What do vocal presets do?

Vocal presets are a new type of preset that has been taking the rap music community by storm. If you go on forums like Reddit, websites like YouTube and chat rooms like Reddit, chances are you have heard producers and artists mention them before.

But what are they?

Vocal presets are a preset type designed for vocals. A preset is a pre-saved set of settings that can be recalled instantly. If you have tried using a synthesizer before chances are you have used presets. They are basically templates for sounds that someone else made. So if you have a keyboard there might be a “piano” preset, an “80’s synth preset” etc. These are designed to give you instant creativity and gratification. 

So how do these apply to vocals?

Well, recently producers and engineers have started making presets for vocals. You can essentially load them up and sound like one of your favorite rap or pop artists. The settings are already pre saved so that you can just load 'em up and record. This is perfect for Gunna type vocals and Juice WRLD type vocals because their voices rely heavily on effects. 

Now you may be thinking, “but everyone’s voice is different”...

You are right. Everyone has a different voice and tone. Presets are designed to put you in the right direction. At the end of the day if you have a voice that sounds like DaBaby, chances are a vocal preset is not going to make you sound exactly like Justin Bieber. He has a very different tonality and frequency range around his voice. A vocal preset will put you in the right direction. It will typically make you sound like your own version of the artist you are shooting for. In some situations this is arguably better. 

When you load up a pre set you may also want to dial in the settings more specifically yourself. This is ok and you’re encouraged to do that. Some artists like to load ‘em up and forget about it, some like to tailor the preset exactly to their voice the way they want it to sound. Both ways are fine. Do whatever inspires you creatively. 

If you are looking for some free presets to try out there are plenty online. Reddit has some as well. Facebook can be a great source. “The Vocal Presets Community” is a popular place where people like to swap presets they have made with each other. 

Ryan