Vocal Bender £110

TYPE: Vocal processor plugin | KEY FEATURES: Real-time monophonic voice manipulation, zero latency, LFO, SEQ, Amplitude and Pitch modulators, ‘Flatten’ feature, Mix knob | SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: AAX/AU/VST2 & 3 (64-Bit), Mac OSX 10.13.6 or later (Intel only), Windows 10 64 bit (version 2004 and above); 8GB RAM, 8GB free disk space | CONTACT: Waves Audio (waves.com) Waves have some great plugins for vocalists – particularly in their bundles which include the classic De-Esser and Doubler. However Vocal Bender is all about the pitch and formant editing, vocal processing that has remained enduringly popular across many genres.

There are two knobs, Pitch and Formant, controlling the central tone of the human vocal and the resonant frequencies that shape the timbre of the vocal. A Flatten button allows you to force the input to snap to a predetermined note, a speedy tool for building up any augmented choruses and harmonies.

Experiment with the modulation and automation options, and vast creative scope presents itself. Automation can be a superb way of introducing vocal effects (such as sudden pitch drops) that activate based on the volume of the input signal, so the intensity of your performance can be the triggering factor.

The aim of the game with Vocal Bender is really getting that professional-sounding vocal manipulation at speed and with no processing lag. It is certainly one of the slickest vocal plugins we’ve experimented with – best in class for quick-fire, modern pitch manipulation.