Hard-tuned vocals are everywhere — they’re effective, but in many styles they’ve become predictable, to the point where you expect them more often than not. We wanted a way to build on that sound and push it into totally new territory. On the other hand, vocoding is another classic way of producing distinct vocal characters, but it often sounds dated and loses the expression required to maximize emotional impact.
These two approaches can be great, but we wanted a third path that combines the best of both to create a new sound — that’s where vocal resynthesis comes in.
The solution: vocal resynthesis
Resynthesis — the process of analyzing a sound and reconstructing a new version of it.
As we thought about the problem above, the idea of recreating the voice in a new way kept coming up. The voice is arguably the most expressive instrument we have, so exploring something that respects its importance in music while expanding it in new ways felt like the right direction.
Our custom-built resynthesis engine is the result of this thinking. Resynthesis lets us separate and manipulate core elements like pitch, spectral envelope, and timbre, then synthesize a new signal that preserves parts of the original performance while changing others — so you can experiment with your voice (or other sounds) in new ways.
A key part of this is the vocal modeling we developed, which tracks and recreates formants — the resonant peaks in the voice responsible for vowels and articulation. Automatic tuning then enables hard-tuning, harmonization, and other pitch-based effects. Designing new “characters” through resynthesis modes was another major focus of the engine.
Designed for workflow
Workflow is something we’re always trying to refine at Minimal Audio, and Evoke presented some new challenges as well as opportunities, since it’s such a unique effect. We wanted to make sure the plugin could slot into the same workflows as auto-tuning effects. This means no complex routing or other setup like what is often found in vocoder or harmonizer effects. Just drop Evoke on a track, set the key, audition different characters, and set retuning/harmonization on a single page. Of course, presets are another great way to quickly try different vocal sounds.
Inspiration and musical outcomes
There were many real-world musical influences while building Evoke that helped guide us during development. Artists like FKA Twigs, Bon Iver, and Oneohtrix Point Never have all created distinct vocal processing approaches. That helped inspire us to make effects that were not just new, but also applicable to today’s vocal styles. This is also where Evoke’s additional effects rack and modulation system come into play — we wanted an all-in-one solution for creative vocal processing built on the concept of vocal resynthesis.
Some of the sounds and techniques we wanted to capture were:
- Lead vocals that are highly processed without losing the original expression of the performance. Think formant manipulation, new vocal characters, hard-tuning, etc.
- Automatic harmonies for stacked vocal layers and backing tracks. This allows lush choral effects as well as pitch-shifting, subharmonics, and even pitch-sequenced voices.
- Building the rest of a track from the original vocals — whether it’s atmospheres, textures, SFX, or even basses. Pushing Evoke to the extreme opens up some really interesting ways to create almost anything in your track.
Who we built Evoke for
If you already use Auto-Tune or similar effects, Evoke is the natural next step when you want to create your own distinct vocal sounds. While Evoke is capable of standard retuning, its true strength is manipulating a voice’s character in new, creative ways. On the other hand, if you love vocoders and talkboxes, Evoke can deliver those bold, synthetic timbres while retaining intelligibility and the original phrasing far better than a traditional vocoder.
Many genres and styles are possible with Evoke, but we especially wanted it to shine in forward-thinking vocal production — from alt-R&B to hyperpop — making these sounds accessible to both new and seasoned producers.
Although we built Evoke to accurately recreate and manipulate vocals, it also works well on any monophonic, pitched sound — try it on keys, guitar, or synths. Additionally, some of the Global Modes open up even more sound-design possibilities, so don’t feel like you can only use it on vocals!
The future of the voice
As mentioned on the Evoke page, it’s designed to unlock your signature vocal sound — and we truly believe it can do that. Try experimenting with its features and presets to hear how it can transform your vocals into something new. There are so many creative possibilities to explore, and we can’t wait to hear what you create.
Ready to try Evoke for yourself?