3Robi-Style Vocals in Logic Pro: Full, Direct and Close

3Robi has a sound you recognize right away. Dark, close and with an accent that isn't polished away but is part of the sound. Ever since his album "Jonge jongen naar de top" it has felt like he's standing right next to you, just saying it to your face.

You can build a direct vocal like that in Logic Pro with stock plugins, but it starts earlier: with the room you record in and the way you talk into the mic. That's what this guide is mostly about.

Close, upfront and a pinch of reverb

Listen to the voice and forget the beat for a second. Here's what stands out:

• Body down low. The voice is full and warm, not thin or squeaky.
• Clear presence. The words sit on top of the beat and you never have to guess what's being said.
• Firm compression. The level stays even, so the voice feels close, like someone talking right next to you.
• Only a little reverb. Just enough to sit the voice in the beat, not so much that it slides back.

The same dry rap vocal: first without a preset, then with the 3Robi Type preset. Turn your sound on.

Your room is your first plugin

With a vocal that has little reverb, you hear the room you recorded in. Bare walls, a hard floor and an empty desk give a hollow, metallic edge you can't remove later. No preset can take out a room that's already baked into your recording.

• Do the clap test. Clap once and listen. If you hear a short ring or echo, you'll hear it on your vocal too.
• Record in a small, full space. A bedroom with a bed, curtains and clothes sounds better than an empty living room.
• Hang a comforter or thick blanket behind you. A mic points at you, so it mostly picks up the wall behind you.
• Don't put the mic right in front of a bare wall or a window. Moving it a little away from the wall already helps a lot.

Your accent is not a mistake

With this sound, your own way of talking is the whole point. A lot of rappers suddenly sound different in the booth: cleaner, louder or with a voice that isn't theirs. Then you lose exactly what makes a direct vocal strong.

• Rap the way you talk. Read your lyrics out loud first like you're telling a friend, then record it that way.
• Finish your consonants. Slang and fast words are only easy to follow when the final T's and K's are really there.
• Stay at talking distance from the mic, with a pop filter in between, and hold that distance for the whole take.
• Pick your best take on feel, not perfection. A line that's slightly messy but sounds real beats a tight one that sounds fake.

The channel strips in your session

The preset is a set of five channel strip presets that you load from the Setting menu at the top of your channel. Main Vocal is your starting point for the lead. Main Vocal Wide and Main Vocal Airy are versions for when your lead needs to be wider or airier. Backing Vocal and Adlibs cover everything that belongs behind the lead.

Most people know the steps inside: cleanup, shaping body and presence, firm compression, pitch correction and a little space. What makes it tricky is that they affect each other. More presence calls for different compression, and more reverb calls for less body. Tuning that took time, and it's saved in the presets. The free vocal chain cheat sheet shows what kinds of steps belong in a chain.

Set Pitch Correction to the key of your beat. The Beat Lab finds it for you. New to Pitch Correction? Read how to use autotune in Logic Pro, step by step first.

Three things that push your vocal back

More reverb to fill the gaps

If your beat feels empty, extra reverb is tempting. But a direct vocal turns distant with it. Fill the space with a double on Backing Vocal or a few ad-libs instead.

Ad-libs as loud as the lead

Ad-libs add energy, but when they're as loud as your lead, nothing is up front anymore. Turn them down a good amount so your lead stays in charge.

A different distance every take

Close one day, a step back the next. Your tone changes per take and your verse sounds like three different sessions. Mark where you stand and go back to that spot every time.

Not sure this fits your voice? Read which vocal preset fits your voice.

More sounds in the same lane

• Boef-style vocals in FL Studio: melodic and bright
• Ares-style vocals in FL Studio: clear and easy to follow
• Mocromaniac-style vocals in FL Studio: dry and aggressive

Want to hear them side by side? All Type vocal presets with before and after videos are on one page.

3Robi Type presets are inspired by the vocal mixing style of 3Robi. This is not an official product and 3Robi is not involved. Results depend on your voice, mic and recording.