In vocal mixing, plugins can quickly become very expensive. But some free plugins are also top quality. In this article, I’m gonna tell you about 10 free, must-have plugins for vocal mixing. And you’ll see that they’re clearly worth it!
Here the 10 best free plugins for vocal mixing in 2024:
- Slate Digital Fresh Air
- Melda MAutoPitch
- Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova
- Softube Saturation Knob
- iZotope Vocal Doubler
- Valhalla FreqEcho
- Black Rooster Audio RO Gold
- Analog Obsession LA-LA
- Fuse Audio Labs VPRE-72
- Techivation T-De-Esser
“Free” doesn’t mean “cheap”
While free plugins may have a cheap and poor image, I can assure you that the ones I’m going to tell you about in this article are far from poor quality. Some of them are used by professional sound engineers and producers every day, and have been proving their worth for many years.
So these plugins can be a great option if you want to take advantage of quality plugins and get your mixes sounding professional without spending a single dollar.
I myself use a large number of these plugins in projects of all kinds, and have never been disappointed by what they can bring to my mixes, productions and masters. So if you thought you couldn’t get a pro sound with these plugins, rest assured!
1. Slate Digital Fresh Air
Fresh Air is probably the most sober and simplistic plugin on this list. But it’s perhaps the one you’ll love the most! Because in just a few seconds, you can achieve impressive results.
Designed to boost the brightness of the processed source, Fresh Air has become an indispensable tool for vocal mixing in a very short space of time. Thanks to its modeling based on Dolby-A noise reduction modded exciters, Fresh Air will add the necessary clarity and shine to your vocals without making them harsh and aggressive.
By correctly adjusting the Mid Air and High Air knobs, you’ll get vocal mixes as clear as the ones you hear on the radio. And the big advantage of this plugin is that it can be used for vocal mixes as well as mixbusses, guitars, drums,… In short, anything that could benefit from a final touch of brightness!
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Super easy to use and handle
✅ Low CPU usage
✅ Adds unique brightness
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Lack of visual controls
2. Melda MAutoPitch
Want to enjoy the power of auto-tune without spending all your money? Then MAutoPitch is for you. MAutoPitch is one of those plugins for which I still wonder how they can remain free, so good is the quality.
And this auto-tune plugin from Melda is probably the only free auto-tune on the market that offers such high audio quality to the user. MAutoPitch’s interface also offers a host of features that let you shape your tuning with a precision worthy of the best auto-tune plugins on the market.
The plugin does show its weaknesses, however, with values close to 100% for tuning speed and depth. By choosing high values, glitches and artifacts can creep into the audio, making the tuning dirtier and less bright. But if you want to get a more natural tone, then this tool is for you!
But this free plugin is still a safe bet for vocal mixing, and will easily adapt to any type of voice.
ℹ️ Do you need a top-quality auto-tune plugin? All the best options can be found in this article: The 9 Best Auto-Tune Plugins For Vocals (Any Budget)
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Lots of feature to shape the tuning
✅ Formant shifting knob for more creative possibilities
✅ Very good audio quality
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Might create glitches and artifacts at higher values
3. Tokyo Dawn Labs TDR Nova
TDR Nova stands as a testament to Tokyo Dawn Labs’ commitment to delivering top-tier audio processing tools without breaking the bank. As a dynamic EQ plugin, TDR Nova offers an impressive array of features that will let you process your vocals with a breathtaking precision.
Looking for a professional sound engineer specializing in pop and hip-hop music ? You’re in the right place! Mixing, mastering, production, editing,… we’ve got it all covered!
Let’s start now!
With TDR Nova, users gain access to a powerful toolset designed to sculpt and refine audio, and especially vocals, with precision and finesse. Its dynamic equalization capabilities allow for nuanced control over specific frequency bands, while its parallel processing functionality opens up creative possibilities for shaping sounds in unique ways.
Believe me, despite its non-existent price, TDR Nova doesn’t compromise on quality. Its sound processing algorithms deliver pristine results. And this free plugin has rightfully earned its place as a staple in the arsenal of audio professionals worldwide.
