Top Free Vocal Vst Plug Ins

One of the best distortion plugins ever made, the CamelCrusher can re-define your style completely. Download one of the best free vst plugins here. Free Effects Bundle by Dead Duck Software. The last vocal plugin on our list isn’t just a single a plugin. Dead Duck Software produced a massive package of effects, all for free.

  • ReaEQ equalizer VST plugin is one of the best free plugins for music producers. Its a graphic equalizer plugin with lots of features that you generally get with a paid VST plugin. Here are some features of ReaEQ This IR based equalizer has Unlimited bands.
  • — Best Free Plugins 2020 — 3. TDR Nova is a parametric equalizer, which suggests it is an effects plugin. You need to use it to dynamically process a single track or your full stereo mix to fine-tune things precisely to your liking.
  • Working with virtual studio technology (VST) plugins is tremendously convenient, but a lot of the best VST plugins out there are very expensive. If you're looking to expand your library of VST instrument (VSTi) plugins, or tweak your mixes with some great effects or MIDI effects VST plugins, you can do it for free.

Due to their undeniable complexity, a seasoned engineer can easily spend hours mastering a single vocal track…

Afterall, compressing and paying special attention to levels on the most dynamic instrument only makes sense.

Luckily, there are several free vocal mastering VST plugins to assist in the process without breaking the bank.

In this article, we’ll dive into a couple of compressors, exciters, equalizers, and noise gate VSTs that mimic many of the tools used by the pros to give mixes the extra polish they need.

Free Plugins For Mastering Vocals

Compressor VSTs

Top Free Vocal Vst Plugins Ug Ins For Adobe Audition

With vocal audio constantly wavering between high and low levels, a good compressor is nothing short of essential to the final mastering process. Check out some of these options to achieve a cohesive, condensed vocal sound.

Related: Proper Compression Settings for Vocals, Best Paid Vocal Compressors

OTT by Xfer Records

Pick it up here

Top Free Vocal Vst Plug Instruments

With a simple yet sleek user interface, this plugin is approachable to engineers at all ends of the spectrum. The VST consists of 3 bands and is geared towards trap/electronic genres. OTT has the standard controls of any compressor: In/Out Gain, depth, and time without the clutter from any unnecessary bells and whistles. Each band is equipped with a modest visualizer, allowing you to see how your sound is being altered at different frequency ranges.

Although some producers may find the lack of options control-wise limiting, OTT is quick to get you to the sound you desire without wasting unnecessary time. Overall, the price is more than right, and OTT does an excellent job at evening out levels.

DC1A by Klanghelm

Pick it up here

If you’re looking for a simple compressor to give your vocals a bit more of an analog/classic feel, the Klanghelm DC1A is an excellent free plugin to start with. Its most notable feature is the 4 built-in presets with deep, relaxed, negative, and dual mono compression modes.

To add to its retro vibe, the VST has an embedded meter that looks like those on vintage rack mounts and is just as useful. The meter itself is easily understood and has a delineated red threshold so you can tell whether or not you’re clipping even with just a quick glance. The main focus of the plugin is the input and output, nothing else really besides the compression modes, making it a great option for beginners.

Moreover, Klanghelm produces a bulkier compressor VST entitled DC8C, so DC1A acts as a great trial run before investing in a paid plugin. For a seasoned engineer, this VST may be oversimplified, but those looking for efficiency or that classic mono sound, this is an excellent choice.

Equalizers (EQ) VSTs

When mastering a vocal, especially in pop/more current styles of music, producers commonly boost/cut out frequencies to help it stand out a bit more in the master mix. Here are a couple of free EQs that can fulfill all of your vocal mastering needs.

Related post: Best Paid EQ plugins for Vocals/home-vst-plugins.html.

ReaEQ by Reaper

Pick it up here

In general, this EQ plugin is great for the entire production process, but it also has a couple of key features that lend themselves particularly towards vocal mastering. For example, the VST has a dial-in frequency feature that allows the user to enter precisely what frequency he/she would like to be emphasized or lowered. You are able to add an unlimited amount of bands to give absolute clarity to the vocal and add polish to its final master. The bandwidth can be widened or narrowed with a few mouse clicks, streamlining the process.

