VocRide 2
by nClear · Vocal Tool · Pitch-following harmonic vocal EQ
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VocRide 2 is a vocal EQ that follows the singer's pitch and moves four harmonic bands with the note.
The free Lite edition has the harmonic EQ; Pro adds per-band dynamics, harmonic solo and linear phase for $39.
Best for: Vocals. Genres: all genres.
Keywords: vocals, linear-phase, low latency, freemium, perpetual licence, undo/redo, auto-gain, corrective, free, gentle, live performance, zero-latency.
What it does
VocRide 2 is a vocal EQ that tracks the note being sung and moves its bands with the harmonics of that note. The idea is to tame the moment when one word "makes the second or third harmonic jump out" without a constant EQ cut on the whole phrase.
- Four harmonic bands: the first three bands follow harmonics of the current note; the fourth can track another harmonic or stay at a fixed frequency. A display shows the current note.
- Lite EQ: in the free Lite version each band has a static Gain control, so it shapes the harmonics without reacting to level.
- Harmonic DYN (Pro): independent Threshold and Strength for each band, so only harmonics that spike on loud moments are reduced.
- Harmonic Solo (Pro): listen to one or several harmonic bands after EQ and dynamics to hear exactly what is being processed.
- Linear Phase and Phase Rotation (Pro): Linear Phase covers the low cut, EQ and dynamics together; Phase Rotation runs from -90 to +90 degrees and adds no latency beyond Linear Phase.
- Low cut and gain: a low cut at 12, 24 or 48 dB/oct that follows the vocal, plus automatic gain compensation to keep the level close to the original.
- Live Mode: a very low-latency mode for live performance and real-time monitoring, in both versions.
- Workflow: factory and user presets, undo and redo, copy and paste of settings, dark and light themes and UI scaling.
The current version is 2.0.0. Lite is free; Pro is a one-time purchase with a perpetual licence for all 2.x versions. A 30-minute Pro preview can be used once every 24 hours.
When to use it
VocRide 2 is the better pick when a vocal's harsh or boomy spots move with the melody. Unlike Vocal Rider, which rides the level of the whole vocal, it changes only the harmonics of the note being sung. Compared with Pro-DS or Oxford SuprEsser, it doesn't target sibilance; it works lower, on the harmonic structure of the voice. A normal dynamic EQ band sits at one frequency, while VocRide 2's bands follow the pitch, so a resonance that shifts from note to note gets treated on every note. It is also cheap, with a free Lite version for static harmonic shaping.
- Best for: controlling harmonics that jump out on certain notes or words, and gentle tone shaping that follows the melody.
- Genres: any vocal-led music, from pop and R&B to rock and singer-songwriter.
- Look elsewhere if: you want simple level riding (Vocal Rider), de-essing (Pro-DS) or a full vocal chain with compression and effects (Nectar 4).
- Tip: use Harmonic Solo in Pro to hear which harmonic band is causing the problem before setting its Threshold and Strength.
Where to buy
- nClear: $39 (price for Pro; VocRide 2 Lite is free)
Tutorials and reviews
- 2 Free Vocal Plugins That Actually Listen to the Voice — VocRide & Sibalance
- Два новых плагина для обработки вокала. Vocride & Sibalance
- Обновил свои бесплатные плагины для вокала: VocRide и Sibalance
- 【無料】基音・倍音追従型ボーカルハーモニックEQ+調整しやすいシビランスシェイパーnClear「VocRide・Sibalance」無償配布！(Plugin Demo)
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