ℹ️ TDR Nova can be a very good alternative to FabFilter Pro-Q3, but there are many others. I tell you more right here: Top 9 Alternative Plugins To FabFilter Pro-Q3 (Free & Paid)
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Impressive precision and accuracy
✅ Dynamic equalization
✅ Parallel processing
✅ User-friendly interface
❌ CONS ❌
❌ May lack advanced functionalities for some users
❌ High CPU usage
4. Softube Saturation Knob
Saturation knob is a plugin that I myself use extensively in vocal mixing to add character, warmth and a touch of aggressiveness to vocal transients. Of all the plugins on this list, it’s probably the one I use most often.
With its sober interface and extreme ease of use, this free Softube plugin is nevertheless impressively powerful when it comes to adding color to your vocals and making them cut though the mix more easily.
In vocal mixing, it’s best used either as an insert with fairly low mix values, or in parallel (which is what I generally do), to adjust the saturation tone more easily and manage the balance between direct and saturated vocals using the send fader.
All you have to do is choose the type of saturation best suited to the vocals you’re working on, and you’re all set!
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Extremely easy to use (only 2 parameters to handle)
✅ Unique saturation tone
✅ Adds both brightness and warmth to vocals
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Lacks advanced parameters to shape the vocals
5. iZotope Vocal Doubler
iZotope is a plugin manufacturer known for its many innovations that remain at the cutting edge of audio technology while offering outstanding audio quality. Vocal Doubler, one of their only free plugins, is no exception!
Vocal Doubler is specifically tailored to enhance vocal performances, adding depth, richness, and dimension to vocals with remarkable ease. What sets it apart is its seamless integration of advanced vocal processing techniques into a user-friendly interface, all at no cost to the user.
Its intuitive controls allow for precise adjustment of doubling effects, enabling users to achieve a wide variety of vocal textures and styles. Whether you’re looking to create subtle vocal enhancements or bold, larger-than-life vocal effects, Vocal Doubler empowers you to do so effortlessly.
There’s also a really nice features in Vocal Doubler: Its real-time visualization of vocal doubling effects. It provides immediate feedback and enhancing the creative workflow. The power of this free plugin is impressive, despite its free nature and simplicity.
6. Valhalla FreqEcho
Among the most popular plugin builders, Valhalla can be considered the underdog that has risen to the top in a very short space of time. Having arrived on the market only a few years ago, their plugins are used in the world’s biggest studios. And FreqEcho, one of their only free plugins, is one of them!
FreqEcho is unlike any other plugin on the market. It’s a kind of delay that can be modulated in all directions, giving the user unique textures. Despite the few parameters accessible on the interface, the creative possibilities offered by FreqEcho are impressive.
When it comes to mixing or producing vocals, Valhalla’s plugin can be a very useful tool for achieving a psychedelic feel around vocals. From chaotic delays to heavily chorused reverbs, FreqEcho is clearly a free plugin to have on hand when mixing vocals!
ℹ️ Want to discover the best options of delay plugins for vocals? Everything’s right here: The 10 Best Delay Plugins For Vocals In 2024
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Ideal for creative purposes
✅ Unique textures
✅ Easy to handle
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Limited features
❌ No presets
7. Black Rooster Audio RO-GOLD
I have to be honest, I wasn’t sure how useful my download would be when I installed RO-GOLD on my computer. An unattractive interface, an unknown manufacturer, not unanimous reviews,… And yet, I love this plugin, and it fully deserves its place in this list of free plugins for vocal mixing!
RO Gold is certainly not the plugin that will let you explore thousands of different sonic horizons, but if you’re looking for a plate reverb that sounds vintage and warm on your vocals, then don’t hesitate, RO Gold won’t disappoint!
This free plugin from Black Rooster Audio has in fact been designed to imitate the tone of the legendary EMT-140, which made the biggest hits of the 70s and 80s. And for a free plugin, it’s a real success!
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Intuitive and easy to use
✅ Very low CPU-usage
✅ Pleasant warmth on vocals (especially with longer decays)
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Very limited
❌ No presets
8. Analog Obsession LA-LA
LA-LA is a free plugin that I don’t personally use because I have many other LA-2A emulations which I feel more comfortable with. But I find this emulation of the Teletronix LA-2A among many producers and sound engineers around me, who are very happy with it!