Moreover, each band has a separate bypass toggle, meaning that you can easily switch one on/off to compare a sound before/after processing. ReaEQ comes equipped with high and low pass filters, bands, much more. The central visualizer makes it easy to locate all of your bands. Although the plugin is not the most aesthetically pleasing, it certainly works well and has a lot of features that normally come with paid plugins.

It is a great plugin to download as a beginner, but able to translate into more mature mastering practices with its potentially highly specified input/output values. ReaEQ is a superb tool and comes as a part of the Rea PLugs bundle with many other useful VSTs.

Luftikus By Lkjb

Pick it up here

This EQ is super useful in achieving a retro sound, as it is a digitized version of an analog-style Equalizer. Luftikus is set up like a traditional rack mount and has 5 fixed-frequency EQ bands with corresponding knobs. This feature could be seen as limiting during the mastering process as you cannot type in specific frequencies in the same way that you can with previously mentioned ReaEQ.

However, if you’re mastering a vocal bus with multiple vocal tracks, having fixed bands can help simplify the process and give you a little boost without being excessive. In addition, the VST has an added “mastering” mode which removes superfluous features to get you in and out of mastering efficiently. Luftikus has a separate section dedicated to boosting the high-end frequencies and a couple of preset options between 2.5-40K Hz which is particularly useful during the vocal mastering process.

Outside of the presets, the high-end boost has a knob that can be altered for a more specific vocal top-end boost. The plugin has a “keep gain” button designed to make changes appear more subtle than drastic while EQing, ideal for mastering. The colorful interface makes it exciting to use and Luftikus proves to consistently create masters with a bit more of a vintage feel.

Nova-67P by Vladg/sound

Pick it up here

The Nova-67p is a hybrid between a compressor and an equalizer making it a fine resource for mastering. The plugin is centered around the main visualizer where you can view the waveforms and respective bands. It’s nice that you’re able to see the waveforms in realtime, especially since vocals are fickle and quick to change from one level to the next. Since it also acts as a compressor, there is a small level meter as well to prevent clipping the vocal tracks.

This unique combination makes the VST a one-stop-shop for vocal mastering. Although sidechaining is traditionally done within the mixing stage, it is certainly worth mentioning that this plugin has sidechain capabilities built-in, along with high and low pass filters. It comes with attack, release, and ratio knobs and a separate toggle for mastering. If you’re looking to EQ or compress exclusively, this plugin may not be the best choice as the two components are designed to be used together in the mastering process.

For those looking to do both processes anyway, this plugin certainly accelerates mastering and will give you a more put together sound as the EQ and compressor interact with one another beautifully.

Noise Gate VSTs

A less common but underrated gating possibility is centered around the vocals. Condenser and other common microphones, often pick up unneeded frequencies that can cloud your vocal clarity during the mastering process. In order to eliminate this, try out one of these free noise gate plugins and place it on a vocal track.

Related post: Best Paid Noise Reduction Plugins

preFix by Variety of Sound

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Prefix acts as a couple of plugins built into one with EQ, sidechain, compression, and phasing built-in. Similarly to Nova-67P, the features are meant to be used with one another without external interference. The noise gate feature is notable as it has specified attack, release, hold, and pre-gate knobs allowing the user to hone in on which frequencies they’d like to be ducked.

Although this plugin is best used during the mixing process, it can be a great reference point during mastering since it includes so many of the tools needed to create a polished track. If someone was stuck on a vocal mix and wanted to be able to visualize a finished or mastered product, preFix could be placed on the corresponding vocal bus and quickly adjusted to give the user a vague idea of the polished product. Since there are so many controls and a lack of a frequency visualizer, this plugin can certainly be intimidating and time consuming for a beginner. However, a reference track on its own is extremely valuable, especially for something as nuanced as vocals, and when mastered, preFix is as effective as comparable costly VSTs.

GGate by GVST

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This plugin is as simple as it can get, but don’t let its minimal approach fool you- GGate is very powerful and is straightforward enough to be added to all kinds of vocals. The plugin consists of 3 knobs: The threshold, attack, and fade; Each pretty self-explanatory in their own right. GGate has a dry/wet meter so that the gated signal can be played alongside the unaltered signal. This opens the door to parallel processing for vocals, which can make a significant difference in the listener’s experience.

