RIO (ft. Ale)
St. Ill
Melodic Trap -14 LUFS · matched
0:00
Levels matched — not louder, placed 🎧 Best on headphones
Mix Engineer · Rap · Melodic Trap · R&B
You came for the chain — grab it right hereNobody hears how hard you worked. They hear the file.
I mix vocals for independent artists so the record feels finished. Not louder — placed. Start with my free vocal chain. Then hear the difference.
Free · works in any DAW · stock plugins only. REAPER gets my one-click FX chains too.
You’re in. 🎧
Prefer to read it first? The full chain’s free below ↓ · or book a mix →
The free chain
The vocal chain, in plain words.
Nine small jobs, in order. You don’t need all nine every time — use what the vocal needs. Top to bottom, that’s the order.
No paid plugins required · use the job, not the brand · works in any DAW.
- 01 EQ
Clean the voice
Cuts the mud and rumble. The voice stops sounding covered up.
Do this: Cut the low rumble first. Then turn down anything boxy. Stop when it sounds clear, not thin.
No plugin? Any EQ — every DAW has one built in.
Too much: Thin and small, like a cheap phone speaker.
- 02 Fast compressor
Catch the loud words
Grabs the words that jump out too loud. Holds the level steady.
Do this: Turn it up until loud words stop jumping. Stop before it sounds squeezed.
No plugin? Any fast compressor set to react quick.
Too much: Flat and choked — the life gets squeezed out.
- 03 Leveler
Keep it up front
Holds every word at the same loudness. The vocal sits on top of the beat.
Do this: Turn it up until no word disappears. Stop before you hear pumping.
No plugin? A second, slower compressor — or a vocal rider.
Too much: Pumping — the beat breathes up and down behind the voice.
- 04 Multiband / dynamic EQ
Fix harsh or muddy spots
Calms one trouble spot only — harsh highs or muddy lows — and leaves the rest alone.
Do this: Only touch the part that bugs you. Tiny moves.
No plugin? A multiband comp or a dynamic EQ. Most DAWs include one.
Too much: Dull and lifeless — you pulled the good parts out too.
- 05 Saturation
Add color
Adds warmth and a little grit. The voice sounds rich, not plain.
Do this: Add a little until it feels fuller. Stop before it sounds dirty.
No plugin? Any saturation, drive, or tape tool.
Too much: Fuzzy and dirty, like it’s breaking up.
- 06 High shelf / tone
Add shine
Opens the top end. The voice sounds clear and expensive.
Do this: Add shine until it sparkles. If it hisses, de-ess first.
No plugin? A high shelf on any EQ, or an exciter.
Too much: Sharp and hissy — it starts to hurt.
- 07 Reverb
Add space
Puts the voice in a room. It stops sounding dry and flat.
Do this: Send a little. Stop before the words wash away.
No plugin? Any reverb — on a send, not on every vocal.
Too much: Far away and washed out, like a bathroom.
- 08 Delay + auto-pan
Make echo words move
Throws an echo on one word that moves side to side and adds feeling.
Do this: Echo only the last word of a line. Never the whole verse.
No plugin? A tempo delay plus an auto-panner — both stock in most DAWs.
Too much: Cluttered — echoes pile up and cover the next line.
- 09 Doubler / imager
Make adlibs wide
Spreads the side vocals left and right so they feel big around the lead.
Do this: Widen the adlibs. Keep the lead centered, dry and clear.
No plugin? Any doubler or stereo widener.
Too much: Hollow and weird — the center disappears.
Main vocal recipe
- 1 Tune it
- 2 Clean it
- 3 Compress it — catch the loud words
- 4 Level it — keep it up front
- 5 Fix harsh parts
- 6 Add color
- 7 Add shine
- 8 Send to reverb / delay
Adlibs
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Adlibs can be thinner
Cut more lows than the lead. They don’t need weight.
-
Adlibs can be wider
Spread them to the sides. Big and roomy.
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Adlibs can move more
Pan them, echo them, let them bounce.
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The lead stays center
Dry, clear, right in the middle. Always.
If it sounds bad
- Vocal buried Level it before you add shine.
