The 6 best free plugins for your vocal chain (VST / AU)
From EQs to pitch correction tools, we share six of the best free vocal plugins (VST / AU) that you can add to your mixes in 2024.

NAMM 2024: Suzuki announces OM-108, the first Omnichord in 26 yearsNAMM 2024: It’s finally happened! Suzuki has officially launched the new Omnichord OM-108 – the first Omnichord model released in 26 years.

READ MORE: Heritage Audio introduces i73 PRO family, the “first-ever” USB-C interfaces with built-in Class A 73-style preamps

First launched in 1981, followed by several models until 1998, Suzuki’s Omnichord has become a cult classic embraced by artists like The Bee Gees, David Bowie and, more recently, Gorillaz, for example. This popularity comes down to its accessibility, unique, strummable interface and unique sounds that offer a distinctly retro feel.
Now, a new iteration of Suzuki’s much-loved Omnichord, the Omnichord OM-108, has been announced and is on display at the Winter NAMM Show 2024, confirms Suzuki.
Credit: Suzuki
It’s been a long time coming. Originally scheduled for a 2023 summer/fall launch to mark Suzuki Musical Instruments Manufacturing’s 70th anniversary, the release was sadly postponed “to improve and refine specifications, in order to provide our customers with the best performance experience possible with the new Omnichord”, it said at the time.

Designed for ease of use, the new Omnichord OM-108 allows users to play accompaniment instantly, even without prior musical experience. With a touch-sensitive strumplate, you can effortlessly strum chords and create arpeggios corresponding to the chord pressed.
The OM-108 reproduces the classic sound of the OM-84 model using analogue circuits, offering a selection of retro and new tones. It includes ten strumplate tones, including the classic “omni1” and “omni2” sounds reminiscent of the OM-84. The instrument also features a layer function for added expression, updated rhythm selections with contemporary drum beats, and expanded chord options.
Its compact and lightweight design, along with battery-powered operation, allows for easy portability and performance anywhere, whether in the studio or on stage.
No price has yet been revealed for the OM-108.
Find out more at Suzuki Music and find the brand at booth #9906.
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Laidback Luke’s first partnered launch since Denon DJ departure, the Algoriddim Reloop Mixtour Pro compact DJ controller, is hereProducer-DJ Laidback Luke has announced his first partnered product launch following his recent departure from Denon DJ. Introducing the Reloop Mixtour Pro, an ultra-portable two-channel all-in-one DJ controller designed for use with Algoriddim’s djay Pro software, via your smartphone, tablet or laptop.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024 Live updates: All the biggest synth, studio, DJ and software releases

Touted as a “professional yet portable solution for the club and festival scene”, the Mixtour Pro, despite its small size, is capable of supporting four-deck mixing with its powerful and intuitive controls.
The controller’s two channel strips are fitted with all the important controls for a modern DJ setup. Each channel features an electroplated bi-polar sound filter (LPF/HPF) with a dedicated LED indicator, in addition to gain and three-band EQ. The FX paddles, meanwhile, allow you to trigger effects in bursts via FX Hold mode or apply them indefinitely via FX On mode. A large, electroplated dry/wet knob controls the intensity of the effect, while the two dedicated parameter buttons offer complete control over the effect parameters.
The Reloop Mixtour Pro also incorporates djay Pro’s Neural Mix technology (Stems separation) into the workflow with dedicated controls, allowing you to isolate and manipulate individual drums, instruments, and vocals from tracks in real-time. Eight performance pads with RGB lighting provide users with more creative options with a wide range of modes including Hot Cue, Bounce Loop, Pitch Cue, Instant FX, Auto Loop, Sampler, Skip and Neural Mix
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To ensure a smooth and efficient workflow, the Mixtour Pro’s transport section features four rubberized buttons for each channel to control Play / Pause, Cue, and Sync respectively, while the signature “Laidback Loop” button independently offers instant looping (In/Out/Exit) with a single control. The section also offers secondary layer functions to control Auto Loop, Key Match, Pitch Bend, and Key Shift.
Additional features include compatibility with the various streaming services, MIDI support, and the inclusion of two USB-C ports. Reloop’s Premium Modular Bag XT is also available as an optional accessory for safe transportation of the Mixtour Pro.
Of the release, Laidback Luke says: “This is my dream portable club-and festival setup! I was able to design this together with Reloop and it’s safe to say they gave me everything I wanted. This is a huge step up for my professional performances.”
Arriving summer 2024, the Mixtour Pro is priced at $499,99/ £399,99.

