The Robotic Secret: Unmasking The Auto-Tune Plugin And Settings 2hollis Uses

The unique, heavily processed, and robotically precise vocal sound of 2hollis is one of the most distinctive sonic signatures in modern experimental music. As of December 2025, the exact plugin 2hollis uses remains a closely guarded secret, as is common with many top-tier producers, but the consensus within the hyperpop and underground electronic music community points strongly to the industry-standard tool, Antares Auto-Tune. His signature sound, however, is less about the specific software and more about the extreme, unconventional settings and complex vocal chain he employs, blending high-speed pitch correction with heavy modulation, distortion, and atmospheric effects to create his signature "glitchcore" or "EDM-rap" vocal texture.

This deep dive will break down the entire 2hollis vocal chain, from the microphone he uses to the specific plugin settings and post-processing effects, allowing you to understand and replicate the core elements of his groundbreaking sound. The key to his sound is not a single plugin, but the meticulous layering and aggressive application of multiple effects that push the boundaries of traditional vocal mixing.

2hollis: Biography, Musical Style, and Production Context

To truly understand 2hollis's vocal sound, one must first appreciate the artist behind it. His production choices are deeply tied to his genre-blending, experimental aesthetic.

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• Full Name: Hollis Parker Frazier-Herndon
• Date of Birth: January 5, 2004
• Age: 21 years old (as of late 2025)
• Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
• Current Base: Los Angeles, by way of Chicago
• Occupation: Rapper, singer, producer, composer, and songwriter
• Musical Style: Known for blending genres like hyperpop, experimental electronic music, EDM-inspired rap, and glitchcore. His music is characterized by vibrant melodies, complex sound design, and heavy, often distorted, electronic drums.

Hollis Frazier-Herndon, known professionally as 2hollis, emerged from the SoundCloud scene, quickly establishing himself as a pioneer in the modern underground. His production is often described as having an "insanely creative style" and "insanity" due to the complex layers and unconventional sound design. This experimental approach to production is directly reflected in his heavily manipulated vocals, which are treated more like an instrument or a synth lead than a traditional rap or singing voice.

The Likely Auto-Tune Plugin and Core Settings

While 2hollis has not officially confirmed his specific autotune software, the overwhelming consensus and industry standard for the hyper-processed sound he achieves is either Antares Auto-Tune Pro or a similar high-quality pitch correction VST.

1. Antares Auto-Tune: The Hyperpop Standard

The majority of producers in the hyperpop genre, including those with sounds similar to 2hollis, rely on Antares Auto-Tune. This is due to its superior tracking and its ability to achieve the signature "T-Pain" or "robotic" effect when the settings are pushed to the extreme.

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• Retune Speed: This is the most critical setting. For the signature 2hollis sound, the Retune Speed must be set to the absolute minimum, or 0 (Zero). This forces the vocal to snap instantly to the nearest note in the selected key, creating the distinct, robotic, stair-step pitch effect that is central to his sound.
• Key and Scale: The correct key and scale must be set precisely for the desired effect to work. Any mismatch will result in jarring, out-of-key artifacts.
• Flex-Tune/Humanize: These parameters should be set to 0% or completely bypassed. The goal is to remove all natural human inflection, maximizing the artificial, synthesized quality of the voice.

2. The "Double-Autotune" Technique

An advanced technique frequently cited for achieving the extreme pitch correction heard in 2hollis's tracks is the use of two instances of autotune.

• Instance 1 (Subtle Correction): A first instance with a moderate Retune Speed might be used to gently correct the pitch of the raw vocal.
• Instance 2 (The Effect): A second instance is then placed after the first, set to the ultra-fast 0 Retune Speed. This is the plugin that creates the aggressive, robotic effect, working on an already corrected signal for maximum precision.

The Complete 2hollis Vocal Chain: Beyond Just Pitch Correction

The autotune effect is only the foundation. 2hollis’s truly unique sound is built through a complex sequence of post-processing effects that add texture, space, and a feeling of sonic chaos. His full vocal chain can be broken down into five critical stages.

Stage 1: Microphone and Preamp (The Input)

The quality of the input is crucial, even for heavily processed vocals. 2hollis is known to use the Shure SM7B dynamic microphone.

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• Shure SM7B: A broadcast-quality microphone known for its excellent rejection of room noise and a smooth, warm mid-range. This helps keep the vocal clean and focused, even when it’s heavily distorted later in the chain.
• Cloud Lifter: Often used in conjunction with the Shure SM7B to provide clean gain, ensuring the signal is strong before hitting the interface and the first plugin.

Stage 2: Tonal Shaping (EQ and Filtering)

To achieve the "tinny tone" or "telephone effect" often associated with his sound, aggressive equalization is necessary.

• High-Pass Filter (HPF): Cutting out a significant amount of the low-end (below 200-300Hz) to remove mud and achieve a thinner, more digital sound.
• Mid-Range Boost/Cut: A surgical cut in the lower-mids (around 300-500Hz) to remove boxiness, followed by a boost in the upper-mids (2kHz-5kHz) to emphasize clarity and the "tinny" texture.

Stage 3: Modulation and Stereo Width

This is where the vocal is given its signature width and movement, making it feel less static and more "electronic."

• Chorus/Flanger: The heavy use of a Chorus or Flanger plugin is essential for stereo separation and movement. This effect duplicates the vocal, slightly detunes it, and delays it, making the single vocal track sound wide, lush, and slightly unstable.
• Stereo Imager/Widener: Plugins like the free Fresh Air or a dedicated stereo widener can be used to push the vocal further out into the stereo field.

Stage 4: Distortion and Saturation (The Glitchcore Edge)

The final layer of texture often involves adding a controlled amount of distortion or saturation to give the vocal a gritty, digital edge.

• Light Distortion/Filtering: A subtle distortion or saturation plugin is applied to add harmonics and a sense of "fuzz" or aggression to the sound. This is often a key element in the "glitchy" sound design.
• Glitch Plugins: For the truly chaotic, rhythmic effects heard in some of his tracks, plugins like Gross Beat (FL Studio) or Dblue Glitch are often used to create rhythmic stutters, tape-stop effects, and pitch randomization.

Stage 5: Space and Ambience (The "Verbed Out" Sound)

2hollis frequently uses a highly atmospheric, "verbed out" vocal chain.

• Reverb: A large, often dark or metallic-sounding reverb is used with a long decay time. This pushes the vocal back in the mix, giving it a dreamy, atmospheric quality that contrasts with the aggressive autotune.
• Delay: A rhythmic Delay (often a dotted eighth note) is used to fill in the space between vocal phrases, adding to the overall sense of movement and depth.

In conclusion, while the core tool is almost certainly Antares Auto-Tune Pro set to a Retune Speed of 0, the true genius of 2hollis’s vocal production lies in his mastery of the entire signal chain. By treating the voice as a malleable, electronic sound source and layering multiple effects—from the Shure SM7B to heavy Chorus, aggressive EQ, and rhythmic Glitch plugins—he has defined a new standard for hyper-processed vocals in modern music.