The free “two-knob rescue” that makes vocals sit instantly
Vocal mixing usually turns into a small detective story: you chase boxiness in the low-mids, then you chase harshness up top, then you wonder why your singer suddenly sounds like they’re performing inside a shoebox made of aluminum foil. VoxRelief Lite (by 194dB Audio) is the antidote to that spiral—an intentionally minimal, free vocal cleanup plugin built to fix the two most common problems fast, without making your vocal feel “processed.”
Download page: https://www.194dbaudio.com/products/voxrelief-lite
Website: https://www.194dbaudio.com/
The whole concept: less surgery, more “reposition the mic”
Instead of forcing you into a full corrective chain (EQ → dynamic EQ → multiband → de-esser → existential crisis), VoxRelief Lite focuses on two musical moves that work on almost every recorded vocal: reduce the muddy “vo-boxy” area and smooth the piercing “vo-harsh” glare. The goal isn’t to redesign the voice—it’s to let the performance breathe while removing the stuff that fights the mix.
Two knobs, two real problems
DE-BOXY targets the low-mid buildup that makes vocals feel cloudy, nasal, or trapped. The key is that it aims to feel natural—more like improving capture than carving a cartoon EQ notch.
DE-HARSHER tames aggressive top-end so consonants and bright edges stop poking holes in your master bus. Done right, it stays present and clear without turning into that dull “blanket over the mic” effect.
How to use it so it sounds expensive, not “fixed”
Drop VoxRelief Lite early in your vocal chain, right after cleanup (noise reduction or basic gating if needed) and before heavy compression. That way your compressor isn’t amplifying boxiness and harshness—because once you compress a problem, you basically frame it and hang it on the wall.
A practical workflow: start with DE-BOXY until the vocal stops sounding congested, then bring in DE-HARSHER until the top end feels smooth but still forward. Finally, level-match your output so you’re judging tone, not loudness. The plugin is at its best when you stop just before it becomes obvious.
Why it’s a killer free VST for vocals
Speed is the superpower here. VoxRelief Lite is the kind of tool you reach for when you want a vocal to “sit” quickly—demos, tight deadlines, big sessions, or simply those days when your ears are done negotiating.
Compatibility notes (quick and painless)
It supports modern Windows and macOS, with VST3 and AU available, plus AAX on macOS. The download is free, but you’ll typically need to log in on the 194dB Audio site to access it.
Download: https://www.194dbaudio.com/products/voxrelief-lite
