Best FREE Vocal Mixing Plugins One of the most important tasks
in music production is mixing vocals. To do it properly,
you'll need a few high-quality plugins. However, if you're on a tight budget,
you're probably looking for the best free vocal plugins that won't cost you a fortune.
Fortunately, there are many free vocal mixing plugins available from generous developers.
In this video I’ll be showing you the best options to download for free. Be sure to
like this video and share on other social media platforms. Let’s take a look at the first one.
Compression is a crucial task in vocal mixing. It entails controlling the dynamics of the vocal
so that it sits nicely in the mix even during quiet passages.
Every compressor plugin has a distinct personality but one that’s excellent for vocals is the LA-2A.
The optical LA-2A compressor is the most well-known compressor style for vocals.
This is a buttery smooth vintage compressor with photocell and tube gain stages. It's
well-known for its gradual attack time and gentle release, which complement great vocals perfectly.
Analog Obsession has released another compelling take on the LA-2A that you
can download for free. However, with so many excellent plugins included in their bundle,
consider supporting them if you download all of them.
Vocal pitch correction has evolved into an essential component of modern vocal production.
Before you begin mixing, you may need to use this plugin type to refine
your vocals and achieve the desired sound. Whether you're looking for subtle performance
enhancement or dramatic T-Pain effects, a good vocal tuner should be in your plugin folder.
MAutoPitch is a straightforward but excellent-sounding automatic tuning and
pitch correction plugin for vocals and other monophonic instruments.
MAutoPitch offers creative features such as formant shift and stereo widening in
addition to making the audio more in tune. It is quick, simple, and completely free.
You'll need a good equalizer plugin once you start working on balancing the vocal in your mix.
This is the type of plugin you'll use to fix problems and sculpt the frequency balance
so your vocal sounds better in the mix. However, professional vocal chains frequently include more
than one EQ. So, I’ll be giving you two plugins in this category. The first one is the TDR Nova.
It’s a high-end digital-style EQ designed for surgical sculpting and problem solving.
If there are any frequency issues that need to be resolved before moving on to other mixing tasks,
this type of EQ may come first in your vocal effects chain. TDR Nova is an excellent
choice for removing excessive low end, reducing resonances, and softening clicks and artifacts.
Ignite Amps PTeq-x, on the other hand, is an analog style EQ based on the analog Pultec EQP-1A
hardware. Many engineers' first choice for vocal sculpting is this legendary vintage equalizer. Its
gentle and musical curves are ideal for adding personality, sparkle, or midrange cut.
The Space Modulator is an excellent tool for adding chorusing and doubling effects to your
vocal. A vocal chorus is excellent for adding stereo width and fullness to lead or BGV vocals.
The most important feature of this plugin is the Mode Setting at the bottom left,
which allows you to choose from 11 different types. The doubler is ideal for a lead,
and the ensemble 360 is ideal for BGVs. The mix parameter on the plugin controls wet/dry, rate
controls modulation rate, and depth controls the amount of time it takes to modulate the signal.
With the manual dial, you can add feedback and set a pre-delay. Finally,
there are so many useful presets included if you don't know where to start.
In any vocal mix, reverb is necessary. This is the effect that simulates the reflections
from rigid surfaces that place a sound in its physical surroundings. Yoin is a reverb plugin
with a truly one-of-a-kind timbre. It combines reverb and saturation to produce a distinct lo-fi
sound that works well in creative mixes. Modulation is introduced by speed and can
be used to create a creative effect. The wet/dry ratio is represented by mix, and the modulation
amplitude is represented by depth. The degree of tightness influences how diffuse the reflections
are. In other words, it shifts the weight of early and late reverb reflections. Saturation
adds harmonic distortion and compression to the reverb, whereas crush lowers the sampling rate or
bit depth to produce intense distortion. Finally, sparkle reduces the amount of damping. Because the
setting functions as a high-pass filter, lower settings affect a narrower frequency range.
Once you've got your vocals in the mix, you'll want to start experimenting with
creative effects to make them stand out. For a subtle blend,
these vocal effects are typically used in parallel on an aux return channel.
Chorusing, detuning, or doubling is one of the most satisfying send effects for vocals.
In music production, vocal doubling has a long history. Recording additional takes on top of
a lead vocal is a natural way of thickening the vocal sound. iZotope Vocal Doubler is a
free plug-in designed to enhance your vocal with a natural doubling effect,
adding richness and depth. iZotope’s acclaimed doubling technology has been reimagined with a
brand new interactive UI dedicated to helping you achieve a great double faster than ever.
The ValhallaDSP FreqEcho is a simple but powerful delay plugin that can do more than its simple UI
suggests. Frequency Echo, also known as Freq Echo, is a technique for adding delay or modulated delay
to your vocal. You can use it to delay your vocals as expected, but you can also pitch shift
and bend these delays to create an interesting and unique effect. To the left is the mix dial,
as well as the delay dial, which can be toggled between milliseconds and notes
synced to the BPM. The shift rotary in the center controls the modulation of these
delays in Hertz. Feedback works as expected, but because the signal is modulated, it can
significantly alter the timbre of the signal. You can change the frequency range affected by
the low and high pass filters, as well as the output mode from stereo to mono.
Sometimes a vocal needs a little something extra to sit properly in a mix. In those cases,
another tool in your vocal mixing toolbox to consider is saturation.
Klanghelm is a respected plugin manufacturer that
offers stripped-down versions of their flagship plugins for free.
IVGI is a single mode from their SDRR multi-saturator.
It adds a satisfying layer of harmonic distortion that can bring a dull vocal forward in the mix