For many new producers, any plugin that can get you to a polished, commercial sound is enticing. I’ve only been producing for a few years, and I’ve actually learned more about FX chains from multieffect plugins, while others were a waste of money. As an aspiring mix engineer, I find that mixing vocals presents significant challenges. These include applying the appropriate effects in the correct order, deciding whether to use them as inserts or sends, and ensuring they blend seamlessly within the mix. I’ve used Nectar from Izotope (now part of Native Instruments), and it was my go-to. I tried Vocal Finalizer by Noise Ash, and I own CLA from Waves (which is good), but a process needs consistency. I want to know that I can produce tracks that have a consistent quality and sound. I recently described my “sound” to a friend as “too much low end with yodeling and yelling.” Yet, I want my yelling to be crisp and transcendent.
I am still learning to apply compression, EQ, limiting, etc. using traditional hardware emulations, but I keep an eye out for new plugins, especially with AI working its way into all kinds of software.
I saw xVox Pro in an Instagram or Facebook ad, and I am a trial junkie, so I downloaded it. I was blown away. Seriously. I highly recommend the Pro version because it is modular, meaning the individual compressor, spatial effects, and others can be used independently. The modules are dynamics (compression), tone (easy eq, desser), space (reverb and delay), and sfx (chorus, tape saturation, stereo width, etc.). There’s a gating function and frequency cutoffs. Everything you need to process a vocal. The amount of each is adjustable. What I like about the modules is that they can be on other tracks or as a send. For example, I’ve used the pitch widener on keys or anywhere I want to expand the stereo image, which is fantastic for enhancing depth and width in my mix. I also add just the reverb and delay modules on a single track.
Note to plugin makers: if you are marketing to new producers, good presets are essential. I know the sound I want; I just don’t know how to get there. By studying well designed presets, I can create my own or use my other plugins to create a proper FX chain.
The trial has a dropped audio limitation, but it was immediately added to my wishlist. It’s not cheap as plugins go, but I got the xVox Pro bundle for less than $200, and it included xRider, an excellent gain rider. Don’t have a music budget? Join the club. If you don’t make money from your music, you can still invest in more expensive plugins by following the manufacturer or signing up for their newsletters to get notifications of sales and special offers. Then put the purchase on a slow-pay service like Klarna or Affirm. Sometimes you can do this with 0% interest.
For me, xVox Pro is well worth the investment, as it’s changed my mixing for the better. I’ve revisited some of my older projects to apply the effects, and the difference is amazing. If you’re a Nectar user, check it out.
NOTE: This is an unsolicited, uncompensated review, and Beats + Pixels Co. is not affiliated with Nuro Audio in any way.