- Vocal hurts De-ess it, or turn the brightness down.
- Vocal muddy Turn the reverb down and clean the low mids.
- Delay messy Echo fewer words.
- Adlibs fighting the lead Pan them wider and make them thinner.
Keep it
Want the printable guide?
The whole chain above is free. This is the keepable version — the printable PDF for any DAW, plus my actual REAPER FX chains (one-click .RfxChain) if that’s what you run. I’ll drop the download right here.
You’re in. Your files are below ↓
I also emailed a copy to your inbox.
The gap
The map gets you most of the way. The ears get you the rest.
This chain is the map. It’ll get you maybe 80 percent there. The last 20 — placement, balance, knowing when to stop — isn’t a checklist. It’s ears. And it’s the part that makes a stranger stay.
The listener doesn't owe your rough mix patience.
Proof
Same level. Better placement.
Flip between the rough recording and the finished mix on the same clip, at the same spot. The two are loudness-matched — so you’re hearing placement, not a volume trick.
Overseas
KeyDaKreepa
Rap -14 LUFS · matched
0:00
Levels matched — not louder, placed 🎧 Best on headphones
In their words
“I was gonna cut his second verse 'cause it ran long — now it sounds like a vibe.”
“A mastered track isn't the same as a mix that fills in the gaps — you just know music.”
“I was relistening to the Overseas mix you did — that’s so cold.”
“Exactly the sound I had in mind — the pitch correction, the smooth and the grit.”
“Everything came together so nice.”
Selected work
A few I’m proud of.
Not everything — the ones worth your time. Vocal-forward rap, melodic trap and R&B.
Ring
KeyDaKreepa
Still Wading
NSJ
His Pain
St. Ill ft. KeyDaKreepa
Is It A Crime
St. Ill
How it works
Sending stems is easier than you think.
No reverb, no delay, no “almost done.” Three steps:
- 1
Export dry stems
Vocals only, no effects. Keep every take lined up to the beat. Bounce the instrumental too.
- 2
Add a rough mix
A quick reference of how you want it to feel. Even a phone bounce helps me hear your intent.
- 3
Send the link + notes
Drop a WeTransfer / Drive link and a sentence or two on the vibe. That’s it — I take it from there.
Book a mix
Two ways to finish it.
Send your dry stems. Get back a finished, release-ready vocal. Pick your scope.
Quick Mix
$75 per song
Fast, clean and competitive. The finished vocal, dialed and out the door.
- Lead + adlibs placed and balanced
- Full vocal chain: cleanup, control, color, space
- Clean + explicit versions
- 1 revision
- ~24–48 hr turnaround
Full Mix
Most popular$100 per song
The deep treatment — every detail handled, mixed and mastered.
- Everything in Quick Mix, plus:
- Pitch / tuning dialed in
- Mix + master — loud and consistent for streaming
- Instrumental + mix stems
- 3 revisions
You approve the direction first
You hear a preview and approve the direction before final delivery. Revisions are included — we get it right.
Your song doesn't need more excuses. It needs the rough spots cleaned up.
Tell me about the song.
Pick your mix, tell me about the song, and check out securely. I’ll reply within a day to line up your files.
Got it. 🎧
I’ll reply to your email within a day. Then we get to work.
Questions
Before you ask.
What do you need from me?
Dry vocal stems (no reverb or delay), lined up to the beat, plus the instrumental and a rough mix for reference. A WeTransfer or Drive link is perfect.
How many revisions?
One with the Quick Mix, three with the Full Mix. You approve the direction from a preview first, so we rarely need more.
How long does it take?
Usually 2–4 days. If you’re on a deadline, tell me when you book and I’ll let you know what’s possible.
Do I need expensive plugins?
No — and neither do I to make it work. The free chain uses stock plugins in any DAW. When you book, I bring the ears; the tools don’t matter.
My recording isn’t perfect. Can you still mix it?
Yes. A clean dry take is all I need. The mix is exactly where the rough spots get cleaned up.
What if I don’t like it?
You hear a preview and approve before final delivery, and revisions are included. We get it right.