at the end of your master or vocal bus to prevent any clipping while maintaining volume. Waves plugins used by his engineers for a more high-end studio sound? HOW TO SOUND LIKE J. COLE
For quick reference, ensure your mixer rack follows this exact sequence: (Subtle pitch correction, slow speed)
Use a direction mixer or Fruity Stereo Shaper to ensure the main lead vocal is in for maximum impact. Final Touch: Fruity Soft Clipper
Now, let's get practical. You don't need expensive hardware to get close to this sound. Using FL Studio's stock plugins or a few affordable third-party tools, you can craft a preset that puts your vocals right in that same sonic pocket. j cole vocal preset fl studio
Start with the step-by-step chain described in this article. Use only the sections first. Listen to your vocal on different playback systems—headphones, car speakers, laptop speakers—and adjust the presence EQ (2–4kHz) until it cuts through without becoming harsh.
: A staple for the "industry standard" rap tone.
Cole has also been known to use the Sony C800G and Avalon VT-737sp on different projects. For monitoring, Mez relied on Genelec and Yamaha NS-10s because they "zoom in on the midrange—the parts that would be harsh—so if it sounds good on there you're OK." at the end of your master or vocal
If you don't want to build this from scratch, many sound banks offer ready-made . Search for:
(Low cut up to 90Hz, minor boxiness cuts) Fruity De-Esser (Taming sibilance at 6kHz) Fruity Limiter (Fast compression for peaks, 3dB reduction)
Use a dedicated de-esser (or a narrow band cut in an EQ) to tame harsh "S" and "T" sounds, typically around 5k–8k. COLE For quick reference, ensure your mixer rack
Add a gentle high shelf boost around 10kHz to 12kHz (1-2dB) for "air" and premium clarity.
Choose a or Room algorithm with a decay time of 1.2 to 1.8 seconds.