My Go-To Vocal Chain On Every Mix

If you’re struggling to get vocals that sound clean, polished, and professional in your mixes, the problem often isn’t your mic or your room — it’s the processing chain. More specifically, it’s often due to stacking too many plugins on top of each other.

Today, I want to show you the simple 3–5 plugin vocal chain that I use on every mix.

Step 1: EQ
I usually high-pass the vocal somewhere around 80–120 Hz to remove unnecessary low end. Then I listen for muddy areas around 200–400 Hz, and may add a slight boost around 3–5 kHz if the vocal needs more clarity.

Step 2: Compression
Next, I use compression to control the dynamics. Try a ratio around 3:1 or 4:1, and aim for about 3 dB of gain reduction as a starting point. The goal is consistency—not squashing the life out of the performance.

If the vocal is very dynamic, I’ll sometimes use two compressors. The first is set to catch only the loudest peaks, while the second handles more general smoothing of the overall level. Dividing the job across two compressors often results in a more transparent sound, as neither has to work as hard.

Step 3: De-esser
Harsh “S” sounds can quickly make a vocal feel amateur. A de-esser targeting around 5–8 kHz can tame this when needed. (This isn’t always necessary—I only use it when I hear a problem.)

Step 4: Reverb
Finally, I’ll send the vocal to a reverb. I tailor the decay time, so the reverb fades out before the next line begins. I’ll often add some pre-delay as well to prevent the vocal from sounding distant.

That’s it—just 3–5 simple plugins, each used for a specific purpose. The goal isn’t to stack tons of plugins, but to choose the right ones for the job. For me, this 3–5 plugin vocal chain is usually all I ever need.

Try this chain on your next mix and see how it works for you.