Favorite Vocal Chain for Modern R&B?

[edwina]

I've been working on a lot of R&B and Trap Soul lately, and I'm refining my vocal chain.

Currently using:
- Auto-Tune Artist (gentle retune)
- FabFilter Pro-Q3 (surgical EQ)
- UAD 1176 (medium compression, fast attack)
- DeEsser (Soothe or Waves RDeEsser)
- CLA Vocals / The God Particle for glue
- Valhalla Plate or VintageVerb on send

This gives me a soft yet present vocal that sits well in the mix without being harsh.

Would love to know what others use for airy, modern R&B vocals — especially pre/post compression reverb strategies.

Cheers

[morelia]

[andivax]

I've been working on a lot of R&B and Trap Soul lately, and I'm refining my vocal chain.

Currently using:
- Auto-Tune Artist (gentle retune)
- FabFilter Pro-Q3 (surgical EQ)
- UAD 1176 (medium compression, fast attack)
- DeEsser (Soothe or Waves RDeEsser)
- CLA Vocals / The God Particle for glue
- Valhalla Plate or VintageVerb on send

This gives me a soft yet present vocal that sits well in the mix without being harsh.

Would love to know what others use for airy, modern R&B vocals — especially pre/post compression reverb strategies.

Cheers

1) use Overloud Dopamine OR Type A from Audiothing - it will give you that bright mids and sparkle highs. It is a MUST for this kind of "regaetton vocals".
2) use good opto compressor. hardware or software. Kazrog MBH is very good for you, it will rise highs even more!
3) Properly EQ your vocals. I am using my own pack of presets for FabFilter Pro-Q 4 (you can google "andivax presets"). The main idea is to tame harshness and to increase loudness of the important parts.
4) don't forget to add ambience reverb with UAD EMT 250 emulation or Wave Alchemy Dawn.
5) use Waves RVox in the end of the chain to add even more fattness
6) use Waves CLA Vocals to add wideness and other effects (to your liking)