Lector: 100-Band Vocoder Plugin by Waldorf

The number of bands sets how detailed the vocoder sounds. Fewer bands give a coarser, more robotic character, while higher band counts keep more of the original speech or source intelligible. The analysis range and the synthesis offsets can be adjusted, and LFO modulation of the synthesis filter bank adds movement over time.

A whitening filter bleaches the signal before the vocoder colors it, which helps when processing choir and voice samples. A three-band equalizer with a variable mid band lets you shape the carrier output, and separate compressors handle the speech and carrier signals. A voiced/unvoiced detector helps the consonants and vowels track more cleanly.

The built-in synthesizer offers sine, triangle, sawtooth, pulse with pulse width modulation, sample and hold, noise, and single or multi-sample playback. Its oscillators can run in polyphonic, monophonic or free-running modes, with FM, ring modulation and portamento available. Each voice has a 12 dB or 24 dB filter with lowpass, bandpass, highpass and notch types, plus two envelopes and an LFO.

The effects section covers overdrive in tube, diode and clip types, a 2 to 6 stage stereo chorus or flanger, a tempo-syncable stereo delay and a reverb. Playing a melody or chord sequence through the synth and into the vocoder is one way to make vocals or speech follow a musical line.