If you're the kind of vocalist that knows their pig squeals from their death growls, then Amsterdam-based plugin developer Ablaze has designed a plugin just for you.
A multi-effect described by the company as "the ultimate plugin for extreme vocals", Screamer is designed to enhance screamed vocals with the bold and punchy vocal sound that's characteristic of modern metal production, taking your "lows, mids, highs, gutturals and pig-squeals to the next level".
Screamer's interface is divided into three modules, each with a dedicated gain fader. The Control module features high and low-pass filters, along with Drive and Mix controls for a Tube Screamer-like distortion with adjustable brightness. The Chop and Release dials introduce compression and limiting.
Once fine-tuned in the Control module, the signal is split and processed via Thicken and Flavour modules in parallel. Thicken adds stereo width, making vocals wider and fatter via stereo comb filtering, while the Flavor module can be used to bring in both reverb and delay.
The instrument ships with an extensive collection of presets designed for different vocal techniques and musical contexts, and Ablaze assures us that Screamer is latency-free, so you'll be able to monitor the vocal effects in real-time as you're recording.
Ablaze is a newly-founded plugin brand out of Amsterdam headed up by metal vocalist Jochem de Jong. Following the release of Screamer, their first plugin, the company is working on the development of Vocal Assist Bundle, a set of easy-to-use plugins designed to "fully streamline" the process of mixing extreme vocals.
"Producing extreme music ourselves, we find that the growing availability of metal-oriented Kontakt libraries and virtual instruments - such as low-tuned guitars, crunchy bass guitars, and hard-hitting drum kits - makes it easier than ever to produce entire metal tracks in a basic home studio," reads a statement on Ablaze's website.
"The biggest challenge is often mixing the vocals, and getting that modern, polished, larger-than-life vocal tone. That‘s where Screamer comes in."
Screamer is available now for macOS and Windows in VST/AU/AAX formats. It's priced at €69, but you can use the discount code SCREAMERLAUNCH25OFF for a 25% discount throughout August and September. There's a 7-day free trial too.
