Playboi Carti's vocals are some of the most imitated in modern rap: the high "baby voice", raw and distorted delivery on the rage records, tuned melodies, and ad-libs flying everywhere. A big part of it is performance, but the processing matters too. Here's how to approach a similar sound.
We're not affiliated with Playboi Carti or his team. This describes how to approach a similar sound, based on what you can hear on the records.
Performance first
No plugin creates the baby voice by itself. It's mostly a delivery: higher, nasal, playful, with exaggerated vowels and rhythm. Practise it, record lots of takes, and pick the most characterful ones. The processing below enhances the performance; it doesn't replace it.
What you're hearing
- A high, small-sounding voice, from the delivery and sometimes a brighter formant.
- Raw grit and distortion, especially on the rage-style records.
- Tuning on the melodic parts.
- Chaotic ad-libs, panned, pitched and layered.
- Little reverb. Raw and upfront.
Step 1: Record
- Close to the mic, dry room, pop filter.
- Leave plenty of headroom: this delivery jumps in level.
- Record ad-libs and doubles on separate tracks.
More in how to record vocals at home.
Step 2: Tuning
On melodic parts, tune to the song's key with a fast retune speed. On the more rhythmic, shouted parts, you may leave it off or keep it subtle.
Step 3: Formant and pitch
- Formant up slightly (around +1 to +3 semitones) on the lead makes the voice sound smaller and younger without changing the notes. Go easy: too much sounds cartoonish.
- Pitched layers: a quiet octave-up copy adds the squeaky top; an octave-down copy on ad-libs adds weight.
Step 4: EQ and compression
- High-pass around 120 to 150 Hz. This voice lives up high.
- Cut mud around 250 to 400 Hz.
- Boost the mids around 1 to 3 kHz for the nasal edge.
- Compress firmly: 4:1 to 6:1, fast attack, 6 to 10 dB of gain reduction, plus a limiter for peaks.
See the vocal compression settings guide.
Step 5: Distortion, in parallel
- Send the vocal to a parallel channel with heavy saturation or distortion.
- High-pass that channel around 300 Hz and low-pass it around 6 to 8 kHz.
- Blend it under the clean vocal until it adds grit without blurring the words.
- De-ess after the distortion; it makes esses harsher.
Step 6: Effects and ad-libs
- Delay: short 1/8 or 1/16 slaps, plus throws on phrase endings.
- Reverb: minimal, short and filtered, if any.
- Ad-libs: pan hard, vary them, pitch some up or down, and keep them under the lead.
A quick starting point with Instinct
Instinct sets up the base chain from your recording: EQ, three compressors in series, de-essing, saturation, width, delay and reverb. For this style:
- In Excite, choose a dirtier saturation type such as Drive or Crush and raise it. It's blended in parallel, so the words stay clear.
- In Creative FX → Pitch, keep Pitch at 0 and raise Formant a little for a smaller voice, or use +12 or −12 on ad-lib tracks.
- Turn the Reverb mix down for a raw, upfront sound.
Download the free beta and try it on your vocal.
Common mistakes
- Relying on processing for the baby voice. The delivery does most of the work.
- Distortion on the whole vocal. Parallel keeps it readable.
- Too much formant shift. It quickly sounds like a chipmunk.
FAQ
How do I get the Playboi Carti baby voice?
Mostly through performance: a high, nasal, playful delivery. Processing can help: a slight formant shift up makes the voice sound smaller and younger without changing the pitch, and pitch-shifted layers add to the effect.
How do I distort vocals without losing the words?
Use the distortion in parallel: send the vocal to a distorted channel and blend it under the clean one. High-pass the distorted signal so it adds grit in the mids without muddying the low end.
Should rage vocals have reverb?
Usually very little. This sound is raw and upfront. Use short delays and occasional throws rather than a big reverb.