Moreover, the “fade” knob is suited to create subtle changes in the overall level of a vocal track. For those looking to give a more processed/clear sound to vocals, i.e those centered around commercial/pop genres, this plugin may prove to be insufficient. However, if you’re in a pinch or just need to eliminate a minute level of noise without being too obvious, you can’t beat the control offered by GGate.

Exciter VSTs

In the same way it is helpful to boost the preexisting high-end of vocals in order to bring the sound more upfront during mastering, exciters generate artificial/organic tones typically in the 3K range and above.

Related post: Best Paid Exciter Plugins

Thrillseeker XTC by Variety of Sound

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This exciter is based around analog-style retro sounds and combines a traditional exciter/saturator with a 3-band EQ. Each set EQ range has a separate knob and bypass button so that different frequency ranges can be enhanced independently. This is particularly useful in scenarios where one is utilizing a vocal bus and wants to master an overall sound without emphasizing unwanted tones/frequencies.

The plugin has a “Mojo” and Drive section, catered to leveling out the amplitudes of generated frequencies running parallel to the dry vocal. Moreover, the VST can be switched in between blue or black versions depending on how precise an engineer desires the finished master to be. Thrillseeker in this way lends itself to a variety of genres and applications. Although it is somewhat limited in being linked to retro or vintage type sounds, the VST is absolutely worth a try at no cost.

BuzVintageMaxi by Buzzroom

Buzzroom has created a true exciter plugin with BuzVintageMaxi. The VST is very minimal, with two main knobs: gain and ceiling for the threshold level of the audio signal. The plugin is known for adding thick, warm sounds to any track it is applied to. This can be especially useful for mastering female vocals, where sometimes the upper register can lose warmth/low-end frequencies when translated to an audio signal. It has two included processing modes, normal and deep, to cater to the depth of harmonics applied to the signal.

Although this plugin cannot be used to master an entire vocal tracks alone due to its lack of complexity, it certainly produces a warm vocal within a short amount of time. It’s definitely worth a try, even just train your ears on what a warm/fat vocal should sound like.

Modern Exciter by Antress

Pick it up here

Antress has a number of strong plugins free for download on their website. Modern Exciter has a user interface resembling a standard rack mount and is not overly muddled by too many controls. Harmonics can be added to low or high frequencies and adjusted with their respective knobs. This lends itself well to mastering vocals as different voices will have different areas in which they need more widening depending on the frequency of the dry audio signal. Modern Exciter includes a VU meter, which especially lends itself to mastering since it helps display the average level of the processed signal. Vst 2 x plugin manager cubase.

If you want more of a retro sound, this VST has a built-in analog preset. Moreover, the VST processes in stereo and has separate left and right channels appropriately. The plugin does not have a whole lot of controls which may seem to limit to some, but it notably separates the high and low ends to organically fill in vocal frequency gaps.

Quick Tips For Mastering Vocals

In general, the mastering process involves adding the final polish to a preexisting mix. This includes leveling, preparing for distribution, and making sure that the project as a whole is cohesive. Let’s dive into a couple of tips that illustrate what that process is like for vocals.

#1. Keep Mixing and Mastering Separate

With any aspect of a song, especially vocals, it’s important that you’re giving the mixing and mastering processes their own space. This is because the philosophy behind mixing involves deep adding/subtracting, sometimes involving an entire rework of a track.

When you master, you are looking to polish and heighten the parts of something that is already complete. By keeping the two operations independent of one another, you allow for your vocals to be better thought out in terms of context (mixing) and the overall level/vibe of the song as a whole (mastering). A good master on a bad mix still produces a poor track. Therefore, make sure you do your homework before jumping into the world of mastering plugins- The real work comes out during mixing.

#2. Know your Vocals

What type of voice is presented on your track? What kind of frequency is it lacking? Is your vocal the focus of your song or more in the background? It’s vital that you consider these questions deeply before beginning the mastering process so that you have a clear roadmap to lead you down the right mastering path with plugins that fit accordingly.

