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How to double track vocals in REAPER (stock plugins)

By StudioRescue Editorial

Published August 18, 2026 · Updated September 9, 2026

Double tracking means having the same vocal part performed more than once and playing the takes together. It is one of the quickest ways to make a chorus or a hook sound wider and fuller, because the tiny timing and pitch differences between two performances add richness that a single track cannot. This guide shows how to do it in REAPER with stock plugins, when to sing it again versus fake it, and the mono check that keeps it from falling apart on phone speakers.

One thing to be clear about first: doubling is an arrangement move, not a repair. It thickens and widens a part that is already good. It does not fix tuning, timing, or tone problems, and stacking two rough takes usually sounds worse, not better. Get one solid take first, then double it.

The best double is a second take

Plugins can imitate doubling, but nothing beats actually performing the part twice. The natural variation between two takes is what your ear reads as width and thickness. Here is the whole process in REAPER.

Routing the doubles so they are easy to mix

Once you have a lead and one or more doubles, send them all to a single bus so you can treat the stacked vocal as one thing. That lets you set overall level, EQ, and compression in one place instead of fighting each track. If bus routing is new to you, see how to use a vocal bus in REAPER.

When you cannot re-sing it: a fake double with ReaTune

Sometimes you only have one take, or the singer is not available. You can build an artificial double from that single take using ReaTune, REAPER’s stock pitch plugin. It will not sound identical to a real second performance, but it adds thickness and a bit of movement.

1. Add a new track named “double” after your vocal, and send the vocal to it, or copy the vocal item onto it.
2. Insert ReaTune on the double track and switch it to Automatic correction with a fast response. The pitch plugin nudging the timing and pitch slightly is what creates the difference from the original.
3. Pan the double to one side and blend it a few dB under the lead, the same way you would a real take.

This is the trick The REAPER Blog documents with ReaTune set to automatic correction and blended lower than the lead. Treat it as a thickener, not a true stereo double.

The short-delay approach, and its catch

Another common way to widen one take is to copy it, pan the copy opposite the original, and nudge the copy later by a small amount with stock ReaDelay, often in the region of 15–35 ms. The delay tricks your ear into hearing width. It can sound great in stereo, but a short offset like this is exactly what causes cancellation when the mix is summed to mono, so it is the riskiest of the three methods. If you try it, the mono check below is not optional. For a fuller walkthrough of stock delay, see how to add delay to vocals in REAPER.

Always check it in mono

This is the step people skip and regret. Panned doubles and short delays create width by relying on differences between the left and right channels. When a phone speaker, a club system, or a Bluetooth speaker sums the mix to mono, those differences can partly cancel, and your big wide vocal can get thin or hollow.

What doubling will not do

Doubling is powerful, but it is the wrong tool for several jobs.

• It will not fix tuning or timing. If the lead is out of tune or off the beat, the double just doubles the problem. Fix the performance first.
• It will not clean up tone. A muddy or harsh lead is still muddy or harsh when doubled. Sort the lead’s EQ and level before you stack anything.
• It is usually too much on a quiet verse. Wide, thick doubles can swamp an intimate section. Many records double only the chorus and keep verses single and centered.
• It will not survive a bad mono mix on its own. Width that only exists in stereo needs the mono check above.

If it still sounds off

Quick troubleshooting order when a double is not working:

1. It sounds like two separate voices. The takes are drifting apart. Tighten the timing, especially the consonants, or lower the double.
2. It got thin in mono. You panned too wide or the delay offset is cancelling. Narrow the pan or change the delay amount.
3. It sounds phasey or flangey. That is usually a fake double or a copied take sitting too close to the original. Use a real second take, or shorten how similar the two are. If the doubled vocal gets thinner or hollow rather than wider, see why two vocal tracks sound hollow together in REAPER.
4. It buries the lead. The double is too loud. It should be felt more than heard.