- Be prepared
and
VoicePlay Thriller
Every modern artist uses at least light pitch correction and post-production. Not sure why this is even a conversation. 🤷🏻♀️
If the voice is the instrument.. is adding a plugin or a filter / effect on an instrument that confusing?
You are way off. Your view is polluted by modern electronics and you don't understand the human voice.
Pentatonix is another Acapella group that are great you should check them out.
React to Pentatonix
React to the Oogie Boogie song next month for halloween.... twas the song that made me a VP and Geoff fan forever
VP has done a ton of halloween stuff! You all should def check out theirt covers of Oogie Boogie Song, the classic piece In The Hall Of The Mountain King , and whatever it is this year!