#4. Use a Reference Track

Vocals are by far the trickiest aspect of understanding audio engineering since they are so unique. It can be extremely helpful to use a reference track during the mastering process to get your vocal exactly where you desire. Moreover, so many of these free plugins include bypass features, sometimes for each separate band, which makes it easy to compare against your model track.

Mastering is the icing on top of the cake, not the cake itself, but that does not diminish its importance- especially with vocal tracks. A good master sets your music apart and is a mark of a seasoned producer. Try out one of these free vocal mastering VSTs on your next track to get you one step closer to the coveted warm, thick vocal our ears crave.

Last Updated on December 15, 2020 by

Having access to male and female voices for your music is essential since they really can add a lot of personality to your mixes!

The plugins/sample libraries usually available sell for quite a lot, which is why I also added a couple free ones to this list!

Let’s get started…

Free Choir VST/AU Plugins

In this first section I will list free plugins; they don’t sound as realistic as the premium ones, but if you’re just learning about music production, or if you just need to add some subtle choir effects, then these should be enough to cover your needs.

Virgin Choir by ANGLE (Windows Only)

Virgin Choir is a VST plugin that generates the sound of a female choir with a very convincing sound quality.

The plugin is entirely free, and includes several features that professional plugins usually integrate: multiple articulations with easy key switching, velocity sensitivity for the choir singing, a sequencer mode, and some more.

I downloaded the 64-bit version and loaded it up in my DAW and it just worked right from the start, without any issues.

For being free, it’s actually quite damn impressive.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Before considering using Virgin Choir, please note that the plugin cannot be commercially used because of the samples that were used to create it.

Vocal

Make sure to start by reading the included README text file first before doing anything else since you don’t want to run into any problems.

Virgin Choir 1.0 download Links:

DSK ChoirZ (Windows Only)

While not providing the most realistic Choir sounds, it still is an incredible plugin, considering that it’s completely free.

You should definitely give it a shot since it can certainly help with adding some personality to your songs.

You can create three layers of choir tracks which you can choose from a total of 32 choir samples.

Effects like reverb and chorus can be added and the controls for each, while being very simple and straight forward, can help you shape the sound to your liking.

If you ask me, Virgin Choir sounds a lot more realistic, but since it can’t be used for commercial purposes, DSK ChoirZ ends up having a lot more to offer.

Check the DSK Choirs official website here.

Sonatina Choir (Windows, Mac)

Sonatina Choir are samples taken and edited from the Sonatina Symphonic Orchestra.

You can choose to reproduce female and male choirs, or both at the same time.

These are probably the most famous free choir samples, the thing is that, in my opinion at least, since these samples are pretty old, the sound quality isn’t really that great.

It sounds a bit like the choir samples you get on a Casio Keyboard.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that they are necessarily bad, since depending on the kind of music you want to create, this type of sound may be what you need.

You can download this plugin from the VST4Free website.

NST Choir by BigCat Instruments (Windows, Mac)

I was pleasantly surprised by the overall sound quality of this choir plugin.

It features a library of over 30 voices that is divided into “All, High, Mid, Mid2 and Low voices” that can play different sounds such as “Mmm”, “A”, “E”, “I”, “O” and “U”.

Additionally, Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release, Volume, Pan and Reverb controls are also included.

These choir samples sound pretty good right out of the box, but I think that in most cases you will need to tweak them a bit with EQ to really get them to fit in a mix.

Other than that, these are awesome!

You can download this plugin here.

Best Free Vocal Vst Plugins

Premium Choir VST/AU plugins

Now, these plugins are by no means cheap, but they sound incredible!

One of them is fairly affordable, but the issue is that all of the ones I’m going to list require the Kontakt Player in order to work, which will cost quite a bit to get.

However, if you already are a Kontakt user, then investing in these choir libraries may be a good idea!

Let’s get started with…

Olympus Choir Elements

This one is a powerful choir instrument for Kontakt, Komplete Kontrol and S-Series keyboards that offers 63 different voices with all major vowel such as Ah, Ee, Eh, Ei, Ih, Mm, Oh and Oo.

You’ll find sustains, staccatos and marcatos, with pp-ff dynamic layering and intelligent round robin.

