The Top 10 Best Modulation Plugins You Need for Your Next Mix in 2024

Modulation plugins are essential tools for adding movement, depth and interest to your mixes. By manipulating aspects of your audio signal like volume, pitch and phase with an LFO (low frequency oscillator), these effects can transform static parts into shimmering, pulsating textures.

The main types of modulation are tremolo, ring mod, chorus, phaser and flanger. Each has its own distinctive character, from subtle thickening to swooshing jet engine sounds. In this guide, we'll break down the top modulation plugins in each category to take your mixes to the next level in 2024.

Tremolo Plugins

Tremolo is a type of amplitude modulation that rhythmically varies the volume of your signal. It's great for adding a vintage vibe or interesting pulsating effects.

Our top picks for tremolo plugins:

1. Goodhertz Trem Control - Feature-rich and highly versatile, Trem Control does subtle vintage to experimental chops with ease.

2. Soundtoys Tremolator - An incredibly deep and flexible tremolo that emulates several classic hardware units in one powerful plugin.

Ring Modulation Plugins

Ring modulation is an extreme type of amplitude modulation that creates robotic, clangorous tones by combining the dry signal with a modulator oscillator. It's less commonly used but great for sound design. Our recommended ring mod plugins:

3. Melda MRingModulator - A solid free ring mod plugin that covers the basics effectively.

4. Melda MRingModulatorMB - The bigger brother of MRingModulator with additional multiband functionality for precise frequency-based ring mod effects.

Chorus Plugins

Chorus makes copies of your signal and detunes them to create a rich, shimmering sound. It's perfect for thickening and adding dimension to guitars, synths and more. Here are our favorite chorus plugins:

5. TAL-Chorus-LX - A faithful emulation of the iconic chorus from the Roland Juno-60 synthesizer. Lush and liquid.

6. D16 Syntorus - A flexible dual chorus with complete control over the two delay lines. Endlessly tweakable.

7. UAD Brigade Chorus - A dead-on model of the groundbreaking Boss CE-1, one of the earliest chorus effects. Dripping with vintage character.

Phaser Plugins

Phasers split your signal and run it through a series of all-pass filters to create sweeping notches in the frequency spectrum. The result is an otherworldly swirling effect. Check out these excellent phaser plugins:

8. Blue Cat Phaser - A featured-packed free phaser that gets the job done and then some.

9. Soundtoys PhaseMistress - Quite possibly the most versatile and great-sounding phaser plugin on the market. Endless possibilities.

Flanger Plugins

Flanging is the "whoosh" you've heard on countless records. It's created by mixing a slightly delayed duplicate of the signal with the dry sound. As the delay time changes, you get that classic jet plane effect. Don't miss these top-notch flanger plugins:

10. Softube Fix Flanger and Doubler - Developed with the creator of the original flanger circuit, this is an ultra high-end, amazing sounding flanger plugin.

Here’s a comparison table for the plugins :

Overall, these plugins offer a range of advantages at various price points. The free plugins like MRingModulator, TAL-Chorus-LX and Blue Cat Phaser provide great quality out of the box. don’t make the “free” pricing fool ya, you’ll be amazed once you throw them in a track with little to no effort to sound great right away. Mid-priced options like Trem Control, Tremolator, MRingModulatorMB, Syntorus, PhaseMistress and Fix Flanger & Doubler offer deep control and flexibility for their respective effect types.

At the high end, UAD Brigade Chorus delivers premium analog emulation, but at a premium price. Ultimately the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget, but all of these plugins represent top offerings in their categories.

Want to know why we vote for this babies? here's our quick review for the plugins.

Tremolo

For tremolo, we selected Goodhertz Trem Control and Soundtoys Tremolator as the top picks. Trem Control stands out for its extensive feature set and flexibility. Beyond basic tremolo functions, it offers:

• Both Hz and tempo-synced rates from 0-640 Hz, with tap tempo

• Continuously variable LFO shapes, symmetry and bias for diverse tremolo effects

• 9 tremolo modes including harmonic tremolo, paired with a tube amp emulation

• Powerful MIDI control, modulators, and preset management

• This makes Trem Control exceptionally versatile for everything from vintage to experimental sounds. Tremolator is also a deep and flexible tremolo, with its strong point being authentic emulations of several classic hardware tremolos in one plugin.

Ring Modulation

For ring mod, Melda's MRingModulator and MRingModulatorMB were the top choices. MRingModulator is a great free option that capably handles basic ring modulation duties. MRingModulatorMB expands on this with additional multiband processing for frequency-selective ring mod effects.

• It also includes Melda's signature features like Automatic gain compensation and safety limiting

• Resizable GUI with easy and edit screens

• A/B/C/D comparison and morphing

• Flexible modulators and multiparameters

• Smart randomization

• These tools make MRingModulatorMB a powerful creative option for ring mod effects.

Chorus

Our chorus selections - TAL-Chorus-LX, D16 Syntorus, and UAD Brigade Chorus - each bring something unique to the table. TAL-Chorus-LX is a spot-on emulation of the legendary Roland Juno-60 chorus, praised for its lush and liquid tone. As a standalone version, it makes this iconic effect far more versatile.

D16 Syntorus is a flexible dual chorus with extensive control, great for dialing in ultra-specific chorus sounds. UAD Brigade Chorus authentically recreates the watershed Boss CE-1, capturing the vintage essence of this early chorus effect.

Phaser

Blue Cat Audio's free phaser is a capable plug-in with their trademark feature set including MIDI control, many formats, and a customizable GUI. But Soundtoys PhaseMistress is arguably the deepest and best sounding phaser available. With PhaseMistress you get:

• Analog-style phasing with up to 32 stages

• Stereo spread control for wide soundstages

• Tempo sync, tap tempo, and MIDI control

• Sine, triangle, and random LFO shapes

• Adjustable phase shift and feedback

• It's an incredibly versatile phaser for everything from subtle to extreme effects.

Flanger

Finally, for flanging, Softube's Fix Flanger and Doubler is a collaboration with flanger circuit inventor Paul Wolff. Not only does it nail the sound of classic tape flanging, it offers unparalleled control with:

• Hands-on "virtual servo" flanging with motor bounce emulation

• Many flange modes including the unique "doubler" mode for natural double-tracking

• Tempo sync, stereo widening, and adjustable polarity

As an endorsement from the father of flanging, Fix Flanger and Doubler is the ultimate flanger plugin.

By choosing plugins that combine authentic vintage tones, deep control and flexibility, and modern conveniences, this list represents the best of each modulation type for a variety of mixing needs. Whether you want a quick preset or deep tweakability, subtle thickening or radical effects, these plugins deliver top-tier tools for adding movement, depth and interest to your tracks.

Make Your Tracks Move with Modulation

Used tastefully, modulation effects can elevate a static mix into something special. Whether you want subtle vintage-style thickening or radical mangling, the plugins on this list have you covered.

Try automating parameters on these effects to make your tracks develop in interesting ways over time. A little movement can go a long way to holding the listener's interest.

Experiment with the different types of modulation to get familiar with the range of sounds possible. While a phaser might be the secret sauce on a funky guitar lick, a touch of chorus could be perfect for breathing life into a pad.

With these powerful modulation tools at your fingertips, you'll be ready to create fascinating textures and ear-catching moments in your mixes. Just remember - a little often goes a long way, so start subtle and increase the depth until you've hit the sweet spot.

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