Logic Pro vocal chain with stock plugins
The Logic Pro vocal chain, step by step
- Pitch correction: Pitch Correction. First in the chain, set to the key of the beat. Faster response for the trap sound, slower for natural singing. Flex Pitch for note-by-note edits.
- Clean-up EQ: Channel EQ. High-pass around 80–100 Hz and cut 2–4 dB around 200–400 Hz.
- Compression: Compressor. Try the Vintage VCA or Vintage Opto circuit types, 3:1 to 4:1, 3–6 dB of reduction on the loud words.
- De-essing: DeEsser 2. Set the frequency where the S sounds are, usually 5–8 kHz, and reduce them 3–6 dB.
- Presence: Channel EQ. A second Channel EQ: +1 to +3 dB around 3–5 kHz and a gentle high shelf.
- Reverb and delay on buses: ChromaVerb and Tape Delay. Send the vocal to two buses with ChromaVerb and Tape Delay at 100% wet. Sync the delay to the project 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 channel strip setting
Use the channel strip's Setting button to save the whole chain, so you can load it on every vocal and adjust from there.
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.
On a Mac? Use KhiFlow in your browser.
The KhiFlow plugin is Windows-only for now, but the browser version runs the same mixing engine on any Mac. Export your vocal and your beat from your DAW, upload them, and KhiFlow sets the EQ, de-essing, compression, delay and reverb for your voice.
3 free mixes a day, no card. Keep the songs you love from $6 each.
Questions
What's the best Logic Pro vocal chain with stock plugins?
Pitch Correction → Channel EQ → Compressor → DeEsser 2 → Channel EQ for presence, with ChromaVerb and Tape Delay on buses.
Does KhiFlow work in Logic Pro?
Not as a plugin yet: the KhiFlow plugin is VST3 for Windows. On a Mac, export your vocal and beat from Logic and use the KhiFlow browser version instead.
Should I use Logic's vocal presets?
They're a good starting point. Keep the order and adjust the EQ and compressor for your voice and how loud you recorded.