Add Ear Candy to Your Vocals: A Pro Trick to Enhance Your Chorus

Top engineers know that the secret to creating standout vocals lies in the subtle details. One such trick? Adding ear candy to the chorus in a way that makes the vocal pop, without the listener even realising it. In this post, I’m going to walk you through a step-by-step process to enhance any vocal performance with a simple yet effective effect chain. Plus, I’ll give you a few tips on how to use Dimension D, one of my go-to plugins, and other tricks to make your vocals sound amazing.

Why Use Dimension D for Vocals?

Dimension D is an industry-standard chorus effect that gives your vocals width and depth. It’s perfect for making a vocal feel fuller, especially in the chorus, where you want the vocal to expand and stand out from the verses. I like to use it in a way that adds stereo width to the sides, leaving the dry vocal clean in the middle. This creates that “wow” factor when the chorus hits, but it’s subtle enough that listeners won’t pinpoint what’s different.

How to Enhance Your Vocals with Dimension D

Ready to start adding some ear candy to your mix? Follow these steps to take your vocal to the next level.

Step 1: Start with a Dry Vocal

I always begin with a dry vocal that sits clean and central in the mix. A dry vocal means it has no added effects like reverb, delay, or modulation.

This gives us a clean canvas to work from before we begin adding any effects.

Step 2: Add Dimension D to Widen the Chorus

The goal here is to widen the vocal and give it some stereo spread when the chorus hits. I use the Dimension D plugin, but you can use any chorus plugin that has a similar effect.

• Set the Dimension D to "4" for a deep chorus sound.
• Hold Shift and also select "3" to blend multiple chorus types.
• Make sure the effect is applied only to the sides of the mix, leaving the middle clear.

This keeps the core of the vocal in the centre, while the chorus effect brings life to the sides.

Step 3: Use EQ to Isolate the Effect

Next, use an EQ plugin to isolate the chorus effect to the sides only. I prefer to use Pro-Q3 for this, but any mid/side EQ can do the trick.

• Add a brick wall filter in the mid-range to ensure the dry vocal remains untouched in the centre.
• Let the chorus effect breathe only in the sides, ensuring the vocal stays crisp and clear.

This technique allows the vocal to expand in the stereo field without muddying the centre of the mix.

Step 4: Add Reverb to the Chorus

To make the chorus even more impactful, I recommend adding some reverb, but only to the vocal bus where both the dry and effected vocals are routed.

• Create a vocal bus in your DAW (I use Logic Pro for this).
• Send both the dry vocal and the Dimension D vocal to this bus.
• Now, add a reverb plugin (I love Valhalla Reverb) to this bus and set the decay time to around 2 seconds.
• Choose a plate reverb for a smooth, warm effect, and use EQ to trim any unnecessary low or high frequencies in the reverb.

The result is a vocal that stays dry and clean in the verses, but opens up with stereo width and reverb in the chorus.

Step 5: Automate the Effects for Maximum Impact

To make sure the effect only hits during the chorus, automate the send to Dimension D so it kicks in just at the right moment.

• Bypass the Dimension D send for the verses.
• Engage it when the chorus starts, making the vocal instantly more engaging.

This creates a dynamic shift that makes the chorus sound bigger without being overwhelming.

Download My Free Dimension D Vocal Template

Want to try this for yourself? I’ve created a custom Logic Pro template that you can download for free. This template is designed to give your vocals that pro treatment with minimal setup—just drop in your vocal and go!