XILS Vocoder 5000 vocoder plugin interface by XILS Lab

XILS Vocoder 5000: Analog-Style Vocoder Plugin by XILS Lab

Rated 4.6/5 on Plugin Boutique (15 ratings)

XILS Vocoder 5000 is a vocoder plugin by XILS Lab that processes an external source, such as a voice, drums or a synth, through a band-based filter bank and a synthesizer core. It is modeled on the EMS 5000 analog vocoder.

VST3VST2AUAAXRTASStandaloneWindowsmacOS32-bit only

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01Overview

XILS Vocoder 5000 is modeled on the EMS 5000 vocoder of 1976, drawing on XILS Lab's earlier emulations of the VCS3 synthesizer and the VP300 VocoderPlus. It analyzes a modulator signal, such as a voice or drum loop, and imposes its spectral character onto a carrier synth. The plugin adds features the original lacked, including adjustable band counts, filter types, LFOs and a gate input. A single-panel interface offers presets for quick starts, while advanced panels expose deeper parameters.

Best for

Vocal formant shifting
Robotic voice effects
Synth vocoding
Drum-driven synth patterns
Choir from a single voice
Analog-style sound design

Developer: XILS Lab
Category: Vocoders
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Vocoder with 20 and 22 band filter banks
Matrix patch area for connecting any band to any band
Two synthesizer cores with two oscillators each
Two LFOs and one VCA-ADSR envelope per core
Voice/unvoice detector and pitch tracker
Frequency shifter effect
Input gate for reducing noise
All parameters MIDI controllable

03In depth

Sound and Filter Bank Design

The filter bank splits both modulator and carrier into bands of equal width, which the developer says is difficult to achieve in the digital domain. XILS Lab describes the filters as analog-like and zero-delay in behavior.

Each core includes two oscillators modeled on the EMS VCS3 oscillator, plus a noise source, two LFOs and a VCA with ADSR envelope. Users can choose between a 20-band and a 22-band vocoder, and the filter emphasis and an added ponderation curve can be adjusted to shape the low end.

Matrix Patching and Workflow

The patch area lets you connect any band of the analysis filter bank to any band of the synthesis filter bank, with a 22x22 or 20x20 grid. This makes it possible to shift formants, for example turning a male voice into a child-like one, or to sculpt sound using drums as modulators.

A dedicated preset manager provides starting configurations such as formant shifts and inverted patches, and you can save your own matrix patches. Stereo analysis and synthesis are available, along with a side chain input for external audio and a virtual keyboard that can be saved within presets.

04Specs