The new release packs a complete vocal chain into a single plugin, with a perpetual licence and free updates included.
Plugin and audio software brand Astra Creative Audio has released Astra A-Vocal FX 1.0.3, packing an entire vocal signal chain into a single plugin.
The chain runs nine modules in the order you’d typically reach for them: TUNE, EQ, an optical compressor, de-esser, chorus, width, delay, reverb and limiter. Each module can be switched off individually, and every parameter is automatable from within the DAW. It’s available as a universal binary VST3/AU for macOS 10.13 and later, and as 64-bit VST3 for Windows 10 and later with a perpetual licence and free updates, no subscription involved.
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Astra has also published its own bench-testing figures for the release: an average CPU load of 3.3% at a 64-sample buffer, zero late blocks out of 22,500 tested (with a worst case of 10.6% of the available processing time used), accurate pitch-shifting from 220 to 440 Hz on a +12-semitone request as measured by Goertzel analysis, 0.0% residue of the original voice, and a successful AU validation pass.
The brand has also been upfront about a known limitation: pitch correction runs late on very low voices. The fixed latency reported to the host holds accurate from 110 Hz up (with a 1.6 ms margin of error), but below that threshold the real-world delay increases, with the voice able to sit up to 16 ms behind. In the meantime, users can work around the issue by selecting TENOR rather than AUTO in the voice type selector, with Astra confirming a proper fix is coming as a free update. Worth noting too: the installers aren’t currently notarised, so macOS users will see a warning on first launch, and Windows users will encounter a SmartScreen prompt.
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