KVR Audio

Cole1012 · Post by **Cole1012** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:17 pm

What are considered the best paid (or free) vocal effect plugins?

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:21 pm

You're going to have to be more specific. Are you looking for something like a vocal channel strip (e.g., with EQ, dynamics, de-essing)? Creative vocal effects?

ksandvik · Post by **ksandvik** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 9:23 pm

For vocal processing you basically need:
* a good compressor, Logic's built in compressors are nice
* pitch/timing editing tools, Melodyne, Logic's Flex pitch or something similar
* Built-in eqs or then a good SSL or similar analog deck EQ system.

That gets you far. I would say if you don't have Logic already and are a Mac user, you get lots of mileage from the built-in tools.

kelvyn · Post by **kelvyn** » Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:02 pm

Try Nectar 2. It is a vocal swiss army knife with a lot of different dynamic/reverb/pitch/Eq/Saturater/deesser effects and has a whole bunch of presets for all different kinds of vocal styles and genres.
Slates VMR is also not bad for vocals as it comprises of a rack with 2 compressors, 2 Eq's and an extra bass and treble enhancer. A deesser would be a good addition to the VMR.

There are a lot of different combinations of plugins from different developers that are also good for vocals.

I personally would demo the Izotope Nectar 2.

shane1980 · Post by **shane1980** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:30 pm

I recommend you try Vocalist, it is a unique, comprehensive and powerful tool for your vocal tracks. It combines effects units such as De-esser, EQ, Compressor, Doubler and Reverb and each one has been optimized for the human voice.
Here you can hear its result
http://www.supremepiano.com/product/vocal.html

wesleyt · Post by **wesleyt** » Thu Dec 25, 2014 12:30 am

For any clean vocal treatment, I always start with an all-FabFilter rack: Pro-G into Pro-DS (and/or Pro-MB), then Pro-Q, then Pro-C. Of course, the order and specific plugs may vary depending on the actual vocals I'm working on.

If I didn't have those, I'd just use Logic's built in plugs; most are very good.

If I were to start fresh, I'd trial the Nectar suite; it looks great.

There are many other options; you could build a great stack from IK's T-Racks group buy for the cost of one plug. Wave Arts makes a great vocal channel strip; Voxengo does too. And Eareckon's channel strip would also be sufficient.

Good luck!

Rumdrum · Post by **Rumdrum** » Tue Dec 30, 2014 1:49 pm

Since you ask for the "best" you can forget about the free ones. You normally get what you pay for. Pay nothing - get nothing. There are exeptions, but not related to the topic. Some of the "best" pluggs cost almost as much as a complete DAW, somtimes even more. The pluggs enclosed in a DAW can get you on your way, but they are far from "the best" (exeptions here as well - depending on needs).

The "best" would also relate to what kind of music you are doing. It is different "best" if you want to tweek the sound or reproduce a natural sound.

Then it is the vocalist ability to sing.

I guess you already own a very good mic? Without a good recording (vocalist and mic) you are most likely stuck no matter what pluggs you have.

Given that you are going to reproduce natural or close to natural singing I would say that Fab Filter are the "best" (if you would like to use one make). They are far better than the ones enclosed with any DAW. You "need" a compressor, an EQ and most likely a deesser, and a good reverb. For reverb I use convolutions as I find them the most versatile. I use Waves Live IR and different IRs, mostly Ruined Castles on vocals. I sometimes switch the FabFilter compressor with Soft Tubes CL1B (If you can do with several makes). You may also need a delay. However here the qualities among the different brands are more even, and what you really pay for are the variety of delay options. The ones enclosed with the DAWs would do fine for most natural singing. FabFilter (and many more) for more "strange" and FX delay.

If you like to tweek I have found several interesting plugs but the mentioned by somebody else; Nectar 2 is very good.

Melodyne or similar has been mentioned on this forum. Melodyne is the best pitch and beat correction tool, if the vocalist is somewhat off.

simon.a.billington · Post by **simon.a.billington** » Tue Jan 20, 2015 7:09 am

Actually it would probably be best at this stage to wait till after NAMM announcements but....

The Signature Series Vocal plugins would be a good place to start for a pro angle on tone
http://www.waves.com/bundles/signature-series-vocals

For pitch and timing there a few alternatives including what may be native in your DAW, but then there are options from iZotope, Antares or Waves again which has sweet sounding the Waves Tune, Soundshifter and Ultrapitch plugins.

They often go on sale, so I'd wait for that... If nothing better comes out of NAMM

Paschalis I. · Post by **Paschalis I.** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 2:36 am

Izotope nectar is pretty good, but still I won't rely on a suite for something.

An EQ/Comp/Delay or Reverb that you know how to use are enough for your needs.

No suite or plugin would give you that kind of sound if you don't how to use it.

Get yourself a decent EQ, a decent compressor and some time based effects like delay and reverb.
Maybe a saturator for harmonics and you're ready to go.

There's no "best vocal plugin" or chain sorry

crystalmsc · Post by **crystalmsc** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 5:00 am

kelvyn wrote:Try Nectar 2. It is a vocal swiss army knife with a lot of different dynamic/reverb/pitch/Eq/Saturater/deesser effects and has a whole bunch of presets for all different kinds of vocal styles and genres.

+1 for Nectar 2, the Production Suite version is a great value.

Aloysius · Post by **Aloysius** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 6:30 am

Soundtoys Little AlterBoy Free is awesome.

You can get it here:

https://www.soundtoys.com/sxsw2015/&rc=334-2681-063

MadAnthony81 · Post by **MadAnthony81** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:11 am

Hi,

All of these can really make your tracks shine. Each of them can be used according to any individual purpose for a vocal track including the CLA-76 especially!

Please mention Chris to the man behind the phone. Here is a link. http://www.waves.com/bundles/cla-classi ... ompressors

Shaloxeroligon · Post by **Shaloxeroligon** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 3:29 pm

Honestly, the best "vocal plugin" is really just knowing how to use the stock plugins in your DAW.

I can get a great-sounding vocal using nothing more than an EQ, compressor, de-esser, maybe a little saturation and reverb/delay for polish. Other than that, if the vocal is recorded well and performed well, you don't really need much of anything beyond those.

There is no Wonder Bread, magic vocal plugin that makes any vocal sound good. It's a combination of knowing what is lacking about your vocal and fixing it, and considering what you can add to your vocal to make it shine. And you can do all of that with stock DAW plugins, which are 100% free (assuming you already own the DAW) and don't require you to download or install anything new.

However, if I had to give you one suggestion for what to spend your money on, it would be a good, $100 mic, preferably a large-diaphragm condenser.

Hope that helps. =)

RunBeerRun · Post by **RunBeerRun** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:42 pm

There's many good starter plugins, (de-esser, eq, compression, doubler...)

but where's the Thrill Me feature and the Never Forget My Name features?

Shaloxeroligon · Post by **Shaloxeroligon** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 5:03 pm

RunBeerRun wrote:There's many good starter plugins, (de-esser, eq, compression, doubler...)

but where's the Thrill Me feature and the Never Forget My Name features?

I don't know what you mean. If you're referencing specific vocal sounds from songs, those are not "features." Those are combinations of effects, generally, not one plugin. And the ones that do exist (i.e. Voxengo Voxformer) are just combinations of the effects I mentioned above.

In all honesty, no mixing plugin can really be a substitute for mixing skill. There is no one plugin that will make any vocal sound perfect, or even pretty good. It's a combination of effects and mixing ability that turns a decent vocal into an amazing one.

Best Vocal Plugin