To build a Future-style vocal in Logic Pro or GarageBand, record a slow, melodic take, push the pitch correction hard and fast, keep the lead dry and close, and stack ad-libs and mumbled doubles around it. Then add a dark reverb and a tempo-synced delay on sends. Start with the pitch correction at its fastest response, a high-pass near 100 Hz, a Compressor ratio of 4:1, and a reverb of about 2 seconds.
Here, "Future" means the Atlanta rapper, not Future Bass or Future House. People often describe his sound as dark, melodic trap with heavily tuned vocals, stacked ad-libs and long echoes. We use that description as reference listening only. We do not know the artist's real settings, plugins or recording setup, so every value below is a starting point that you adjust by ear. To load a finished chain instead, browse our GarageBand vocal presets or our Logic Pro vocal presets.
Thir13een is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Future or anyone who works with him. "Future-style" names a sound we aim to approximate, nothing more.
What does a Future-style vocal sound like?
Listeners often describe a half-sung, half-rapped delivery over slow, dark beats. The pitch sits locked to the key, with a clear tuned edge. The lead feels close and a little tired, with long, drifting notes. Around it sit short ad-libs, low mumbled doubles and echoes that trail off into the beat.
Five ideas explain most of it. Tune hard and fast so the notes snap to the scale. Keep the lead dry and intimate. Layer ad-libs as their own parts. Add a quiet mumbled double under the lead. Throw the ends of lines into reverb and delay, so the space comes and goes. Listen to a few reference tracks, then match what you hear, not what you read.
How do I set up heavy Auto-Tune style pitch correction in Logic Pro and GarageBand?
This is the biggest difference from a natural pop vocal. First, set the project key and find the scale of the beat. In Logic Pro, insert the stock Pitch Correction plugin, set the key and scale, and move the Response control to its fastest end. Fast retune snaps each note to the nearest scale note at once, which creates the hard, tuned edge.
In GarageBand, select the vocal track, open the audio region editor, raise the Pitch Correction slider toward the top and tick Limit to Key. The layout differs a little between versions. Record in tune as well as you can. Fast correction on a badly off-pitch note jumps to the wrong scale note and sounds like a glitch, not a style.
Put the pitch correction first in the chain, before compression and saturation. Tuned notes then feed the rest of the chain evenly. If the effect sounds too harsh, slow the response a little, one step at a time.
What are good starting settings for a dark melodic trap vocal?
Use this table on a clean vocal. It uses stock plugins, so it works in Logic Pro and GarageBand. The Logic Pro names are shown first. Change one setting at a time and judge it against the full beat.
| Stage | Parameter | Starting value | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch correction | Logic Pitch Correction, Response | Fastest end; key and scale set to the beat | Gives the hard, tuned edge on every note |
| EQ | High-pass filter | About 100 Hz | Removes rumble so the 808 keeps the low end |
| EQ | Low-mid cut | Cut 2 to 3 dB around 300 to 450 Hz | Clears the muddy zone of a close, dark vocal |
| EQ | Presence | Gentle 1 to 2 dB shelf above 8 kHz | Keeps the tuned edge clear against dark synths |
| Compressor | Ratio | 4:1 | Holds a steady, close level on long notes |
| Compressor | Threshold | About 4 to 6 dB of gain reduction on loud phrases | Watch the gain reduction meter |
| Compressor | Attack / Release | Attack 10 ms, Release 60 to 100 ms | Keeps the start of each word, then recovers before the next |
| De-esser | Frequency | Around 6 to 8 kHz, reduce 3 to 5 dB | Tuned vocals make "s" sounds sharper |
| Saturation | Drive (Logic: Tape or Distortion plugin) | Low; add just until the voice feels thicker | Adds body to a heavily tuned voice |
| Mumbled double | Second take, low and quiet | 4 to 8 dB below the lead, panned slightly off center | Adds a dark, murky layer without extra words |
| Ad-lib track | Separate track, same chain | Pan 40 to 60 percent left and right, 3 to 6 dB below the lead | Puts the stacked ad-libs around the lead |
| Reverb (aux send) | Size / Decay | About 2 seconds, dark tone, low send level | Gives a long tail on the ends of lines |
| Delay (aux send) | Time | 1/4 note, tempo synced, moderate feedback | Creates echoes that trail behind the lead |
A dark voice may need less low-mid cut. A thin voice may need more saturation. The table is a map, not a destination.
How do I stack ad-libs and mumbled doubles?
Record the lead first. Then record the ad-libs as separate takes: short words and phrases that answer the lead, not copies of it. Place them in the gaps at the end of lines. Pan them left and right and keep them below the lead.
For the mumbled double, sing the same melody again, softer and with less diction. Keep it low in the mix, just under the lead. Run the same pitch correction on every layer, so all the notes agree. Give the ad-libs more reverb than the lead, so they sit behind it. In GarageBand, record each layer on its own track.
How do I add reverb and delay throws?
Put reverb and delay on aux sends, not on the vocal track. A "throw" means you raise the send only on the last word or two of a line, so the echo trails off and then clears. In Logic Pro, draw send automation on the track. In GarageBand, copy the last word or two to a second vocal track and turn its Echo and Reverb sends up high in the track inspector.
Roll off the low end of the reverb and the delay return with a high-pass near 300 Hz, and darken the top with a low-pass near 6 kHz. This keeps the tail murky and clean at once, and lets the beat breathe. If the lyric is hard to follow, the delay feedback is probably too high. Lower it first. Our rap vocal chain guide shows the full signal order.
Stock plugins or a preset: which should I use?
The stock chain above is free and enough for a finished mix. A preset saves time, because the chain is already built and you tune it to your voice. We do not claim any preset reproduces an artist's voice. A preset is a starting chain, nothing more.
For trap and melodic hip-hop vocals in GarageBand, the Hip-Hop Hitmakers Vocal Preset Bundle for GarageBand ($20.00) is a good fit. It works with the built-in GarageBand effects and is an instant digital download. See every option in the GarageBand vocal presets collection.
Logic Pro user? You can download Toronto Warmth, our free preset for Logic Pro X. It is built for Logic Pro X, so it only helps if you also use Logic. For more Logic options, see the Logic Pro vocal presets collection.
More vocal style guides
- How to get Juice WRLD-style vocals in Logic Pro and GarageBand
- How to get Travis Scott-style vocals in Logic Pro and GarageBand
- Rap vocal chain: a stock plugin starting chain
FAQ
Can I get a Future-style vocal in GarageBand?
Yes. Use the track pitch correction at a high setting, then the stock EQ, Compressor, Echo and Reverb. Record ad-libs and doubles by hand on separate tracks.
Is there a free future-style vocal preset?
Our free preset, Toronto Warmth, is for Logic Pro X. Our GarageBand presets are paid. The stock chain on this page is free in both apps.
Is this made by or endorsed by Future?
No. Thir13een is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Future.
Is "Future" the artist or the genre on this page?
The artist. Genre packs for Future Bass are a separate topic that this page does not cover.
