The Best Vocal VSTs for Beginners: Free and Paid Options.

For beginners who are just starting out in music production, getting a quality sounding vocal is often difficult to achieve. Without having the correct tools, vocals can end up sounding dull and lacking in energy and liveliness.

There are many Virtual Studio Technology (VST) plugins available that offer methods to improve the quality of your vocal recordings. VSTs come in many forms, from pitch correction tools to reverb and delay effects. Some are completely free, while others require an investment to access more advanced features. To help you get started, we’ve put together this post containing a list of the best free and paid vocal VSTs.

Best Free Vocal VSTs

If you’re a producer working on a budget, free plugins are often the best choice. Whilst these tools are free, they can still make a big difference in your vocal production. These plugins offer high quality vocal processing without breaking the bank, making them perfect for beginners who are still learning and developing their craft.

Graillon 2 (Auburn Sounds)

Graillon 2 is a pitch correction and vocal modulation tool. It allows you to tune vocals in real-time and can be used heavily to apply robotic vocal effects, or subtly used to correct notes that are sung off key.. The free version has plenty of handy features, but upgrading to the full paid version unlocks the advanced functions that give you even more control over your vocals. 

TAL-Reverb-4 (Togu Audio Line)

A great vocal mix needs depth and space, and TAL-Reverb-4 gives you the tools to infuse these characteristics into your vocal recordings. This lush plate reverb sounds stunning and is a wonderful vocal reverb tool to be accessed for free. 

Melda MAutoPitch

For simple auto-tuning and pitch correction, MAutoPitch is an easy-to-use plugin with a simple user interface. Its features include formant shifting, stereo widening, and an automatic tuning function, making it a versatile tool for vocal correction and more creative vocal mixing effects.

Voxengo OldSkoolVerb

OldSkoolVerb is a traditional-style reverb plugin that is well-suited for use on vocals. This plugin offers smooth and natural-sounding reverb, and includes various tweak-able options allowing users to dial in the perfect vocal reverb to match the energy of their songs.

iZotope Vocal Doubler

Vocal doubling is a classic vocal mixing trick to make vocals feel fuller and more rich. iZotope Vocal Doubler is a free plugin that allows you to give your vocals natural doubling effect, helping them to be more dramatic and sit within a mix. 

Best Paid Vocal VSTs

While free plugins are great, paid VSTs offer more advanced features and higher-quality processing. If you’re serious about music production and making your vocals as impactful as

possible, then these plugins are well worth considering. 

Antares Auto-Tune Pro

One of the industry standard tools for pitch correction, Auto-Tune Pro offers precise tuning adjustments and can be used for natural pitch correction, or dialed up to eleven to create signature auto-tune effect heard in countless modern songs. 

Waves Vocal Rider

One of the main challenges when mixing vocals is maintaining consistent volume levels across your track. Whilst compression can help somewhat with this, Vocal Rider automates this process by modifying vocal levels throughout each section of the song, helping to deliver a balanced mix without the need for extensive automation. 

iZotope Nectar 3

Nectar 3 is a comprehensive vocal processing suite, and is notable for featuring an AI-powered vocal assistant that can be used for dynamic EQ, compression, pitch correction, de-essing, and reverb. Its powerful functions are housed within an intuitive interface making it a great option for beginners who want to achieve professional quality vocals. 

FabFilter Pro-Q 3

While not strictly just for vocals, this plugin is one of the best all round EQs on the market, and when used correctly can allow for precise vocal shaping. Users can use it to remove unwanted frequencies, or to boost certain frequency areas of a vocal, helping it to shine through within a mix. 

Finding the right vocal VSTs can make all the difference in creating professional-sounding music. Take the time to experiment with different plugins and find out which tools work best for your creative vocal workflow. Thanks for checking out this article If you enjoyed reading then please consider sharing it with a friend or fellow producer!