How to Sound Like Tame Impala: The Vocal Sound, Explained
Published · by Loopin
How to sound like Tame Impala, per Kevin Parker himself: double-track almost every vocal, record on a dynamic mic, spike the EQ around 8 kHz before compressing so it sounds like an old record, and reach for echo when it still isn’t right. Do those four things in that order.
Start from what Kevin Parker has said
Parker writes, plays, records and produces Tame Impala himself, and he has talked about his vocals more than most. AudioTechnology’s Lonerism studio feature (2012) reports that he usually double-tracks his vocals because he hates the sound of his voice on its own, and that he adds echo if he’s still unhappy. It also says he generally sang into a Sennheiser MD 421, a dynamic mic. In Tape Op he describes running bass and vocals through an Empirical Labs Distressor.
In Sound On Sound he describes EQing a vocal aggressively to sound like an old microphone. He spikes it around 8 kHz at the start of the chain, then compresses, for the feeling of a vocal sampled from a ’70s record. And Music Feeds reports he did over 1,000 partial vocal takes for “’Cause I’m a Man” (2015). The exact Q, boost and compressor settings were never published.
Hear two eras on these songs
Lonerism era (2012): on “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” and “Elephant” the voice is thin, bright and doubled, with a papery 8 kHz bite and heavy compression. It sits inside the wall of drums and fuzz rather than on top, with echo trailing off the ends of lines. It sounds like a sample of an old record.
Currents era (2015) onward: on “Let It Happen” and “The Less I Know the Better” the vocal is cleaner, more forward and more polished, but still doubled and still soft-edged, with falsetto stacked into harmony pads. “Borderline” (2019) goes further toward pop clarity. Pick an era before you start. The moves are the same, but the amounts are different.
How to sound like Tame Impala: the four moves
1. Double every line. Sing the part twice, as close to identical as you can. Don’t copy-paste and shift, because the tiny timing and pitch differences are the sound. Pan them 0 and 20–40%, or keep both centred for the Lonerism feel. Our double-tracking guide covers the tightness. 2. Use a dynamic mic, close. An MD 421 or any dynamic at 5–10 cm gives you mids and less room, which suits heavy processing.
3. EQ before you compress. High-pass at 150–250 Hz for the thin, old-record tone. Then boost a narrow-ish bell at 7–9 kHz by 6–10 dB, then compress hard, 6–10 dB of gain reduction with a fast attack. Parker’s order matters: the compressor grabs the boosted bite and flattens it into that papery texture. If it turns into pure sibilance, narrow the boost or move it down to 6 kHz. 4. Echo last. Add a tape-style delay at a quarter or dotted eighth with 25–40% feedback, darkened, and ride it up at line ends.
A Tame Impala vocal chain to start from
Only the order and the tool types are sourced; every number is ours. Lonerism-style: dynamic mic into a high-pass at 150–250 Hz, an EQ spike at 7–9 kHz, a Distressor-style compressor at 6–10 dB, then a tape-echo send. Keep reverb low, because the echo is the space. Currents-style: high-pass at 90–120 Hz, a gentler 3–4 dB presence lift, 4–6 dB of compression, a de-esser, then a medium plate plus the echo, with the doubles 3–6 dB under the main take.
For the phaser-like swirl on some lines, add a slow phaser or flanger to the double only, not the lead. The comb-filtering between the two takes does most of the work.
Why a Tame Impala vocal preset won’t get you there
A preset can’t sing your double, and the double is the foundation. Fake doubles, like a copied track with a delay or a pitch-shifted chorus, sound static next to a real second take. A preset also sets one EQ spike for a voice it has never heard. The 8 kHz trick only works when the boost lands on your voice’s own bite, and that shifts between singers.
And it can’t fix the arrangement. His vocal sits in a wall of fuzz, drums and synths built to receive it. Get the doubles and the order right, then any chain is fine-tuning. Balancing a heavily treated vocal inside a dense wall is the kind of work Project Jade is being built to take on.
Record one doubled line and hit it at 8 kHz
Ten-minute version: sing one line twice, high-pass both at 200 Hz, spike 8 kHz by 8 dB, compress hard, and send to a dark tape echo. Compare with “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” at matched volume. For the same dreamy space built with reverb instead of echo, see how to sound like Lana Del Rey. Loopin isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Tame Impala or Kevin Parker; the name is used only to describe a style.
Project Jade is our agentic mixing product, currently unreleased and waitlist-only: drop in your rough mix, get back a studio one. Want your track mixed toward this kind of sound? Join the Project Jade early-access list.
Frequently asked questions
What mic does Kevin Parker use for vocals?
AudioTechnology's Lonerism feature says he generally used a Sennheiser MD 421, a dynamic mic, often at a close distance.
Why do Tame Impala vocals sound doubled?
Because they are. Parker has said he usually double-tracks his vocals because he dislikes his voice on its own, and adds echo if it still isn't right.
What is the Tame Impala vocal chain?
Documented pieces: an MD 421, an aggressive EQ spike around 8 kHz placed before compression, a Distressor, and echo. A start: high-pass at 150-250 Hz, boost 7-9 kHz by 6-10 dB, compress 6-10 dB, then a tape echo.
Is there an official Tame Impala vocal preset?
No. Presets fake the double with delay or chorus, which sounds static. Record a real second take; that's the foundation of the sound.
How many takes did Kevin Parker do?
Music Feeds reported over 1,000 partial vocal takes for 'Cause I'm a Man (2015). You don't need that many, but expect to comp the doubles line by line.