Earlier we considered what a vocoder is, where some historical facts apply it. To this day, the vocoder remains an artistic tool for creating robotic synthesized speeches in audio and film production. We picked up 6 great plugins that are worth adding to our collection!
EVOC 20 PS – Apple
Included with Logic Pro X. Price: $ 199.
It is a vocoder and polyphonic synthesizer that comes with the superior Logic Pro virtual instrument suite. The interface is accessible and well organized – as soon as three modes (Analysis, Synthesis, Vocoder) are understood and the side chain input is configured, you will immediately get the results. The synthesized section may be a mixture of two signals or an FM modulated wave. Built-in modulation, noise generation, built-in effects, and the cool Freeze feature (which freezes the current vocoded sound) are good complementary features.
Vocal Synth 2 – iZotope
Price: $ 199
This iZotope plugin is extremely powerful and sounds great from the very first launch. It will take time to study, because it has extremely advanced functions. There are three main modes that you need to know about out of turn:
- AUTO: internal synthesizer used to generate sound. Insert it into the soundtrack and press the play button.
- MIDI: In this mode, you can control the harmonies generated by a MIDI controller (such as a keyboard).
- SIDECHAIN: In this mode, you can control another synthesizer, guitar or other sound sources through the Vocal Synth modules. The help screens provide clear and concise setup instructions for each mode.
In addition to the Vocoder module, there are four more – Biovox, Compuvox, Talkbox and Polyvox. The interface uses nice graphics to display the relative impact of each of them.
There are also many sound effects that can be easily dragged into any user configuration. In particular, the Shred module creates a granular stutter effect.
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MVocoder – Melda Production
Price: $ 57
MVocoder is a multi-functional device that comes with a comprehensive 102-page manual and allows you to manipulate / modulate every possible parameter. The four sections of the modulator include forms, envelopes, and more. The Band Graph and Band Matrix sections make this a powerful tool. There is an airborne upsampling section and mid / side processing capability.
The more time we spent with him, the more we liked him. We continued to discover new functionalities, graphical interfaces, and amazing control levels that led to nuances and extreme sound variations. It even has 11 user interface styles with custom colors to suit your aesthetic taste. MVocoder is designed for those who want to learn more about vocoding with close monitoring and programmability at every turn.
Vocalizer Pro – Sonivox
Price: $ 199
Vocalizer Pro has a stunning, albeit initially frightening, interface and provides access to four identical spectral synthesis modules with customizable routing capabilities. Modules include various synthesis methods, envelopes, multimode filters, and LFOs. There is a built-in tab “Effects” for the equalizer, chorus, delay and reverb, as well as an excellent browser system based on style. Eight Snapshot pads let you access custom presets on the fly, and eight Chord pads will trigger keyboard notes and chords. Once you understand one module and the influence of various synthesis methods, you are ready to go.
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Lector Vocoder – Waldorf
Price: $ 179
Lector Vocoder is a single-window interface that includes four main sections: input control with implicit detection for intelligibility, a synthesizer (2 generator sections, a filter and an amplifier), a Vocoder filter bank with control and analysis modules, as well as a built-in section Effects, which includes: overdrive, chorus, delay and reverb. It took some time to get this device to do what we wanted, but the results were good enough. We recommend that you read the manual carefully to avoid disappointment. The Waldorf sound engine is well known, respected, and provides a solid basis for vocoding in this plugin.
Orange Vocoder IV by Zynaptiq
Price: $ 189 (old version price)
Orange Vocoder IV is the latest offering from innovative Zynaptiq developers, which has not yet been released. It is difficult to say any personal comments, so let’s take official information.
Originally developed by Prosoniq in 1998, ORANGE VOCODER has evolved thanks to numerous iterations, and has always remained in demand until today. It has a reputation as the device with the most transparent sound and flexible settings. Under the hood of a 32-voice synthesizer, eight vocoder algorithms (from analog circuits to digital modes), filter, reflections, reverb, 10-band equalizer and much more!
Vocoding is not only voice distortion or robotization; This is a unique form of cross synthesis that works well with a variety of source materials and live sound. If you have not experimented with vocoders in the past, now is the right time. Maybe this is what will inspire you to new directions in creativity.
