Destroy Lonely has crafted a unique vocal style that blends dark, atmospheric effects with a melodic yet heavily processed delivery. His voice often sounds spacey, drowned in reverb, yet still punchy enough to cut through the mix. If you want to achieve a similar sound, you’ll need to focus on auto-tune, reverb, distortion, and precise vocal layering. Using a Destroy Lonely vocal preset can also speed up the process by applying the right settings instantly.
Capturing the Right Vocal Performance
Destroy Lonely’s vocal style is laid-back, almost effortless, but still controlled. His delivery floats over the beat rather than overpowering it, so when recording, focus on a relaxed yet confident tone. A condenser microphone is ideal for capturing the smoothness of his voice while retaining the high-end clarity needed for later processing.
Double-tracking is a big part of his sound. He often layers his vocals to add thickness and width. Recording multiple takes of the same line, then slightly panning them left and right, creates a full, immersive vocal texture. This technique is especially effective on hooks and ad-libs, making the vocals feel deep and hypnotic.
Using Auto-Tune for Smooth Pitch Correction
Destroy Lonely’s vocals are heavily auto-tuned, but they still feel natural. Setting auto-tune to the key of your beat ensures your vocals stay in tune while maintaining a melodic flow. A fast retune speed will give that robotic, processed effect, but adjusting the humanize function will prevent the vocal from sounding overly stiff.
Formant shifting is another key technique. Slightly lowering the formant can make your voice sound deeper and more mysterious, while raising it can add a futuristic, airy quality. Many producers use Antares Auto-Tune Pro, Waves Tune, or FL Studio’s Pitcher to dial in these effects. If you want to skip the setup process, a Destroy Lonely vocal preset will apply the perfect auto-tune settings instantly.
Creating Space with Reverb and Delay
One of the defining characteristics of Destroy Lonely’s vocals is the heavy use of reverb and delay. His vocals often feel like they’re floating in a vast, dark atmosphere, which is achieved through long hall or plate reverbs. Setting the reverb decay time to 4-6 seconds adds a cinematic quality, while a pre-delay of 30-50ms keeps the vocal clear before the reverb kicks in.
Delay is just as important. A quarter-note or eighth-note delay with low feedback adds bounce to the vocal without making it muddy. High-pass and low-pass filtering on the delay prevents it from clashing with the rest of the mix. These effects are easy to overdo, so adjusting the wet/dry balance is crucial. A Destroy Lonely vocal preset will already have optimized reverb and delay settings, saving you time.
Adding Distortion and Saturation for Grit
Destroy Lonely’s vocals have a subtle grit and texture, which is achieved using distortion and saturation. Applying soft clipping or tape saturation brings out harmonics, making the vocal sound more aggressive without overpowering the mix.
For an even darker, moodier effect, using bit-crushing or overdrive on ad-libs can create an otherworldly texture. This is especially effective in sections where his vocals feel distorted and raw. Plugins like Decapitator, RC-20, and Soundtoys Radiator work well for adding this warmth and character.
EQ and Compression for Clarity and Punch
To keep the vocals crisp while maintaining their dark tone, EQ and compression need to be applied carefully. Cutting the low-end around 100Hz removes unnecessary rumble, while boosting the mid-high frequencies around 3kHz-5kHz helps the vocals cut through the mix.
Destroy Lonely’s vocals are smooth and consistent in volume, which is achieved through multi-stage compression. Using a gentle compressor with a medium attack and release evens out the vocal, while a second parallel compressor adds density without making it sound squashed. If you’re looking for a shortcut, a Destroy Lonely vocal preset applies the ideal EQ and compression settings instantly.
Layering Vocals for a Bigger Sound
Destroy Lonely frequently layers his vocals to create depth and width. The main vocal is often doubled, with one track slightly detuned and panned for a stereo effect.
Ad-libs play a crucial role in his sound, often featuring pitch-shifted vocals, whispers, or distorted shouts to add energy. Panning ad-libs wider in the stereo field prevents them from clashing with the lead vocal while enhancing the overall atmosphere.
Adding a Destroy Lonely vocal preset will instantly apply stereo widening and vocal layering effects, making it easier to achieve this rich, immersive vocal sound.
Finalizing the Mix for a Dark, Atmospheric Sound
Once all the effects are applied, the final step is balancing the vocals within the mix. Destroy Lonely’s vocals sit slightly above the beat but never feel too overpowering. Using sidechain compression on the instrumental helps create space for the vocals without making them sound forced.
A final layer of subtle saturation and a mastering limiter brings out the richness of the vocal while maintaining a controlled dynamic range. The key is to keep the mix dark, spacey, and polished.
If you want to sound like Destroy Lonely without spending hours tweaking settings, check out the Destroy Lonely vocal preset at Cedar Sound Studios. It’s designed to capture his signature vocal style instantly, allowing you to focus on your creativity while achieving a professional sound effortlessly.