1. Hard tune, in key
Set the song's key, then turn the correction speed up until notes snap instead of glide. The stepped sound comes from the speed; the musicality comes from the right scale. Sing into it while you record so your phrasing works with the snap instead of against it.
2. Layers, not one vocal
- Double the hook two or three times and pan the doubles left and right.
- Add an octave-down layer under key lines, low in the mix, for weight.
- Record ad-libs as their own track and treat them differently from the lead: filtered, pitched or distorted.
- Pull the doubles' high end down a little so the lead stays the clearest thing.
3. Dark space, synced to the beat
| Effect | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Delay throws | 1/4 or dotted 1/4 on the last word of a line, automated up only there |
| Constant delay | Dotted 1/8, low, with the return high- and low-passed |
| Reverb | A big hall with a decay of one to two bars, the top end rolled off so it feels dark |
| Pre-delay | 1/32 so the words stay in front of the wash |
Keep every time a note value so the echoes land on the grid when the beat changes tempo.
4. Grit and filter
- A little saturation or distortion on the lead, blended in, so it cuts through 808s.
- Heavier distortion or a phone-style band-pass (lows and highs cut) on ad-libs.
- A slow chorus or flanger on the doubles for the woozy, seasick movement.