Hey guys, this is a question most music producers have been asking, and I have been myself as a music producer for over a decade now and professionally releasing mixes and mastered music and vocals using FL Studio. I want to share some knowledge and feedback with the music production world.

Can you mix vocals professionally using FL Studio Core Plugins?

The truth is, it’s all about knowledge and belief, or not; professional vocals can be achieved just by using core FL Studio plugins. But saying that using professional VST plugins would help dramatically when it comes to quality.

And when it comes to mixing and mastering vocals, it also depends on the genre. Most vocals nowadays contain pitch correction, which is simply done with vocal sound signal processing VST plugins. These plugins tend to simply improve the pitch of the vocals, making them sound professional if the singer has sung the wrong pitch during live recording. This is where plugins such as Autotune come in.

But also as an experienced music producer, when it comes to mixing and mastering rap vocals, I have learned that not all rap vocals contain pitch correction, meaning these vocals which don’t require pitch correction can easily be mixed and mastered inside FL Studio. Don't get me wrong, FL Studio has its own pitch correction tools, but the automated versions, which are premium plugins, are simpler and much easier to use, making the whole process 3/4 times faster.

So can you mix and master vocals professionally inside FL Studio with just using basic plugins which come with FL Studio?

The trust is YES! But it depends on what kind of vocals you are recording. Also, I wanted to share a vocal stack example below for simple rap vocals which don’t require pitch correction or any huge major enhancements.

Example of using the FL Studio vocal effects stack, which I would simply call the 'pro vocal effect master'.

FL Parametric EQ 2: this can be used to saturate the vocals and get rid of any unwanted bands.

FL Compressor: this can be used to compress unwanted frequencies. This is great when vocalists need full control of low, mid and high bands. It also comes with ratio settings and full control of frequencies.

FL Limiter: this is great for vocals when vocals need a shelf where they sit. This plugin is great when it comes to frequency levels and setting up min and max outputs for frequency bands.

Soundgoodizer, this plugin inside FL Studio is a great way to alter the sound signal completely with 4 different sound signal processing modes. This is a great FL Studio plugin; I simply use this on all of my vocals. Each of the selections can be used for a different style of vocals. Pre-made presets with mix output processing volume make it very easy to use and a simple way to add richness or smoothness or to simply saturate any vocals even deeper, as required.

Now by using premium plugins such as

• Pre-amp
• Autotune Antares
• Vocal De-essers (to get rid of muddiness) such as vocal cleaner.

These could be used to further enhance the vocals.

Outcome?

Personally I like to use a combination of FL Studio core plugins and also a combination of premium plugins; this way I am able to achieve a very good vocal effects stack inside FL and create some outstanding vocal mixes.

So if anyone out there is starting off, I would recommend starting off with FL Studio Core plugins. Of course, starting off with premium plugins would dramatically improve the vocal quality and vocals overall, but saying this, I would highly recommend all music producers to explore different VST plugins and find that perfect vocal effect stack. To be quite honest, every music producer has a different way of mixing and mastering vocals; it all depends on the sound engineer.

So if anyone is out there thinking of using FL Studio to mix and master vocals, I just want to let you know, you can simply use free Core FL Studio plugins and achieve some professional vocals. But remember, using paid or premium VSTS would go a long way, especially when mixing and mastering vocals for a signed and professional artist.

Also, I hope this will help most music producers understand it's not really based on what plugins you use, but on how you use them and what modulation settings you place within the vocal stack. Also, have fun with it and experiment.

I mixed and mastered vocals inside FL Studio for one of my songs back in 2019, and I have sent the track to a signed artist who’s now a friend of mine, and when he heard my track, he asked me, Who mixed your vocals? I said, 'He didn't believe me.' The thing is I mix and master vocals based on what I like to hear and try and not to copy anyone else on the internet, so my vocals are very high on the saturation with an underlay of normalized vocals giving a better density within the frequency range but also clear vocals which sit exactly within the balance range when it comes to mixing vocals, slightly higher in velocity, making them sound a lot clearer. I have also triple-processed the vocals with 3 sets of effect stacks, making them sound absolutely beautiful.

So yes, mixing vocals is a form of art; it's almost like painting pictures. Instead, you're enhancing the sound signal with effects to get the final outcome. Remember that art is never wrong, meaning mixing vocals is never wrong either. No matter what your outcome of the mix is, there is no right or wrong. But sticking to a pattern within the vocal mixing world would help dramatically.

This is from my personal experience as a music producer and sound engineer when it comes to mixing and mastering vocals.

Hope this helps everyone gain a deeper understanding that FL Studio cor plugins can be used to mix and master vocals professionally, but using premium plugins would drastically improve the final outcome of the vocal mix.