Learn more at Reloop.
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From Spotify’s ‘superfan clubs’ to Apple Music’s spatial audio royalty boost… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
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SSL and Harrison Compressor plugin bundle price drops by $500When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more information on how this works, see our terms of use.
The SSL and Harrison Consoles Compressor bundle is currently available for $49, saving you 90 per cent off the original price for a limited time via Plugin Boutique.
Comprising four plugins, the bundle emulates powerful effects by SSL and Harrison, giving you studio-grade sound for a fraction of the price — especially with this new deal. It includes Harrison’s 32 Bus and Multiband Compressor, and SSL’s Fusion HF Compressor and LMC+. Check out the deal at PB and see more details below.
The 32 Bus plugin emulates the Harrison Mixbus 32C DAW bus processor, which lets you add EQ, compression, tape saturation and limiting to your bus tracks. Based on the Harrison 32C console, Plugin Boutique says it’s the “next best thing” to having the console in your studio.

Harrison’s Multiband Compressor plugin is a versatile multiband compressor (obviously) that is effective for music, film, TV and other post-production tasks. Plugin Boutique says that it offers a more natural sound compared to other multiband compressors, thanks to the unique approach: “Each band’s attack, release, and other parameters are calculated by the plugin to get the best possible sound. Internal processing ensures that the combined signal is phase-accurate and has a flat pass-band.”
Meanwhile, SSL’s Fusion HF Compressor is an emulation of the SSL Fusion analogue hardware — specifically, the high-frequency smoothing circuit. The Fusion HF compressor brings the sound of analogue rounding to your DAW, and gives you smooth compression and “tape-like roll-off”, which enables you to attenuate harsh high frequencies for a refined sound on your stems, mixes and masters.
The LMC+ is an emulation of the SSL Listen Mic compressor found in the iconic SSL SL 4000E console. This plugin sports a host of modern features, of course, which gives artists, producers and engineers versatility when bringing the classic sound to your DAW.
The four plugins are available for $49 until 7 February 2024.
Check out the deal at Plugin Boutique.
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The Future of Superfans: Four industry experts weigh inExecutives from Fandiem, Linktree, Another Management Company, and a Senior Analyst at MIDiA weigh in on what’s driving the music industry’s latest obsession with superfans, what it means for artists,. Continue reading
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4 proven strategies to turn Casual Fans into Superfans“Streaming platforms like Spotify are essential for artist discovery, but to cultivate lasting superfans, you must extend beyond streaming,” writes the smart team at Single. “Superfans crave exclusive content, unique experiences, and. Continue reading
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NAMM 2024: SoundCloud announces partnership with DJ Fresh-founded Voice-Swap AINAMM 2024: It seems SoundCloud is embracing a fresh wave of artificial intelligence tools designed with musicians in mind.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024 Live updates: All the biggest synth, studio, DJ and software releases

Yesterday, Voice-Swap – an AI platform which allows users to make their vocals sound like other artists – took to Instagram to announce its new partnership with the music platform, proclaiming that “soon Voice-Swap users will be able to upload their songs and demos directly to SoundCloud with a new integration”.

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But what exactly is Voice-Swap? Founded by multi-platinum producer DJ Fresh and developer Nico Pellerin, Voice-Swap allows vocalists to emulate the voice of someone else.
While voice changers have been around for quite some time – we’ve all witnessed Kevin McCallister using his Talkboy to sound like an ‘adult’ in Home Alone 2 – Voice-Swap takes it to the next level. The software is quick and easy to use, allowing even the most tech-averse to quickly produce their own audio deepfakes.
Users are required to upload clips of them singing, then Voice-Swap does the magic. You just select a voice to emulate – there’s a wide selection on offer, from house artist Farley “Jackmaster” Funk to Swiss electro-popstar Mylène Schuler. There’s even a few text-to-speech options, if you’re too embarrassed to upload a clip of yourself attempting to hit the right notes.

