Creating the Perfect EDM Vocal Chain with Plugins

by Robbie Hutton

Creating the Perfect EDM Vocal Chain with Plugins

Electronic dance music (EDM) is known for its energetic, synth-heavy soundscapes, and catchy vocal melodies. To achieve that signature EDM vocal sound, producers often use a variety of plugins to process and enhance the vocals. Here's a guide to the best plugins for creating an EDM vocal chain on your DAW.

1. Pitch Correction and Harmony:

    • Antares Auto-Tune Pro: This industry-standard plugin is known for its ability to subtly correct pitch inaccuracies on your EDM voocals without sounding artificial. It offers a range of features, including chromatic and melodic modes, flexible formant correction, and humanize options.

    • Antares Harmony Engine: This powerful plugin allows you to create complex harmonies and backing vocals for your EDM tracks. It features a variety of vocal types, including human, choir, and synth, along with flexible arrangement and editing tools.

2. De-essing:

    • FabFilter Pro-DS: This versatile de-esser effectively removes harsh sibilance and sibilant artifacts from EDM vocals. It features a range of detection modes, adjustable target frequencies, and a smooth release curve for natural-sounding results.

    • Waves Sibilance: This user-friendly de-esser offers precision control over sibilance reduction on your EDM vocals. It features a clear interface, adjustable frequency bands, and a sidechain option for dynamic de-essing.

3. Equalization:

    • FabFilter Pro-Q 3: This high-quality EQ plugin provides surgical precision for shaping the tonal balance of your EDM vocals. It offers a variety of filter types, adjustable filter curves, and a linear-phase mode for preserving the original phase characteristics.

    • Waves Puigtec EQP-1A: This emulation of the classic Pultec EQP-1A hardware EQ provides warm, vintage-sounding equalization for your EDM vocals. It features switchable bandpass and high-pass filters, along with a unique program-dependent EQ curve.

4. Compression:

    • Waves CLA-76 Compressor: This versatile compressor is based on the classic 1176 compressor, known for its punchy, aggressive sound for your EDM vocals. It offers adjustable attack and release times, a selectable ratio, and a built-in limiter.

    • FabFilter Pro-C 2: This multi-band compressor allows for precise control over the dynamics of your EDM vocals. It features multiple frequency bands with independent compression settings, a sidechain option, and a lookahead option for minimizing artifacts.

5. Saturation and Enhancement:

    • Waves CLA-2A Compressor: This emulation of the classic Fairchild 670 compressor provides warm, smooth compression and a subtle "glue" effect for your EDM vocals. It features adjustable attack and release times, a selectable ratio, and a built-in limiter.

    • Waves OVox: This versatile saturation and enhancement plugin offers a range of analog-inspired processing options for your EDM vocals. It features adjustable saturation, clarity, and presence controls, along with a de-esser and a noise gate.

6. Reverb and Delay:

    • Valhalla Room: This reverb plugin offers a wide range of reverb algorithms, from lush plate reverb to spacious hall reverb for your EDM vocals. It features adjustable decay time, diffusion, and pre-delay settings, along with a modulation option for adding movement.

    • Waves H-Delay: This versatile delay plugin provides a variety of delay types, including digital, analog, and tape delays for your EDM vocals. It features adjustable delay time, feedback, and panning settings, along with a sync option for tempo-synced delays.

7. Final Touches:

    • Waves Doubler: This chorus plugin adds richness and thickness to your vocals. It features adjustable pitch modulation, depth, and feedback settings, along with a stereo width control for your EDM vocals.

    • Waves Finalizer: This versatile mastering tool provides a finishing touch to your EDM tracks. It features adjustable EQ, compression, limiting, and stereo enhancement options for your EDM vocals.

Remember, the specific plugins and settings you use will depend on the individual vocal and the desired sound. Experiment with different combinations to find the perfect vocal chain for your EDM productions.

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