If you are an electronic music producer or a mixing or mastering engineer, then it’s likely you’ve heard of Soundtoys. They specialize in audio processing tools for professional musicians and are known for their suite of creative audio effects. One of Soundtoys’ most potent plugins is the voice-shifting tool Little AlterBoy.
If you’re looking to put a different spin on your vocals and samples, Soundtoys Little AlterBoy is an easy-to-use, creative tool that delivers a wide variety of vocal transformations. In this guide, we’ll be exploring all aspects of the plugin, breaking down it’s price-point and helping you decide if this plugin is for you.
- | What Is Soundtoys Little AlterBoy?
- | Little AlterBoy Plugin Overview
- | Is Little AlterBoy Free?
- | How Much Does Little AlterBoy Cost?
- | Is Little AlterBoy Worth It?
- | Little AlterBoy Free Alternatives
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
| What Is Soundtoys Little AlterBoy?
Soundtoys Little AlterBoy is a powerful vocal editing and manipulation plugin that can be used to create a wide range of vocal effects. The plugin includes a unique formant shifting feature that allows you to dramatically change the tone of your vocals. In addition to changing your voice’s pitch, Little AlterBoy also comes with built-in functionality for creating harmonies based on your project’s key signature. You can even control vocal melodies using MIDI for creative vocoder-like effects. Little AlterBoy is compatible on both Mac and Windows devices and works with all popular DAWs.
| Little AlterBoy Plugin Overview
Plugin Interface
Little AlterBoy is designed to be as simple and easy to use as possible. With its streamlined interface, it’s easy to get started right away without having to spend hours trying to figure out how everything works. You can also select from a number of presets provided by Soundtoys by clicking through the arrows in the top left corner.
Pitch & Formant
The Pitch knob allows you to quickly adjust the pitch of an audio signal by +/-12 semitones. The Formant knob doesn’t adjust pitch but instead, adjusts the tone of an audio input. To increase or decrease these two values in unison, select the Link button.
Mode
Transpose mode is AlterBoy’s default mode and does not alter the notes of an input signal. Quantize mode creates an “auto-tune” like effect by correcting the pitch of sharp and flat notes from a vocal melody. Robot mode drastically alters the pitch of each note in a melody so they become the same pitch.
Drive & Mix
The Drive knob allows you to add a creative distortion effect to an audio signal. The Mix knob simply determines the volume of the distortion effect.
| Is Little AlterBoy Free?
Unfortunately, Little AlterBoy is not free. However, you can try out the plugin for free before purchasing it. Soundtoys offers a 30-day trial period so you can test the full suite of their products. As well as the free trial period, Soundtoys has a 14-day money back guarantee if you decide that Little AlterBoy isn’t for you.
If you have previously purchased other Soundtoys plugins, then you may be eligible for Soundtoys’ crossgrade discount. With this option, users who already own other plugins are able to switch over to one of Soundtoys’ bundles at a discounted price. If you’re eligible as a student, you can take advantage of the educational discount that Soundtoys offers on their plugins and bundles.
| How Much Does Little AlterBoy Cost?
Little AlterBoy by Soundtoys can be purchased for $99 USD. A Little AlterBoy license allows you to install the plugin on two computers. With rival vocal plugins priced upwards of $400 USD, Little AlterBoy is a no-brainer if you’re looking to edit and mix vocals at a professional level.
If your budget allows for it, consider purchasing Soundtoys’ 5 plugin bundle instead of Little AlterBoy alone. The Soundtoys 5 suite is an industry-standard plugin bundle for mixing and sound design. The bundle includes all 21 Soundtoys plug-ins for only $499 USD.
| Is Little AlterBoy Worth It?
With vocals being one of the most forefront elements in any track, it’s important you have the right tools to achieve professional-sounding and polished vocals. Given its unique sound design capabilities, ease of use and affordable price tag, I think Little AlterBoy is worth every penny. The plugin’s clean and simple interface make is easy to create unique vocal sounds for your tracks without having to undergo hours of tedious editing. Little AlterBoy is the perfect tool for making something truly original sounding with just your voice alone.
If you’d like to trial Little AlterBoy or purchase it for yourself, click here.
| Little AlterBoy Free Alternatives
If you like the look of Soundtoys’ Little AlterBoy but are on a tight budget, there are a number of free plugins that can be used to achieve a similar effect to Little AlterBoy. Below is a list of our favourite free vocal tuning and formant plugins:
- MAutoPitch by MeldaProduction Audio
- Grillion 2 by Auburn Sounds
- Pitchproof by Aegean Music
- GSnap by GVST
Want To Know More?
Here at Live Aspects, we have dozens of useful lessons and tutorials created to enhance your music production skills and help speed up the learning process. You can access our huge range of music theory lessons and production tips and tricks here.
