The Weeknd's VOCAL CHAIN Breakdown | Revealed by illangelo🤯

Tech/Vocal Chain Breakdown (The Weeknd – “After Hours”)

A tutorial-style rundown of an “exact vocal chain,” focusing on how to shape clarity, dynamics, tuning, de-essing, resonance control, and high-end “airiness.” The creator claims to help achieve an industry-standard sound using proven techniques from notable engineers.

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1) Pitch Correction: Auto-Tune

• Load Auto-Tune, set the key, and initially leave settings untouched.
• Key idea: don’t keep one retune speed for the whole song—automate retune speed by section.
  • Use more aggressive retune in some sections.
  • Allow fallbacks/less-perfect tuning in others to enhance emotion and contrast between parts.

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2) Vocal Dynamics Control: Waves Vocal Rider

Add Waves Vocal Rider early in the chain to manage vocal level automation.

• Goal: get “in your face” vocals without over-compression squashing.
• Setup guidance:
  • Set range to maximum/minimum
  • Use fast settings
  • Adjust threshold so the level slider sits near the yellow input signal
  • Tune threshold so the control returns near center (avoid exaggeration)

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3) Noise Control: FabFilter Pro-G (Gate)

Add FabFilter Pro-G (used as a gate).

• Purpose: tighten quiet vocal gaps by closing when vocals stop, preventing noise/artifacts.

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4) Depth/Weight Shaping: FabFilter Pro-MB (Multiband Compression)

Add FabFilter Pro-MB for vocal multiband compression.

• Band concept:
  • Band 1: everything below 1 kHz
  • Band 2: 1–10 kHz
• Mix goals:
  • More gain reduction in the low end
  • Very subtle gain reduction in highs
  • Preserve high-end information while controlling low-end tone/weight

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5) Sibilance Control: FabFilter Pro-DS (De-esser)

Add FabFilter Pro-DS (or use Waves De-esser instead).

• Target: up to ~6 dB gain reduction (described as the “sweet spot”).

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6) Resonance/Dynamic EQ: Soothe (Dynamic EQ)

Add Soothe (specifically referenced as Soothe 2).

• Soothe2 = dynamic equalizer controlling resonances.
• Alternative mentioned: Waves Silk Vocal.

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7) High-Frequency “Air”: Maag EQ4

Add Plugin Alliance Maag 4 EQ (Maag Audio EQ4).

• Mentioned move: boost ~20 kHz by 3–4 dB
• Claimed benefit: exceptionally low phase shift to maintain mix integrity while boosting airy highs
• Credibility note: the Maag EQ4 has been used on vocals by artists including:
  • Madonna
  • Celine Dion
  • Snoop Dogg
  • Black Eyed Peas

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8) Color/High EQ Shaping: Pultec-Style EQ

Add Pultec-style EQ for additional tone/color.

• Suggested approach:
  • “Simply” boost/cut low end as needed
  • Boost 16 kHz ~8 dB with broad Q
  • Add some attenuation at 10 kHz
• Mentions a referenced pinned video where Bainz also uses Pultec-style EQ on vocals.

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9) Final Resonance Pass

• Add another Soothe instance with the shown settings.
• End of chain.

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Extra Resources

Mentions you can download templates/presets via the link in the video description.

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Main Speakers/Sources

• Speaker/creator: “I’m Yeck” (channel/tutorial author)
• Highlighted audio reference: The Weeknd (track: After Hours)
• Referenced/credited vocal tech sources/plugins:
  • Auto-Tune
  • Waves Vocal Rider
  • FabFilter (Pro-G / Pro-MB / Pro-DS)
  • Soothe (Soothe 2)
  • Plugin Alliance Maag EQ4 / Mäag Audio EQ4
  • Pultec-style EQ
  • Waves De-esser
  • Waves Silk Vocal
• Named industry user reference: Bainz (via pinned video mention)