The vocal chain for rap and melodic.

The order, and why

1. High-passCut the rumble below the voice, around 80 to 100 Hz for most male vocals and a little higher for most female ones. Less low end means the compressor reacts to the voice, not the room.
2. Pitch correctionBefore compression, so it reads clean notes. Set the key of the song first.
3. Cut EQTake out what's ugly before you squash it: a boxy area around 300 to 500 Hz, or a harsh ring you can hear when you sweep.
4. CompressionTwo gentle stages sound more natural than one hard one. Aim for about 3 to 6 dB of gain reduction in total on the loud words.
5. De-esserAfter compression, because compression makes S and T sounds louder.
6. SaturationA little drive adds harmonics so the vocal stays audible on phone speakers.
7. Boost EQAdd air at the very top (a shelf from about 10 kHz) and presence around 3 to 5 kHz, gently.
8. Delay and reverb on sendsNot on the vocal itself, so you can filter, duck and automate them. Note values, synced to tempo.

For rap

• Faster compression with a firmer ratio (around 4:1) so every word sits at the same level.
• Tuning quick and subtle, or off if the delivery is spoken.
• Short, tight space: a 1/8 delay low in the mix, or a 1/4 throw on the last word of a bar.
• Little to no long reverb on the lead. A short room keeps it in front.
• Doubles and ad-libs tucked lower and panned, so the main line stays in the middle.

For melodic vocals

• Gentler compression (around 2:1 to 3:1) so the dynamics of the melody survive.
• Tuning set to your key, faster if you want the modern stepped sound, slower if you want it natural.
• A dotted 1/8 delay for movement, with the return filtered so it doesn't fight the lead.
• A plate or hall with a decay of about a bar, a 1/64 or 1/32 pre-delay so the words stay clear.
• Wider doubles and a little chorus or width on the harmonies, not on the lead.

Three things that matter more than the plugins

• Record at a sensible level. Peaks well below 0 dBFS give every stage room to work.
• Set the key before you tune. Most "bad autotune" is the wrong scale.
• Check on a phone. If the words disappear, you need more saturation or presence, not more volume.