Exploring Alternatives to Vocal Rider: Comparison

The benefits of technological advancement are apparent in every industry, and the music industry is no exception.

Now there is a wide range of tools available that helps musicians, producers, and engineers with their creativity to speed the process and to cultivate exceptional results.

Vocal Rider is one such tool that has recently gained significant popularity. The plugin is designed by Waves Audio to automate the vocal level adjustment process while mixing.

While the Waves vocal rider is a go-to choice for many producers in the music industry, many other available alternatives may better suit individuals’ specific budgets and personal needs.

Thus this article aims to explore various other options depending on their features, cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness, compatibility, and overall effectiveness.

We hope by the end, you will have some more good options and understanding about why or why not you should make a shift to them.

Overview of Vocal Rider

A good balance between vocals and instruments is crucial for crafting exceptional music pieces.

Manual handling of fader can be a daunting task, especially when the working is on complex and large-scale projects.

That is where the Vocal Rider comes for help and offers solutions by automating the process.

The tool effectively maintains a consistent vocal volume throughout the recording or mixing of music by real-time adjustments in vocal levels.

The plugin acts as an intelligent volume controller and ensures an even tone throughout production.

Its advanced algorithms are designed perfectly to make precise fader adjustments.

The working of the tool involves analyzing the input signal and adjusting the vocal volume accordingly that otherwise would be done manually, resulting in significant time loss.

Vocal Rider Alternatives

Talking about Vocal Rider alternatives, many options can productively help with automatic vocal balancing. However, various factors need to be considered to find out whether these products are good or not.

These include their pricing, compatibility with various operating systems and DAWs, and effectiveness in vocal-level automation.

Depending on these factors, the best alternatives to Vocal Rider are discussed below.

Accusonus ERA Voice Leveler

Accussonus is the modified version of the ERA audio repair bundle. Its standard version aimed to remove one-knob noise and features a de-esser, reverb, and plosive removal.

However, its pro version is more advanced and sophisticated, with added ERA-D, de-verb processing, and de-noising.

Its layout is simple that includes an on-off button at the upper left corner, a centered large knob, a curved bar to manage output levels, and an output level meter at the right. Moreover, only one selector is available for normal-tight tone operations.

The input waveforms are displayed in black, and the processed waveforms appear in yellow.

Though the voice leveler is built to separate variations in recorded music but its conceptual similarity with Waves vocal rider makes it not a conventional compressor.

However, there are many other reasons and features that make Accusonus ERA Voice Leveler a good alternative to Waves vocal rider.

Why Accusonus Era Voice Leveler Is a Good Alternative to Vocal Rider

Various factors make Accusonus ERA voice leveler a good alternative to the vocal rider. Some of these factors and reasons are stated below.

• The plugin comes in two variables: the standard version and the Pro version. Both can be purchased separately, making it a good choice for individuals with budget constraints.
• The specifically designed algorithms of the product deliver exceptional results when used for speech, but with optimal curation, the product can also be a good fit with other instruments too.
• The norma-tight modes offer a vast range of tone processing in between. Whether you want to make your tone sound like a late-night radio DJ or a more natural and unprocessed tone, there is something for everyone.
• The plugin is compatible with every operating system with a minimum 2Gb RAM, 100 MB hard disk, and 800X600 monitor resolution. Additionally, the plugin works well on multiple well-known DAWs and has been tested on Reaper 5, Image-Line FL studio 12.0, and Ableton Live 9.5.
• Last but not least, the plugin comes with a special Emphasis mode. It detects and sorts tonal balance issues in voice recordings.

Sound Radix Auto-Align Post 2

Manufactured by Sound Radix, Auto-Align Post 2 was launched in 2018.

The plugin got immense popularity when it won Emmy Award. And since then, it has been used in many award-winning Tv- shows and films.

Whether it’s Stephen Gallagher, the famous music director of The Hobbit, Mortal Engines, and The Lovely Bones, or other renowned music producers like Ulrika Akander, Brian Bowels, and Andrew Spener Dawson, the product is praised globally for its advanced features.

Auto-Align 2 is an update of Sound Radix’s auto-align. With its award-winning engineering, the product aims to significantly minimize transient smearing, balance of microphone phases, and remove comb filtering.

Additionally, the product features a one-click workflow that makes track alignment easy and super fast.

For more rich sound quality and coherent audio signals, the plugin offers a spectral phase optimization feature.

Why Auto-Align Post 2 is a Good Alternative to Vocal Rider

Below stated are some reasons that make Auto-Align 2 a worthy alternative to Vocal Rider.

• The plugin can align with multiple microphones simultaneously, thus eliminating the need for manual configuration. Plus, its microphone alignment of up to 34 meters helps with a more focused sound.
• Its absolute phase correction helps with setting sound directions during recording or mixing, eventually producing quality music. Additionally, it also helps minimize distractions caused by filters during phase shifting.
• The product also features a static mode that helps in the phase correction of stationary microphones.
• It supports multiple channels, making recording and mixing of complex projects easy and reliable.
• The software is specially designed to exhibit optimal speed on all operating systems and is compatible with DAWs without any manual operation required.

VocALign Project5 by Synchro Arts

VocALign Project5 by Synchro Arts is a powerful audio alignment tool designed primarily for synchronizing the timing and phrasing of multiple vocal and instrumental tracks.

It allows users to match the timing of one audio signal to another, making it ideal for aligning vocal doubles, harmonies, and overdubs.

No matter what kind of music you’re working on, handling stacked vocals is just a piece of cake with VocAlign.

It helps bring your vocal performances together, making them sound clean and focused.

And if you’re working on audio post-production, VocAlign is essential for ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement), allowing you to replace dialogue instantly.

Why VocALign Project5 is a Good Alternative to Vocal Rider

Though VocAlign Project5 may not provide the same level of automation and dynamic control as a specialized vocal riding plugin like Waves Vocal Rider.

However, there are various other features that make it a good alternative. These features include:

• The tool excels in aligning vocal performances with a high degree of accuracy. This ensures that multiple vocal takes or harmonies are perfectly synchronized, creating a cohesive and professional sound.
• Unlike traditional time-stretching techniques, VocALign preserves the natural characteristics of the vocal performance, avoiding any unwanted artifacts or artifacts that may occur with drastic pitch or time adjustments.
• Automating the alignment process, significantly reduces manual editing time, allowing producers and engineers to focus on other aspects of the mix.
• The tool is available as a plugin that integrates with almost every DAW, making it convenient to use within your existing workflow.
• While primarily designed for vocals, VocALign can also be used for aligning other instruments, such as guitars, to create a tighter and more cohesive performance.

The Bottom Line

In the realm of vocal-level automation, Vocal Rider has established itself as a popular and effective tool for audio professionals.

However, exploring alternatives can open up new possibilities and help individuals find plugins that better suit their specific needs and preferences.

However, it is important to evaluate them based on key criteria such as cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness, compatibility, and accuracy in vocal-level automation.

Accusonus ERA Voice Leveler is a good alternative to Vocal Rider. Its user interface is simple, and its handling does not require proficiency, thus making it a good choice for beginners.

Contrary to this, the other alternative to Vocal Rider, The Auto-Align Post 2, is a more advanced and complex plugin that is mostly used for professional and large-scale projects.

But if you want to try a perfect mix of these alternatives, you can opt for VocAlign Project5.

As technology continues to advance, the world of vocal-level automation holds exciting prospects for the future.

Whether one sticks with established tools or embraces innovative alternatives, the goal remains the same: to achieve outstanding vocal balance and seamless integration within the overall mix.