Vocal chops are short, chopped-up segments of a vocal recording, rearranged or played rhythmically to create new melodies, textures, or effects. Instead of using the full vocal phrase or performance, producers slice the vocal sample into smaller pieces and creatively manipulate them in ways that often depart from the original intent of the vocal.
Key Characteristics of Vocal Chops
- Rhythmic Play: The chopped vocal pieces are often played back in a rhythmic fashion, sometimes acting as percussive elements within a song.
- Pitch Shifting: Producers frequently pitch up or down the vocal chops to create new melodic lines or harmonies.
- Creative Effects: Effects like reverb, delay, or distortion are often applied to vocal chops to give them a unique, processed sound.
- Manipulation: Vocal chops are heavily manipulated, with time-stretching, gating, or even reversing techniques being commonly applied to make them more abstract or futuristic.
If you’re working with vocal chops in FL Studio, you’ll want plugins that allow you to slice, manipulate, and creatively process vocals. Some of the best plugins for vocal chops that work seamlessly in FL Studio include:
Fruity Granulizer
The Fruity Granulizer in FL Studio is perfect for getting experimental with vocal chops. It breaks down audio into small grains that can be stretched and manipulated to create unique vocal textures. It’s especially useful for creating ambient, glitchy, or futuristic vocal effects, making it a favorite for electronic music producers.
FL Slicer
As an FL Studio native plugin, FL Slicer is great for chopping up samples, including vocals. You can drag and drop vocal samples into the plugin, and it will automatically slice the sample into smaller segments based on transient markers or time divisions. From there, you can rearrange the slices and trigger them in various creative ways using your MIDI controller.
Newtone
Another built-in FL Studio tool, Newtone excels at pitch correction, time-stretching, and slicing. While its primary function is for pitch editing, it’s also handy for chopping up vocals into pieces that can be rearranged or manipulated further. It also offers formant and pitch-shifting features that are ideal for creating unique vocal chops.
Serato Sample
Serato Sample is a powerful tool for chopping samples. It automatically detects the best slices in a vocal sample, or you can manually create chops. Its key feature is the ability to pitch shift without altering the sample’s tempo, which is crucial for vocal chops. With its intuitive interface, it’s easy to quickly turn a vocal sample into a creative chopped element.
Gross Beat
Also native to FL Studio, Gross Beat is typically used for time and volume manipulation, but it’s incredibly effective for vocal chops, too. You can use its time-stretching and gating capabilities to create rhythmic chops and stutters. The plugin allows for real-time manipulation of the audio, giving you instant creative results.
Great Chops Come From Great Vocals
While tools and techniques for creating vocal chops are widely available, the quality of the original vocal recordings remains paramount. Exceptional vocal chops stem from superior vocal quality, ensuring that the resulting samples are dynamic, expressive, and polished. For producers looking to craft memorable tracks, prioritizing vocal quality is an investment that pays off in the long run, ultimately elevating the overall sound and impact of their music.
Explore our collection for a for quality vocals to chop.
