This week’s round-up of the best free plugins features Vocal Menace, the first audio effect by renowned vocal coach Chris Liepe. We’ve also got a versatile saturator and a psychoacoustic 3D panning tool.
Chris Liepe Vocal Menace: All-in-one Vocal Processor
You might know Chris Liepe from his popular online singing lessons. Even if you haven’t heard of him, you’ve almost certainly heard his voice on one of the many theme songs and commercial jingles he’s contributed to. Now, the vocal coach and educator has released his first free plugin. Vocal Menace is an all-in-one vocal processor and sweetener to make your voice shine instantly.
In addition to a one-knob compressor and limiter (Heat), Vocal Menace offers a Drive stage for adding some subtle saturation and grit to your voice. Sheen adds presence and air, Girth adds warmth and depth, and Cup is a lo-fi band limiting effect. Furthermore, Vocal Menace includes a reverb (Wash) and a tempo-synced delay (Call), both of which can be ducked using an internal sidechain compressor (Pain).
With simple controls across the board, Vocal Menace is designed to quickly elevate your voice without setting up a complex processing chain.
While Vocal Menace is free, you can also opt to pay $20 to support future developments. $40 gets you a ticket to participate in Chris Liepe’s Vocal Menace Recording Workshops.
Vocal Menace is available for macOS and Windows in VST, VST3, AU, and AAX formats.
Prototype Audio Fusion Core: Four Kinds of Analog Saturation
Fusion Core by Prototype Audio is a stripped-down free version of the developer’s more powerful Fusion saturator. While the paid version ($35 intro offer) has multiple bands for advanced tone shaping, the free version is limited to a single band.
That said, Fusion Core still has a few tricks up its sleeve. You can choose between four modes of analog-style saturation: Tube Heat, Tape Warmth, Wave Designer, and Console Character. Then, simply adjust the Gain, Drive, and Tone to craft the perfect sound.
According to Prototype Audio, Fusion and Fusion Core are great for enhancing samples and adding crunch and texture to a mix.
Fusion Core is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Artists in DSP Transpanner 2: 3D Audio Panning
Transpanner 2 by Artists in DSP is a psychoacoustic spatial panning tool that allows you to position a sound source in a 3D space. The latest version features a cool animated polar pad interface for more intuitive positioning – think of it as a tunnel. Moving the virtual thumb toward the center sends the sound further into the distance. By rotating the thumb, you can position the sound at any angle.
Transpanner 2 is available for macOS and Windows in VST3 and AU formats.
Looking for more free plugins like Vocal Menace, Fusion Core, and Transpanner? Check out our archive!
