Studio One vocal preset and chain, with stock plugins
The Studio One vocal chain, step by step
- Pitch correction. Use Melodyne (included with some Studio One editions) or another tuner first, set to the key of the beat.
- Clean-up EQ: Pro EQ. Low cut around 80–100 Hz and cut 2–4 dB around 200–400 Hz.
- Compression: Compressor or Fat Channel. 3:1 to 4:1 with 3–6 dB of reduction. Fat Channel gives you a gate, compressor and EQ in one strip.
- De-essing. Use a dynamic band in Pro EQ (Pro EQ3 in newer versions) around 5–8 kHz, or a narrow static cut where the S sounds are.
- Presence: Pro EQ. +1 to +3 dB around 3–5 kHz and a gentle high shelf.
- Reverb and delay on FX channels: Room Reverb and Analog Delay. Put them on FX channels at 100% wet and send the vocal to them. Sync the delay to the song.
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 an FX Chain
Select the inserts and save them as an FX Chain so the whole vocal chain loads in one drag on every song.
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 a good Studio One vocal chain?
Pro EQ → Compressor (or Fat Channel) → a de-essing band → Pro EQ for presence, with Room Reverb and Analog Delay on FX channels.
Does KhiFlow work in Studio One?
Yes, on Windows. KhiFlow is a VST3 plugin and loads on the vocal track like any effect.
Where do I find free Studio One vocal presets?
Any preset is a starting point. The chain order matters more than the exact settings, which you'll adjust for your voice anyway.