Hyperpop is loud, chaotic, distorted, emotional—and absolutely unforgettable. Known for its high-energy production, futuristic synths, pitch-modulated vocals, and genre-bending aesthetics, hyperpop challenges every traditional rule of music production. And when it comes to mixing hyperpop vocals, there’s no such thing as subtlety. Whether you’re going for that robotic, autotuned sound or raw, distorted vocal grit, the vocal mix in hyperpop isn’t just part of the song—it is the song.
In this guide, we’ll break down how to record, process, and polish your hyperpop vocals so they punch through your mix and capture the bold, expressive essence of the genre. We’ll also show you how to use a hyperpop vocal preset to fast-track your workflow and lock in a professional-grade sound in just a few clicks.
Understanding the Role of Vocals in Hyperpop
Hyperpop vocals defy expectations. You might hear a whisper one second and a distorted scream the next. The genre thrives on extremes—intense pitch correction, exaggerated formant shifting, layered vocal stacks, and creative modulation.
The voice isn’t treated as a traditional singer-songwriter tool. It’s a sound design element. From artists like Glaive, ericdoa, and 100 gecs to underground SoundCloud legends, hyperpop vocals push boundaries with digital effects and creative layering.
To nail the vocal mix, you need both technical skill and the freedom to experiment. Traditional vocal mixing rules are more like suggestions in this genre. But with a strong foundation and the right hyperpop vocal preset, you can take your sound from chaotic to iconic.
Capture a Clean, Dynamic Recording
Even though hyperpop often distorts or warps the vocal later, your starting point should still be a clean, high-quality vocal take. Use a large-diaphragm condenser mic to capture a full frequency range. Condensers like the Audio-Technica AT2020 or Lewitt LCT 240 PRO are great for bedroom producers on a budget and will give you a crisp signal to work with.
Record multiple takes of your vocal—one main lead, harmonies, ad-libs, and alternate deliveries. These will be crucial for creating layered stacks that add intensity and movement to your mix.
Try to capture some energy in your performance, whether that means shouting, whispering, or singing with vulnerability. Hyperpop thrives on emotional whiplash, so don’t be afraid to go big.
Shape Your Sound With EQ and De-Essing
Once you’ve recorded your vocals, it’s time to clean them up. Start with a high-pass filter to remove any low-end rumble—especially if you plan to stack multiple vocals. Sweep the low mids to remove boxiness and mud, usually in the 200Hz–500Hz range. Boosting a bit in the upper mids around 3kHz–5kHz will help your vocal punch through intense synth layers, and a gentle lift above 10kHz can add that shiny digital gloss hyperpop vocals are known for.
Because the high end often gets exaggerated during processing (especially with autotune and distortion), a de-esser is essential. Place it after EQ and compression to keep your high-end clear and controlled, especially when using aggressive formant shifting or vocal doubling.
Compress With Intention
In hyperpop, compression isn’t just about control—it’s about tone. Use a fast attack and medium release with a 4:1 or higher ratio to really clamp down on transients. The goal is a vocal that stays up front, regardless of how chaotic the instrumental becomes.
Many hyperpop vocal chains use multiple compressors. One might control dynamics, while another adds color and presence. You can also use parallel compression to blend a squashed version of your vocal with the original, creating a thicker, more aggressive tone.
Tune It Up With Autotune and Pitch Effects
Hyperpop is arguably the genre that pushed autotune into high art. The classic robotic vocal tone is a signature, and it’s achieved with fast retune speeds and intentional pitch manipulation.
Set your pitch correction plugin to the key of your song and turn the retune speed nearly all the way down for that iconic hard-tuned sound. Don’t stop at basic tuning—explore formant shifting, pitch doubling, and even MIDI-controlled vocal synthesis for an otherworldly effect.
Tools like Antares Auto-Tune, Waves Tune Real-Time, or even stock pitch correction plugins can all achieve that synthetic polish. If you want to speed things up, a hyperpop vocal preset from Cedar Sound Studios has these pitch tools preloaded and optimized.
Add Character With Saturation and Distortion
Hyperpop vocal mixing wouldn’t be complete without some tasteful destruction. Saturation adds warmth and color to your vocals, while distortion can bring that aggressive, blown-out character hyperpop is known for.
Use tape-style saturation plugins for smooth harmonic content, or go wild with bitcrushers, wave shapers, and amp sims to degrade the vocal and make it feel gritty and punk. Don’t be afraid to distort certain parts more than others—this genre embraces abrupt shifts in tone.
Layer distorted takes behind your clean vocal or apply different levels of saturation to your harmonies and ad-libs for added depth.
Design Space With Delay and Reverb
Instead of drowning your entire vocal in reverb, use spatial effects creatively. Short plate or room reverbs can help your vocal feel present and lively, while stereo delays can create a bouncing, glitchy texture that suits hyperpop’s futuristic aesthetic.
A quarter-note stereo delay with filtered feedback can add bounce without muddying the mix. You can also automate reverb sends to rise and fall dynamically with your arrangement. Add shimmer reverb for choruses or long ambient tails for outro sections.
Using multiple reverbs and delays with contrasting settings gives your vocal layers unique movement, which is essential in a genre defined by unpredictability.
Stack and Pan for Maximum Width
Hyperpop vocals often feel massive and omnipresent. The key to that sound is layering and stereo width. Record doubles of your lead vocals and pan them slightly left and right to create a wide, stereo image. Pitch-shifted harmonies and whispered doubles can add an eerie quality or create contrast between verses and hooks.
Ad-libs and interjections should be panned even wider. Add more reverb and delay to these than the main vocal so they float in the background. Some artists also automate panning on ad-libs for a constantly shifting vocal experience.
If you’re using a hyperpop vocal preset, you’ll likely find these stereo tools already set up—just drop your vocal in and tweak to taste.
Bus It All Together
Group all your vocal layers into a bus channel and apply light compression, final EQ, and saturation to glue everything together. A multiband compressor can tame rogue frequencies while a limiter ensures your vocal cuts without clipping. You can also add a final stereo widening plugin to give the vocals a more polished, professional finish.
This vocal bus is where your vocal sound becomes unified—especially important when working with stacked, modulated vocals and dynamic ad-libs.
Don’t Be Afraid to Break the Rules
Perhaps the most important thing to know about mixing hyperpop vocals is that there are no rules. You’re allowed to sound robotic, alien, overly tuned, distorted, or just plain weird. If something sounds “wrong” in a traditional mix but works emotionally or creatively in hyperpop, run with it.
Try automating formant shifts, stutter edits, reversed vocals, or resampling your voice through granular synthesis. Some of the best hyperpop songs started as experiments.
Speed Up Your Workflow With a Hyperpop Vocal Preset
If all of this sounds like a lot of steps—it is. Mixing hyperpop vocals can be complex, especially if you’re experimenting with extreme effects. That’s why so many producers use hyperpop vocal presets to get a pro sound faster.
Cedar Sound Studios offers a curated line of vocal presets specifically tailored for hyperpop. These presets are fully loaded with EQ, compression, pitch correction, saturation, delay, reverb, and stereo imaging—all optimized for that bold, processed vocal tone that hyperpop fans love. And the best part? They use only stock plugins, so you don’t need expensive software to sound great.