FL Studio vocal preset and chain, with stock plugins
The FL Studio vocal chain, step by step
- Pitch correction: Pitcher. Put Pitcher (or Newtone for manual edits) first on the vocal's mixer track and set it to the key of the beat. Higher speed for the rap and trap sound.
- Clean-up EQ: Fruity Parametric EQ 2. High-pass around 80–100 Hz and cut 2–4 dB of mud around 200–400 Hz.
- Compression: Fruity Limiter (COMP mode). Switch Fruity Limiter to COMP, set a 3:1 to 4:1 ratio and pull the threshold down until the loud words drop 3–6 dB. Fruity Compressor works too.
- De-essing: Maximus. Use Maximus on the top band only, compressing around 5–8 kHz, or a narrow dynamic cut in Fruity Parametric EQ 2 where the S sounds live.
- Presence: Fruity Parametric EQ 2. A second EQ after compression: +1 to +3 dB around 3–5 kHz and a gentle high shelf for air.
- Reverb and delay on sends: Fruity Reeverb 2 and Fruity Delay 3. Route the vocal to two empty mixer tracks with sends and put the reverb and delay there at 100% wet. Sync the delay to the tempo.
Starting settings
| Stage | Start here | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| High-pass filter | 70–100 Hz (deeper voices) or 100–120 Hz (higher voices) | Removes rumble and mic-stand thumps you can't hear but your mix can. |
| Mud cut | −2 to −4 dB around 200–400 Hz | Clears the boxy, cardboard sound most home recordings have. |
| Compression | 3:1 to 4:1, attack 10–30 ms, release 50–100 ms, 3–6 dB of reduction | Keeps every word at the same level so the vocal stays in front of the beat. |
| De-esser | 5–8 kHz, 3–6 dB of reduction on the S sounds | Tames the sharp S and T sounds that compression and brightening make worse. |
| Presence and air | +1 to +3 dB around 3–5 kHz, a gentle shelf above 10 kHz | Makes the words clear and the vocal sound expensive. Go easy, this is where harshness lives. |
| Reverb (on a send) | Plate or room, 1–1.8 s decay, 20–40 ms pre-delay, mixed low | Puts the vocal in a space without washing it out. Put it on a send, not on the vocal itself. |
| Delay (on a send) | 1/4 or 1/8 note synced to the beat, 15–25% feedback | Adds width and movement. High-pass the delay so it doesn't muddy the beat. |
Why the order matters
Tune before you compress so the compressor reacts to the final notes. Clean up the lows and mud before compression so the compressor isn't pumping on rumble. De-ess after compression, because compression makes S sounds louder. Keep reverb and delay on sends so the dry vocal stays clear and you can turn the space up or down in one place.
Save it as a preset
In the mixer, use the track's menu to save the whole effects chain (File > Save mixer track state as) so you can load the same chain on every song, then adjust the EQ and compression for each recording.
Rap vs singing
Rap: more compression, faster pitch correction, short delay throws instead of a big reverb, the vocal a touch louder than the beat. Singing: gentler compression, slower pitch correction, a longer plate reverb and a quarter-note delay. Ad-libs: lower, panned a little left and right, with more reverb.
Or let KhiFlow set this chain for you.
KhiFlow is a vocal mixing plugin that does every step above for your voice. Pick your mic, press Analyze while the song plays, and it sets the EQ, de-essing, compression, delay and reverb for your vocal and your beat in seconds. Then turn the Mix knob.
VST3 for Windows: FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper and any VST3 DAW. KhiFlow Master comes free with every plan, with a 3-day money-back guarantee.
Questions
What's the best FL Studio vocal chain with stock plugins?
Pitcher → Fruity Parametric EQ 2 → Fruity Limiter in COMP mode → Maximus as a de-esser → a second EQ for presence, with Fruity Reeverb 2 and Fruity Delay 3 on send tracks.
Does KhiFlow work in FL Studio?
Yes. KhiFlow is a VST3 plugin for Windows and loads in FL Studio like any effect. Put it on the vocal's mixer track, pick your mic and press Analyze while the song plays.
Can I use FL Studio vocal presets on a different voice?
Yes, as a starting point. Keep the chain order and adjust the EQ and compression to your voice and recording level.