Vocal chain of XXXTentacion

Audio engineer Koen Heldens has generously shared his “secret sauce” behind the iconic vocal chain used on XXXTentacion’s hit song Sad. In an exclusive breakdown, Koen reveals the exact plugins and settings (screenshots from the session) that shaped the track’s distinctive sound. To make things even easier, I’ve included links for you to explore and purchase the gear and plugins featured in this legendary vocal chain. Dive in and discover the magic behind the mix!

  1. Shure SM7B Cardioid Dynamic Vocal Microphone
  2. Neve 1073SPX Microphone Preamp & EQ
  3. Tube-Tech CL 1B Tube Optical Compressor
  4. Universal Audio Apollo Twin X
  5. Avid Pro Tools Ultimate - Perpetual License
  6. Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 Pitch-correction and Vocal Effects Plug-in
  7. Waves Renaissance Vox Plug-in
  8. Waves MV2 Compressor Plug-in
  9. AVID STOCK EQ
  10. Relab Development LX480 Essentials Reverb Plug-in
  11. TSAR-1 Reverb
  12. Waves H-Delay Hybrid Delay Plug-in

Make sure to subscribe to my blog! I’ll be sharing local chains, plugin settings, and tips used by major artists and engineers, so you can implement them directly into your workflow. Also, don’t forget to follow Koen Heldens on social media for more insights!

instagram.com/ivanfromrnd
meshplugins.com
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