Considering the negative press surrounding deepfake audio, Soundcloud are assuring its users are made aware of a track utilising Voice-Swap’s AI technology. Each track will be tagged, making it clear that Voice-Swap has been involved in the making of a track.
Soundcloud has also partnered up with Fadr, which allows users to create mash-ups and remixes, and Soundful AI, a software that generates studio-quality tracks for creators.
Last May, SoundCloud announced it had acquired Musiio, another music company at the forefront of AI technology.
Speaking to Music Week, the Soundcloud CEO Eliah Seton expressed his joy over partnering with even more AI-centric companies. “At SoundCloud, we take pride in being ground zero for musical experimentation,” he explained. “That’s why we’re home to what’s next in music. AI is top of mind for us in this context, and we’re excited about how this technology can be applied to serve and empower artists.
“These partners, which we’ve selected intentionally, reflect the very best of what the industry has to offer in this arena: tools that open up new creative avenues and make artists’ lives a little bit easier,” he concluded.
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The best ways to serve and even spoil your SuperfansThis week’s Hypebot Flashback Friday post resurfaces a guide to keeping a community of superfans loyal and happy. In it, musician, teacher, and artist advocate Ben Weinman explains how to. Continue reading
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Harrison Audio breaks new ground with 500-series modules Harrison Audio has stepped into the 500-series format, bringing their legendary console technology to a broader audience.

Auralex launch Synergy GreenScreen acoustic panels These panels blend Auralex EcoTech and Studiofoam, offering superb acoustical absorption coupled with greenscreen functionality.

New direct-to-fan streaming app could pay artists “4000% more” than other servicesInsidr Music, a new music streaming app for independent artists, has claimed that its direct-to-fan subscription model could see artists earning “4000% more” than other platforms.

READ MORE: Spotify to launch in-app purchases, hints at “superfan clubs” to come

The app, which takes inspiration from creator-centric platforms like Patreon and Substack, is set to roll out later this year after launching in beta in late 2023.
With Insidr, fans subscribe to an artist and directly pay a monthly subscription price that the artist sets. The subscription offers them access to exclusive content, such as the artist’s unreleased music, demos, and even behind-the-scenes ‘making of’ content. It will also allow you to listen to any released music first.
“With unsigned artists’ total revenues having quadrupled in recent years up from $375 million in 2015 to $1.78 billion in 2022 there is still often a misnomer that unsigned artists don’t have a healthy fanbase,” Insidr says in an announcement.
The company also claims that its subscription model will enable artists to earn “4000% more than other music streaming platforms” — “so if just 10 fans stream an artist’s song once a day for a month they will earn £37.24 vs £0.86p on Spotify.”
“We built Insidr to make sure unsigned artists could properly monetise their work and reach fans that really crave hearing more of their work. Patreon for video creators is valued at $1.5 billion with over 8 million fans subscribing to over 250,000 creators – demonstrating a clear market for this model,” Insidr CEO and co-founder Kima Otung said.
“For music, there is no equivalent and Insidr was created to meet that need. We have launched a platform that’s both ethical and viable which artists have already started making money on, and we look forward to building the Insidr community.”
Learn more at Insidr.
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Auto-Align 2.1 from Sound Radix Auto-Align 2.1 eliminates comb-filtering, minimises transient smearing, and spectrally optimises the phase of each microphone. The new version significantly speeds up the alignment workflow, introducing a new spectral phase correction module, a refined algorithm, and a more intuitive user interface.

Warner Music Group launches new Brazil HQ and creative hub in Rio de JaneiroThe new hub houses the operations of Warner Music Brazil, Warner Chappell Music Brazil, and ADA Brazil
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NAMM 2024: PWM unveils the Mantis, built in collaboration with synth legend Chris HuggettNAMM 2024: British synth maker PWM has announced the launch of the Mantis, a duophonic hybrid-analogue keyboard synthesizer designed in collaboration with late synth pioneer Chris Huggett.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024: Heritage Audio introduces i73 PRO family, the “first-ever” USB-C interfaces with built-in Class A 73-style preamps

According to PWM, the Mantis boasts a synth architecture inspired by the Huggett-designed Wasp and OSCar synths.
First unveiled at last year’s Superbooth event, the Mantis is a duophonic synth with digital oscillators and an analogue signal path. The synth features two oscillators and a sub-oscillator per voice, along with a lovely oscillator drift function that generates random pitch variations between the oscillators.
Every signal path is equipped with its own multimode analogue filter, along with two LFOs and two separate envelopes. Users can also choose from six sources and six destinations available via Modulation Routes.
Other features include an arpeggiator, a built-in digital effects section with reverb and chorus, full usb MIDI control, as well as a full-sized, 37-note, semi-weighted keyboard with channel aftertouch and velocity.
“We can’t wait for you to see and hear Mantis, our new unique sounding synth that is a beautiful collaboration between PWM and the late Chris Huggett of Gnat, WASP and OSCar fame! With the blessing of his family we are thrilled to bring you our new synth that we are sure will be loved as much as he was!” says PWM founder Paul Whittington.
Priced at $1,499/£1,349/€1,599, the Mantis is now available at select retailers.

Learn more at PWM.
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