T-RackS Joe Chiccarelli Vocal Strip

Producing legend Joe Chiccarelli has helped the music of such Rock and Pop greats as U2, The Killers, The White Stripes, Tori Amos and Elton John achieve a world-class sound. IK Multimedia‘s latest effects processor, which can be used either as a plug-in or as a module within the T-RackS mixing suite, recreates the Grammy winner‘s favorite vocal signal chain.

The Input Section features an input gain control, a high pass filter, and a one knob de-esser with modes for male and female voices. The heart of the plug-in is a trio of compressors based on the UREI 1176, Fairchild 670, and a hybrid of UA 176 and Tube-Tech CL 1B custom-made for the producer. For all three compressors, only the processing intensity and the output gain can be adjusted. This combination of three compressors allows for a wide range of results from subtle compression, creating more warmth and punch, to an aggressive in-your-face sound. The Equalizer Section, also modeled after analog, can be placed in the signal path before or after the compressors. The three most important frequency bands can be processed with the Body, Presence and Air controls. In addition, there are Reverb, Delay and Modulation effects, each with two types. You can overdrive vocals in a musical way with the Drive control and enrich them with harmonics using the Color control, which sounds great - especially with Rock vocals or aggressive Rap. Thanks to the adjustable Effects Section, parallel processing is also possible.

Verdict

With a tried and tested chain of high-end effects, intuitive operation and well-designed presets, the Joe Chiccarelli Vocal Strip is an excellent tool for processing vocals of any style. In just a few steps, you can give vocals or rap more assertiveness or a distinctive coloration in the mix. This plug-in can also be used for other purposes, such as for compressing and overdriving synth basses or for brutal drums.