In addition to perfectly rendering the richness of an optical compressor, the LA-LA is one of the only emulations on the market to have very practical additional parameters for shaping compression: including, notably, EQ parameters and a mix knob.
In vocal mixing, the LA-LA will be the ideal tool for making your vocals more robust within the mix, but also brighter. Clearly a must-have on this list of free plugins.
ℹ️ Want to know how pros use compression in their rap vocal mixes? I give you all the information you need here: How To Use Compression On Rap Vocals: 5 Pro Tips To Know
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Rich audio rendering
✅ Extra-features for more precision in the processing
❌ CONS ❌
❌ No presets
9. Fuse Audio Labs VPRE-72
VPRE-72 is one of the latest plugins from Fuse Audio Labs. It’s an emulation of Telefunken‘s legendary V72 preamp, released in the ’50s and sculpting many of the hits of the ’60s. It’s the perfect tool for adding a vintage touch to your vocals.
The crazy thing about this plugin is that it’s one of the only ones on this list capable of bringing out the analog side of the original machine. The audio rendering is so well emulated that you’d almost think you were listening to the real V72 (which I’ve never had the chance to hear, I must confess).
This emulation from Fuse Audio Labs will be ideal for mixing vocals that tend towards soul, jazz or rock n roll. This VPRE-72 will add a magical touch to vocals!
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Magical vintage touch
✅ Trustworthy manufacturer
✅ Warm and rich tone
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Not so easy to handle
10. Techivation T-De-Esser
When you think of vocal mixing, you inevitably think of tools such as EQs, compressors, reverbs, etc. But the de-esser is also an essential tool in modern vocal mixing. And this T-De-Esser from Techivation could be a very good option, and totally free.
With this plugin, you have all the parameters at your disposal to de-ess your vocals with precision, while keeping the natural, organic side of the voice. This Techivation plugin may be free, but it could easily compete with many of the paid de-essers on the market.
If you’re not satisfied with the stock de-esser you have in your DAW, choosing T-De-Esser is clearly the best choice you can make. You can also, if you wish, buy the pro version of T-De-Esser to get even more features and settings.
✅ PROS ✅
✅ Super accurate plugin
✅ Keeps the natural tone of vocals
✅ Pro version available if you want to upgrade
✅ Low CPU usage
✅ A/B testing for audio comparisons
❌ CONS ❌
❌ Well, none
Conclusion
These 10 free plugins show you just how not all quality audio plugins have to be paid for. By downloading these free plugins, you can be sure that, if you use them correctly, you’ll be able to process your vocals like a pro!
Whether it’s MAutoPitch for tuning, LA-LA for rich compression, Vocal Doubler for more depth,… With these tools in your hands, you’ve got everything you need for high-quality vocal mixing… for free! Pretty cool, isn’t it?
If you have any questions on these free plugins or on anything about audio plugins, please contact me, I’ll be very happy to help you!
Related Articles:
My favorite tools for mixing pop and hip-hop music:
Plugins
In the field of auto-tune, I’m convinced that nothing’s better and more efficient than Antares Auto-Tune Pro. As for the EQ’s, FabFilter Pro-Q3 and Slate Digital Infinity EQ are, in my opinion, the best tools. For compression, I have 2 favorites plugins: Waves RComp and UAD EL8 Distressor.
As for reverb, I’m a big fan of the Soundtoys Little Plate, but generally, I go for the Valhalla VintageVerb for its versatility. I also love the Arturia Rev PLATE-140 and the UAD Pure Plate for its organic side.
Headphones
The closed headphones I love and will always love using for mixing pop and hip-hop music are the Beyerdynamic DT-770. As for the best open-back headphones, I use the Sennheiser HD600 headphones, and I’m really happy of them!
Monitors
Having a pair of Yamaha HS7 in its studio or home studio is always cool for more excitement while listening to your mixes. The Adam Audio T7V monitors are also super accurate. In my studio, I also have a pair of Genelec 8030 for their reliability.
Hardware gear
For anyone who wants to start using hardware in their mixes, I always recommend these 2 units from Klark Teknik: the EQP-KT and the 76-KT. Don’t forget to use good converters, such as the Apollo interfaces. This is essential for a good rendering.
