Chivv-Style Vocals in Logic Pro: Relaxed Melodies With Room to Breathe

Some vocals just feel like summer. Light, relaxed, with a melody you're singing along to after one listen. Chivv started out as a dancehall artist and you can still hear it: his hooks ride the groove instead of hammering on top of it.

A vocal like that sounds effortless, but it isn't. Here's what you hear, how to record for it and how to build it in Logic Pro without it turning thin or woolly.

Light, open and relaxed

Put on "Ewa Ewa" or "Tak Anga Mi". Chivv mixes hip-hop with dancehall and reggae influences, and he can both rap and sing. This is what the Chivv Type sound leans into:

• No heavy low end. The voice floats above the beat instead of fighting it. The kick and bass get the bottom.
• Lots of air up top. Open and fresh, so the melody shines.
• Mild compression. Just enough to keep the voice steady. It still gets to move and breathe.
• A roomy reverb. It gives the relaxed melodies a soft glow and some depth.

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

Sing on the groove, not on top of it

A relaxed melody lives or dies by timing and attitude. If your take sounds tense, no preset will loosen it up.

• Move with it. Record standing up and let your body follow the groove. You'll hear it in your timing, especially on beats with a dancehall bounce.
• Sing with a smile. Sounds weird, actually works. Your tone gets lighter and friendlier, which is exactly what this sound wants.
• Don't force high notes. If you can only hit a note by pushing, move the melody down. A relaxed low note beats a strained high one.
• Stack your hook. Record the chorus a few times: a lead, a double and maybe a harmony. Tucked quietly underneath, they make the hook wide without making it heavy.
• Use your own language and accent. Chivv even put out a single sung almost entirely in Sranan Tongo. You don't have to sound like someone else. Your own tone is what makes a melody believable.

Why the low end can go

This sound clears out a good chunk of the low end. That's on purpose. On a soft, airy vocal, the stuff down low mostly gets in the way: plosives, room rumble and a thick chest tone that clashes with the bass. Take that out and the voice starts to float and the melody opens up.

That's also where the risk is. If your voice is thin or high, taking too much out can make it shrill. A dark, low voice actually benefits. So how far you go depends on who's singing. The preset gives you a balanced starting point, and from there you fine-tune it to your own voice.

How to build it in Logic Pro

In broad strokes, the chain goes like this: low end cleanup, tone shaping, mild compression, Pitch Correction, air up top and a roomy reverb. Set Pitch Correction to the key of your beat, or your best notes get pulled sideways. Not sure about the key? The free key finder looks it up for you. For how Pitch Correction works, read autotune in Logic Pro, step by step.

The preset has five channel strips: Main Vocal, Main Vocal Wide and Main Vocal Airy for your lead, plus Backing Vocal and Adlibs. A handy approach: try a different lead version on your verse and your hook, and choose by ear. Put your stacked hook on Backing Vocal so it stays behind the lead.

You can list the steps in one breath. How far each step goes, how much air you can add before it hisses and how big the reverb can get before the melody blurs: that's where the time goes. That balance is what's in the preset.

Where a relaxed vocal goes wrong

Reverb as a blanket

A roomy reverb is part of this sound, but it sits behind the voice, not on top of it. Switch the reverb off and on again. If the lyrics are harder to understand with it, there's too much.

Air that turns into hiss

Lots of air up top and a soft voice is a great combo, until your s sounds start to sting. Check on earbuds and on a phone speaker. That's where you'll hear it first.

A relaxed vibe on a tense take

If you weren't sure about the melody while recording, it shows. Record it again the next day instead of polishing a shaky take.

Want more on melodies and autotune in your mix? Read how to mix melodic autotune vocals. Not sure this sound fits your voice? Check which vocal preset fits your voice first.

More sounds in the same lane

• Kevin-style vocals in Logic Pro: warm and relaxed
• Ronnie Flex-style vocals in Logic Pro: bright and playful
• Bizzey-style vocals in FL Studio: light and airy

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

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