It sounds absolutely phenomenal and extremely realistic, much like the choirs you hear in some scenes of epic movies.

Additionally, if features a fully Automatable UI, allowing for full- and easy control over the performance.

Every preset has access to over 50 integrated convolution reverb impulses and full 3-band Equalizer. Many presets also have an optional vibrato feature to simulate molto forte.

The Vowelmaster preset provides live sustain and staccato switching for any vowel for each section, with layer blending and stacking, dynamic shaping and total performance control.

Also, it features Soundiron’s FX rack which allows you to tweak the sounds to your liking.

All in all, I think that the Olympus Choir Elements is the best Choir library you can get under $100.

Find out more about Olympus Choir Elements here.

Olympus Choir Micro ($39)

Now, this would be the stripped-down-, or more basic version of the Olympus Choir pack that I listed earlier.

It’s ideal for any beginner who is just getting started with choir samples since it’s so affordable.

It features both Men’s and Women’s sections with editable key changes as well as sustains, staccatos and marcatos, with pp-ff dynamic layering and intelligent round robin.

Just like the Olympus Choir Elements library, this one also features Soundiron’s FX rack which allows you to tweak the sounds to your liking.

If you’re looking for a premium-sounding, yet very affordable choir library, this is definitely it.

You can find out more about Olympus Choir Micro here.

Requiem Light Symphonic Choir ($199)

Requiem Light is a professional symphonic choir library specifically designed for epic cinematic scoring and dramatic trailer composition.

It includes three true legato vowels, a variety of classic vowel sustains and staccatos, single-syllable Marcato words, long poly-syllabic Latin sustains and fast, aggressive Latin staccatos, as well as a big selection of classic and dynamic choral effects, a great collection of solo soprano and tenor polysustains and a selection of sound-designed atmospheric pads, drones and choral atmospheres.

This library features over 4200 samples in 44.1kHz/24-bit quality and everything sounds extremely nice!

If you’re looking to create music for epic movie scenes, then this would be the absolute best one to do it.

Find out more about Requiem Light Symphonic Choir here.

Mosaic Voices ($119)

This isn’t your traditional Choir library, in fact, even though it can reproduce some pretty convincing choir and voice sounds, it can also add additional sounds to create cool harmonies.

Each instrument features a unique set of foundational elements, designed to be combined and layered into lush, cinematic textures.

It is packed with endless combinations of inspiring sounds that you can use to come up with new ideas, plus it’s quite simple to use.

If you like the music from Lord of the Rings, then you will probably like this library!

Learn more about Mosaic Voices here.

8dio.com Choir Libraries ($498 to $598)

Here you will find a couple of extremely high quality choir samples; from angelic, lyrical, to orchestral and epic choirs.

These are all highly expensive and require the full version of Kontakt as well, but they do sound insanely good.

Strezov-Sampling Choirs

Here you will find three different Choir libraries;

Top Free Vocal Plugins

  • Arva Children Choir: This is a children choir reference library featuring two separately recorded children sections (girls & boys).
  • Storm Choir: A 20-piece chamber choir recorded with three microphone positions in Sofia Session Studio.
  • Rhodope 2: A real authentic ethnic Bulgarian choir at your disposal.

These sound very realistic, plus it’s the only place where I could find good-sounding children choirs.

You’ll need a MIDI Controller

Top Free Vocal Vst Plug Installation

In order to be able to use these plugins properly, you will need some sort of MIDI Controller.

While you can use your mouse to map the MIDI in your DAW, it’s a lot faster and easier to do it with a keyboard/controller.

My recommendation here is for you to get something like the M-Audio Oxygen 25 MK IV MIDI Controller which you can find at Amazon at a very affordable price, plus it comes with some extra software like Pro Tools First.

Best Free Vocal Vst Plug-ins

Conclusion

If you don’t need to use the samples for commercial purposes, then Virgin Choir might be a very good and free choice!

However, if you need these software for commercial purposes, then I’d highly recommend getting a premium one, mostly because all of the free plugins I listed don’t sound as good as the paid ones do.

Top Free Vocal Vst Plugins S Free Download

If you’re just starting out and need something that’s affordable and that sounds great, then Olympus Choir Micro might be the right fit.