To build a Bad Bunny-style vocal in Logic Pro or GarageBand, keep a warm, low lead close and clear, apply light-to-medium pitch correction, compress it at about 3:1, and add short ad-libs and a delay timed to the beat. Start with a high-pass near 80 Hz, a cut around 300 Hz, a gentle boost near 4 kHz, and an echo set to a beat division of your tempo.
This guide gives stock-plugin starting settings for that sound, as people usually describe it: a laid-back baritone voice, audible Auto-Tune, layered ad-libs and rhythmic delays over reggaeton and Latin trap beats. We use that description as reference listening only. We do not know the artist's real plugins, settings or recording setup, so treat every value as a starting point and adjust by ear. To load a finished chain, see our Logic Pro vocal presets or our GarageBand vocal presets.
Thir13een is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Bad Bunny or anyone who works with him. "Bad Bunny-style" names a sound we aim to approximate, nothing more.
What does a Bad Bunny-style vocal sound like?
Listeners often point to a handful of traits. The voice sits low, with a relaxed baritone tone and a slightly nasal, conversational delivery. Pitch correction is often audible, which gives some lines a smooth, stepped glide. Short ad-libs and shouts answer the lead. Delays and reverbs are present but follow the rhythm of the track.
Much of this sound comes from the performance and the language. Spanish vowels are open and the phrasing is rhythmic, so the chain has to keep the words clear without making the voice thin. A chain can supply the polish, but it cannot supply the delivery. Record each line with the same relaxed, close tone, then shape it. Match what you hear in reference tracks.
What tempo and groove do reggaeton and Latin trap use?
Reggaeton is built on the dembow rhythm, and many tracks sit roughly between 85 and 100 BPM. Latin trap often runs in a similar range or at a half-time feel of a faster tempo. Check your own project tempo first, because your delay times depend on it. The vocal feels relaxed when the delay repeats land on the groove instead of fighting it.
What are good starting settings?
Use this table on a clean vocal. It uses stock plugins, so it works in Logic Pro and in GarageBand on Mac. Logic Pro names come first. Change one setting at a time and judge it against the full beat.
| Stage | Plugin and parameter | Starting value | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| EQ | Channel EQ, high-pass | About 80 Hz | Removes rumble but keeps the low baritone weight |
| EQ | Channel EQ, low-mid cut | Cut 2 to 3 dB around 250 to 350 Hz | Clears boxy sound from a close mic |
| EQ | Channel EQ, presence | Boost 1 to 2 dB around 3 to 5 kHz | Keeps Spanish consonants clear over a heavy beat |
| Pitch | Logic: Pitch Correction plugin, Response. GarageBand: Pitch Correction slider and Limit to Key in the audio region editor | Response fast (low value) for an audible effect; slider about 70 to 100 percent. Set the key and scale of your song | Gives the stepped, tuned character. Use less for a natural result |
| Compressor | Ratio | 3:1 | Evens out relaxed and louder lines |
| Compressor | Threshold | About 3 to 5 dB of gain reduction on loud phrases | Watch the gain reduction meter |
| Compressor | Attack / Release | Attack 10 to 20 ms, Release 60 to 120 ms | Keeps the start of each word and recovers before the next |
| De-esser | DeEsser 2 (Logic). In GarageBand, use a narrow Channel EQ cut near 6 to 8 kHz | Around 6 to 8 kHz, reduce 2 to 4 dB | Controls the "s" sounds that the presence boost brings out |
| Saturation | Overdrive or Distortion plugin, low drive | Just enough to add a little edge | Helps the voice cut through without more EQ |
| Delay | Echo, synced to tempo, on a send | 1/4 or dotted 1/8 note, feedback 15 to 25 percent, send low | Rhythmic repeats that follow the beat |
| Reverb | ChromaVerb (Logic) or Reverb send (GarageBand) | Short room or plate, under 1.5 seconds, low level | Adds space without washing out the words |
How do I get the audible pitch-correction sound?
In Logic Pro, add the Pitch Correction plugin on the vocal track, set the key and scale of your song, and lower the Response value until the pitch snaps quickly between notes. A fast response gives the stepped, robotic glide. A slower response keeps the vocal more natural.
In GarageBand on Mac, double-click the audio region to open the editor, turn on Pitch Correction using the slider, and enable Limit to Key. Slide it toward 100 for a harder effect and lower it for a lighter one.
How do I set a dembow-tempo delay?
Create a send to an aux track with the Echo plugin. In Logic Pro, set the delay time to a note division such as a quarter note or a dotted eighth, and keep feedback low, around 15 to 25 percent, so each repeat fades fast. Use a high-cut on the echo near 4 kHz so the repeats stay behind the lead. In GarageBand, use the Echo send in the track controls and set the Echo time to a note value that matches your project tempo.
Automate the send on the last word of a phrase, so the echo "throws" off the end of the line and does not clutter every word. In Logic Pro, draw send automation on the track. In GarageBand, copy the last word or two to a second vocal track with Echo and Reverb sends turned up in the track controls.
How do I add ad-libs and doubles?
Record the lead first. Then record short ad-libs as separate takes that answer or finish the line, and keep them a few dB below the lead. You can double only the key words with a second take for width. Doubles should thicken the line, not turn it into a chorus.
In GarageBand, record each layer on its own track. For a full signal order that works with rap and trap vocals, see our rap vocal chain guide.
How do I do this in GarageBand?
On Mac, select the vocal track, open the Smart Controls, and use the Plug-ins section to add Channel EQ and Compressor. Use the Pitch Correction slider in the audio region editor, and the Reverb and Echo sends in the track controls. iOS layouts differ, so we list no iOS-only values.
Stock plugins or a preset: which should I use?
The stock chain above is free and enough for a finished mix. A preset saves time, because the chain is already built and you tune it to your voice. We do not claim any preset reproduces an artist's voice. A preset is a starting chain, nothing more.
For GarageBand, the Hip-Hop Hitmakers Vocal Preset Bundle for GarageBand ($20.00) is a good fit for trap-style vocals. It is an instant digital download. See every option in the GarageBand vocal presets collection.
Logic Pro user? You can download Toronto Warmth, our free preset for Logic Pro X. It is built for Logic Pro X, so it only helps if you also use Logic. For more options, see the Logic Pro vocal presets collection.
More vocal style guides
- Vocal sounds by artist: every style guide in one place
- Future-style vocals in Logic Pro and GarageBand
- Travis Scott-style vocals in Logic Pro and GarageBand
- How to get Juice WRLD-style vocals in Logic Pro and GarageBand
FAQ
Is there a free Bad Bunny-style vocal preset?
Our free preset, Toronto Warmth, is for Logic Pro X and is not made for this sound. Our GarageBand presets are paid. The stock chain on this page is free in both apps.
How do I get a Bad Bunny-style vocal in GarageBand?
Keep the lead close and warm, add Channel EQ and Compressor, use the Pitch Correction slider with Limit to Key, and add Echo and Reverb sends. Record ad-libs on separate tracks.
Does he use a lot of Auto-Tune?
We do not know his settings. Many listeners describe pitch correction as audible on his records, so this guide uses a faster pitch response. Lower it for a natural sound.
Is this made by or endorsed by Bad Bunny?
No. Thir13een is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Bad Bunny.
