Building the future of audio production through engineering, community, & education.
178K+ subscribers

7 Free Vocal Effects


Get a FREE Mastered Sample of Your Song ➜


LALA

First is LALA by Analog Obsession, a clone of the LA2A optical compressor - it’s great for creating a smooth and full sounding vocal. To the left is an internal side chain, which can be switched to external, to the right is the output gain, peak reduction level, and wet/dry.

Watch video example

Vastaus

Vastaus by Wavegrove is a free alternative to Soothe 2 - it’s used for resonance reduction, which will make a vocal sound more balanced and less aggressive in the highs. To the left is the input gain, and the amount of the effect - in the middle we can turn on dynamic processing, and affect the harmonic distortion with the bias.

To the right, we can alter the wet/dry mix.

Watch video example

Frequalizer

Frequalizer by Foleys Finest is a 6-band EQ, somewhat similar to the Pro Q 3 - each filter can be 7 different types and are fully parametric with Q, amplitude, and frequency settings. What’s useful about this plugin is the ability to solo bands to monitor their effect.

Lastly in the output setting, we can enable auto-gain compensation

Watch video example

Analog Delay

Analog Delay by Nembrini audio is a simple but really effective delay - it can be set to exact timing in milliseconds, or synced to the host BPM. The left and right taps can be offset from one another, and we can dial in the amount of feedback.

There’s a wet/dry which is useful, and we can include harmonic distortion with the analog switch at the bottom.

Watch video example

Fresh Air

Fresh Air by Slate Digital is one of my favorite free plugins - it amplifies high frequencies with a bell and high shelf filter, as well as introduces harmonics to the high frequencies, causing a bright sound. The effect is incredibly aggressive so be sure to dial it in subtly.

To the bottom right we also have a trim to compensate for gain changes.

Watch video example

GSatPlus

GSatPlus by TBProAudio is a fantastic saturation plugin - it offers 4 algorithms, multiple saturation stages and harmonic formations, and variable odd and even order harmonic distortion, all of which can be applied to the stereo, left, right, mid, or side image,

We have the option to clip our signal, as well as introduce oversampling.

Watch video example

DReverb

DReverb by Stone Voices is a great sounding effect on vocals, with the potential for super long decay times. Predelay will help the dry vocal cut through, whereas modulation in the top right can make the reverb more convincing and realistic.

Lastly, a stereo width function is great for BGVs since it creates a unique stereo placement for the reflections.

Watch video example


Get a FREE Mastered Sample of Your Song ➜



Sage Audio Membership

Make Pro Songs

Welcome to Sage Audio — where we’ve been providing top-tier studio mastering services and audio education for over two decades now. We understand the challenges of achieving that elusive "professional" sound and are committed to helping you attain it in your own mixes and masters.

That’s why we created the Sage Audio Membership™.

Just for signing up, you receive 10 free mastered songs per month with your own dedicated mastering engineer, unlimited mixing feedback, and access to Sage Audio University™ mixing and mastering courses - which include start-to-finish walkthrough sessions for various genres and 35 multitrack sessions for hands-on practice.

This platform is supported by our thriving community and tight-knit network of audio engineers. Every day, we see and hear great wins in the membership from both new and seasoned engineers, noticing a huge improvement in their mixes and masters after joining.

There are 6 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.

1. 10 Free Mastered Songs Per Month

2. Unlimited Mixing Feedback

3. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)

4. Sage Audio Community

5. 700+ In-depth Sage Audio Mixing and Mastering Videos

6. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:


Join the Membership with a 70% Lifetime Discount = $15 /month.

See you inside,
— Sage