Tommy Richman - Vocal Preset Essentials

Tommy Richman Vocal Preset Pack — The Indie Soul Falsetto Chain

Tommy Richman's breakout sound on MILLION DOLLAR BABY put a specific type of vocal processing in the spotlight — high falsetto delivery, retro soul warmth, and an intimacy that cuts through modern production without sounding vintage or lo-fi. This preset gives you that exact falsetto-forward indie soul vocal chain.

Built specifically for high-register vocals that need to sound warm, present, and emotionally real — not thin, not harsh, not over-processed.

What's Inside

• EQ Profile — 100Hz high-pass (falsetto rarely needs low-end body), careful 300–500Hz cut to prevent boxiness in the upper-chest register, 3–5kHz presence boost for forward intimacy, 8–10kHz subtle air shelf
• Compression — Slow attack (25–35ms) to let the falsetto onset breathe naturally, low ratio (3:1), light gain reduction (3–4dB max) — preserves the delicate dynamic variation in falsetto delivery
• Pitch Correction — Slow retune speed (60–80ms) — falsetto has natural pitch variation; over-correction makes it sound mechanical. Transparent and supportive only.
• Reverb — Warm plate reverb (1.2–1.8s), moderate wet mix (20–25%) — gives the vocal space without pushing it too far back in the mix
• Saturation — Tube saturation (very low drive) to add harmonic warmth to the otherwise thin falsetto register — this is what gives the retro soul color
• Vocal Doubling — Slight pitch-shifted double (+-8 cents) for subtle width and depth on key phrases

DAW Compatibility

All versions use 100% stock plugins:

• ✅ FL Studio 21 — Fruity Parametric EQ 2, Fruity Reverb 2, Pitcher, Maximus
• ✅ Ableton Live Suite 11+ — EQ Eight, Reverb, Glue Compressor, Tuner
• ✅ GarageBand (Mac/iOS) — Channel EQ, ChromaVerb, Multipressor
• ✅ Logic Pro X — Channel EQ, Chromaverb, Vintage VCA, Pitch Correction

Who This Is For

• Indie soul, neo-soul, and R&B-adjacent producers
• Vocalists who sing primarily in falsetto or head voice
• Producers chasing the MILLION DOLLAR BABY-era retro-warm indie sound

How to Use It

1. Download and extract the preset for your DAW
2. Load into your vocal channel
3. Set input gain so falsetto peaks hit around -14 to -12dBFS (falsetto is delicate — leave headroom)
4. Do NOT over-compress — the preset's slow attack preserves natural falsetto dynamics
5. Adjust tube saturation drive to taste — more warmth for retro soul feel, less for contemporary indie

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work for chest voice as well?

It's optimized for falsetto/head voice, but works reasonably for chest voice. If singing in chest voice, lower the high-pass to 80Hz and reduce the 300–500Hz cut — chest voice needs that body preserved.

Do I need paid plugins?

No. All settings use stock plugins included with your DAW.

What if the pitch correction makes my falsetto sound robotic?

Slow the retune speed down further (80–100ms) or disable pitch correction altogether if the performance is clean. Falsetto benefits from minimal correction in most cases.