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Hi KVR community!I'm a solo developer working on VocalForge, a full vocal processing chain plugin built with JUCE. After months of development, I've reached a point where I need real world feedback from experienced users, and I'd love for some of you to be part of the beta testing process. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
What is VocalForge?
VocalForge is designed to replace an entire vocal processing chain with a single cohesive plugin. Instead of loading 8-10 different plugins for a complete vocal mix, everything lives in one interface with a simplified streamlined workflow. I understand some producers already have a set way for doing their vocal chains which they will never change, so the target audience will most likely be newer producers but if you're still curious and want it give it go, please don't hesitate. The plugin features 9 professional modules organized into three workflow tabs:
CLEANUP Tab: Foundation & ControlPitch Correction - Autotune style correction but simplified (2 knobs, 2 drop downs)
Tone Shaping (EQ) - Automatic EQ based off Vocal type (WIP advance button to show Parametric EQ)
Noise Removal (Gate/Limiter) - Noise gate with real time waveform visualization & limiter controls
ENHANCE Tab - Character & PresenceMultiband Compressor - OTT inspired multiband upward/downward compression but simplified
Saturation - Analog style harmonic saturation
De-Esser - Accurate wideband algorithm for surgical sibilance control with visualizer ("S's", "T's", "K's")
SPACE Tab - Dimension & WidthReverb - 5 professional presets with ducking (sidechaining) for vocal clarity
Delay - BPM sync with time snap and animated toggles
Stereo Widener - 3 style presets for mono compatible width
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Key Features
- Drag & Drop Module Ordering - Reorder your signal chain in real-time. Want De-Esser before Multiband Compression? Just drag it. Each tab lets you customize the processing order.
- Low Latency - Perfect for live monitoring and tracking sessions (WIP to get it even lower)
- Visual Feedback - Real time waveform displays, gain reduction meters, and animated controls
- Preset System - Professional starting points for each module (Male Vocal, Female Vocal, different reverb spaces, etc.)
- Bypass Toggles - Every module has an LED bypass button for easy A/B comparison
- Simple UI - Clean and simple UI to make navigation easy (Still subject to change)
Technical Approach
I've focused on matching industry standard quality wherever possible:
- De-Esser: Implements the wideband processing approach similar to how FabFilter Pro-DS does theirs, with dual envelope tracking (RMS + Peak) for transient detection and binary event-based sibilance detection
- Multiband Compression: 3 band multiband compression with separate upward/downward processing per band.
- Reverb: versatile reverb with ducking (sidechaining), frequency shaping (low/high cut), and carefully crafted presets. Everything in the space tabs runs in parallel (Clones the vocal chain so you can edit just the reverb which doesn't effect the main chain)
- DSP: All processing is thread safe (Low CPU usage) with proper real time audio considerations
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Current Beta Status
What's Working Well:
- All 9 modules are functional
- Drag & drop reordering system
- Preset management per module
- Visual feedback systems
- Low latency processing
- Bypass states and parameter automation
- Pitch correction algorithm (functional but being improved)
- CPU optimization across all modules
- Latency optimization (trying to achieve under 1ms)
- Edge case handling in certain parameter combinations
- Full project level preset system (per module presets work great, but I want one single preset drop down box that affects all modules to quickly pick vocal chains)
What Beta Testers Get
- Free access to VocalForge during the entire beta period
- Direct input into feature development and workflow improvements
- Early access to updates as development progresses
- A dedicated Discord server for discussion, bug reports, and community feedback
- When the plugin is finally released. Beta testers will receive a discounted version of the released plugin.
What I'm Looking For
I need testers who can:
- Use it on real projects - Testing on actual raw vocal tracks, not just pre made vocals.
- Multi Genre Producers - I'm looking for all vocal genre's for the plugin to be tested against.
- Report bugs effectively - Screenshots, steps to reproduce, DAW/OS info in discord.
- Provide honest workflow feedback - What feels intuitive? What's confusing? What's missing?
- Join the Discord - This is where updates, discussions, and bug reports happen.
- Be patient - This is active development; things will break and get fixed.
System Requirements
- Format: VST3, AU
- OS: Windows 10/11 or macOS
- DAW: Any VST3 or AU compatible DAW (tested in FL Studio, Ableton Live, Studio One, Reaper)
- Installation: Standard VST3 or AU folder installation
How to Join the Beta
If you're interested in testing VocalForge, here's the process:
1. Fill out the Google Form: https://forms.gle/7u9M4VxWNBzYr9iEA (https://forms.gle/7u9M4VxWNBzYr9iEA) This puts you in a que to access the Google Drive with the beta builds. The form includes a brief agreement about the beta testing process.
2. Join the Discord Server: https://discord.gg/y2z2mHF4ew (https://discord.gg/y2z2mHF4ew) This is where all updates, discussions, and support happen. Both the form and Discord are mandatory for beta access. Once you're in (and have been accepted to join the beta), You're role will be changed to "
Beta Tester" and you'll have access to the private channels.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Why I'm Building This
Honestly? I'm tired of paying $200 for plugins. It's unrealistic, and doesn't allow people like me who are just bedroom producers or hobbyist to make quality vocals without a dent in my wallet. I've been producing for over 10 years now and I've had my fair share at mixing vocals, and now I want to give my knowledge from what I learned; compact it into a plugin, and then offer it to people who may be struggling getting studio quality vocals like I once did, for cheap. That's my ultimate goal: get professional high quality plugins into everyone's hands for a good price.
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Questions?
Feel free to ask anything in this thread. I'm happy to answer questions about the technical approach, specific modules, development roadmap, or anything else. I'm genuinely excited to see what you all think and how VocalForge performs in real world scenarios. Your feedback will directly shape where this goes. Thanks for reading, and I excited to hear what you guys have to say!
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TL;DR: All in one vocal chain processing plugin with 9 modules (pitch correction, EQ, noise gate/limiter, multiband compression, saturation, de-esser, reverb, delay, stereo widener). Looking for beta testers who work with vocals and can provide real feedback. Fill out form + join Discord to get access.
