Studio One · Vocal guide

Best vocal chain for Studio One

A clean, modern vocal in Studio One needs no paid plugins. Here is the order that works for rap, melodic and R&B vocals.

The chain, in order

Clean-up EQ (Pro EQ3) — high-pass around 80–100 Hz and cut muddy low-mids.
Pitch correction (Melodyne Essential / Auto-Tune alternative) — fast for melodic rap, gentle for R&B.
Compression (Compressor / Fat Channel) — 3–6 dB of gain reduction keeps every word upfront.
De-essing (Pro EQ3 dynamic band) — tame harsh "s" sounds around 5–8 kHz.
Space (Room Reverb + Analog Delay on FX channels) — keep effects on sends so the dry vocal stays clear.

Skip the setup: artist vocal presets for Studio One

The whole chain, pre-dialed to a specific artist's sound, loads in one click.