

While every DAW features a stock de-esser, prominent and distracting esses are something which can be so maddening that it’s really worth investing in a great de-esser. Gentle processing using the compressor, de-esser and EQ, all of which are designed to be benign in nature, help ensure that all the changes this plugin introduces are likely to be decisions you won’t regret later in your mix.Ĭapturing an inspiring vocal benefits everything so it’s best to start as you mean to continue your project! Preamps are usually beyond the influence of plugins but UA’s clever Unison technology means that when used in the Unison slot of an Apollo, the VoxBox’s preamp gain influences the performance of the mic and the tone of the vocals captured. Modelling the Manley VoxBox, a dedicated channel strip that incorporates a preamp, compressor, de-esser and EQ, this is a tool that can help make sure what goes to your DAW is polished and mix-ready.

We’d say that one which definitely can is VoxBox from UAD. There are not many plugins that can really make much difference to the quality of what gets recorded are there? Getting a well-prepared singer into a good dry space, feeling comfortable and in front of the most suitable mic (not necessarily the most expensive one!) and of course, a perfect headphone mix makes all the difference.

However, if you consider how different a singer sounds singing at moderate levels in their low register compared to reaching for the high stuff at the end of that big finish chorus then you can start to appreciate just how difficult it really is to nail a vocal production.īeyond the bread and butter processing like a high pass filter, compression and basic EQ here are some other candidates which might help elevate your vocals. We all know if a choice of mics is available trying the different options and matching the mic to the singer is really important. One of the things that makes vocals difficult is the fact that they change so much.

In this article, Julian Rodgers suggests some plugins which can be useful in your vocal toolbox. However, vocals can be really challenging to do well. Setting a single microphone close on what is effectively a point source should be easy, shouldn’t it? It’s not like a grand piano or a drum kit. In this article, Julian Rodgers offers some suggestions for plugins that can take your vocals to the next level.
