Mixing Melodic Autotune Vocals: Light and Open in FL Studio and Logic Pro

Melodic rap and R&B hooks live on a voice that sounds light and open: a bit of autotune, lots of air up top and enough space to float, without the words getting lost. In this article we build that sound with the plugins that already come with FL Studio and Logic Pro.

Why do melodic vocals sound like that?

  • Autotune as flavor. The voice snaps neatly to the notes. Sometimes you hear it, sometimes it's subtle.
  • A high low cut. Less low end makes the voice lighter and leaves room for the 808.
  • Air up top. A boost above about 10 kHz adds shine and breath.
  • Gentle compression. Less aggressive than on drill, so the melodies can still breathe.
  • Space. Reverb and delay on sends, wetter than on a rap vocal.

Step 1: Find the key

Autotune pulls your voice toward the notes you set. If the key is wrong, it sounds off. Drag your beat into the free BPM and key finder and check the result by ear.

Step 2: Set up the autotune

  • FL Studio: use Pitcher (in FL Studio Signature). Pick the key and set Speed faster for an effect you can hear, or slower for natural correction. Rather tune by hand? Read how to use NewTone in FL Studio.
  • Logic Pro: use Pitch Correction. Pick Root and Scale and set Response fast for the autotune effect. Not working? Check Pitch Correction not working.

Tip: record with the autotune already on. A lot of artists sing differently when they hear the tuning in their headphones. Hearing yourself late? Read why your preset sounds different while recording.

Step 3: EQ for a light, open voice

  1. Set a high-pass filter somewhere around 150 to 200 Hz. That's higher than on a rap vocal, so the voice gets lighter.
  2. Pull out a little in the low mids if it sounds muddy.
  3. Add a wide boost up top, around 10 to 12 kHz, for air.
  4. Go easy around 3 to 5 kHz: too much there makes a soft voice shrill fast.

Step 4: Compress with a light touch

Use a lower ratio (about 3:1 to 4:1), a slightly slower attack and a longer release. That keeps the dynamics of your melody intact, so it doesn't sound squashed. Then add a de-esser: lots of air up top makes S sounds get sharp faster.

Step 5: Space on sends

Put reverb and delay on separate sends, not straight on the vocal. In FL Studio you could use Fruity Reeverb 2 and Fruity Delay 3, in Logic ChromaVerb and Tape Delay. A delay synced to the tempo makes hooks wider without making them blurry. You'll find the full steps in reverb on vocals in FL Studio and delay on vocals in Logic Pro.

Step 6: Stacks and harmonies

Melodic hooks sound fuller with a double and a few harmonies. Pan them a little apart, keep them quieter than the lead and use the same autotune settings on every track. How to make harmonies is covered in how to make vocal harmonies.

Want a faster start?

Rather start from a setup that already works? For Logic Pro, the Chivv Type (soft and open, with lots of air and a big reverb), the Lusho Type (airy with relaxed compression) and the Ronnie Flex Type (bright and playful for catchy hooks) fit this sound. Each bundle has five channel strips: Main Vocal, Main Vocal Wide, Main Vocal Airy, Backing Vocal and Adlibs.

For FL Studio there's the Idaly Type and the Bizzey Type, and from the US side the Juice WRLD Type, Don Toliver Type and Lil Uzi Vert Type. All of them use stock plugins only, and every product page has a before and after. These are independent Type presets, not official products of the artists named.

Still not sure? Read which vocal preset fits your voice. Rather build it yourself? Download the free vocal chain cheat sheet.

FAQ

Why does my autotune sound off-key?

Usually the wrong key or scale is set. Check the key of your beat, then compare by ear.

My voice sounds thin after the EQ. What am I doing wrong?

Your low cut is probably set too high for your voice. Bring it down until the voice has body again, especially if you have a high voice.

How do I keep the reverb from making everything blurry?

Use sends, put some pre-delay on the reverb and cut the low end out of the reverb. If you can't make out the words anymore at low volume, it's too loud.

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