Joey Sturgis Tones announce an all-new vocal mixing plugin, Howard Benson Vocals, the signature vocal chain of legendary producer Howard Benson.
Altogether, Benson has contributed to more than 100 million album sales and more than 20 billion streams over the course of his career. This work has garnered him multiple awards and nominations, including a nomination for Producer of the Year in both 2007 and 2008.
...These are just a few of the many bands Howard has worked with over the years...
3 Doors Down - 10 Years - Adam Lambert - All That Remains - Apocalyptica - Black Stone Cherry - Blessthefall - Chris Cornell - Cold - Creed - Daughtry - Escape The Fate - Gavin DeGraw - Halestorm - Hawthorne Heights - Head Automatica - Hoobastank - In Flames - Issues - Kelly Clarkson - Less Than Jake - Lia Marie Johnson - Motörhead - My Chemical Romance - Of Mice & Men - Orianthi - Otep - P.O.D. - Palisades - Papa Roach - Puddle of Mudd - Rascal Flatts - Red - Relient K - Saliva - Santana - Saosin - Seether - Sepultura - Simple Plan - Skillet - Skindred - The All-American Rejects - The Maine - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - The Starting Line - Theory of a Deadman - Third Day - Three Days Grace
Start adding the elite modern vocal chain to your mixes!
As you can tell, Howard Benson doesn’t just stick to a single genre – his work can be heard all over the charts. His dynamic approach to vocal production has led to huge major label success and for the first time ever, his award winning vocal mixing formula is available in one powerful audio plugin.
With Howard Benson Vocals, we’ve meticulously modeled every aspect of Howard’s vocal chain with direct input from Howard and his team every step of the way. Working to capture the essence of both hardware and software processing, we ended up with seven distinct signal chain elements that work together to form the core of his vocal sound.
So much of Howard’s sound comes from the dynamic front-end of the chain in the form of compression and EQ. Depending on the vocal styling, you can keep things clean and controlled or warm them up with tube saturation & grit controls. His semi-parametric EQ gives you the ability to paint in wide strokes sonically before passing through to the spatial section.
Spatially, Howard Benson Vocals includes both a multiplier and a spatial widener for three-dimensional control. Double your vocal for lush harmonic density and adjust the width of your vocal to dictate presence in the mix.
Finally, no vocal production would be complete without time-based effects. Using the Echo and Space modules in the plugin, producers can dial in the space around their voice for complete continuity with the mix. Finish everything off through a final output stage (limiter included) and you’ve got all the ingredients of a professional vocal mixing chain.
Sweet Saturation
Start off in the sweet spot with a compressor geared up for great vocals! This compressor comes packed with Grit and Tube Warmth - sure to add some heat, sweetness, and saturation to any voice.
Set the optimal input level with an easy to find Sweet Spot
Start compressing instantly with the Comp knob using the standard algo or the slower, smoother “Opto Mode”
Push your vocals harder post-compression with the Gain knob or take out the guesswork with Auto Make-Up gain
Easily de-ess vocals with the De-Esser knob
Colorize your sound with some Grit and/or Tube Warmth for a dirtier, denser tone
Creative Equalization
With the semi-parametric, 3-band EQ, paint a picture of how your vocals should sound. Use wide strokes with bell curves for big, dramatic vocals or keep your brush strokes narrow for finer, detailed control. Whatever you choose, this EQ's musicality is sure to resonate with your vocalist.
Set your ideal signal chain order with Pre-Comp or Post-Comp EQ
Roll off the lows with a built-in Hi-Pass Filter or get even grittier with a LoFi algorithm
Use your high and low frequencies to shape the sound of your vocal
Widen or narrow your palate with Bell curves
Perfect your vocal mid-range with a fully adjustable Q
Hearing Double
Multiply your results with half as much effort. Achieve a luscious, doubled vocal when you're without a double track.
Use the Amount knob to determine just how much of that doubled vocal to cut through
Set the Offset knob to add some variety and complexity to your sound
Remember - nobody expects a perfectly doubled vocal. It's those slight variations that make it all work!
Thicker Vocals
As much as harmonic density adds to the thickness of your vocal, you also need to consider how much of your vocal's presence comes from how wide it sounds. The Width module lets you spread your vocals out wide without thinning them out.
Width sets exactly how wide you'd like your vocals to be
The Range knob helps determine which part of the frequency spectrum the effect acts on.
You can anchor the body of your vocal front and center with the Mono Low-End switch and expand your vocal's spatial presence from there!
Expressive Echoes
Tempo-synced or Milliseconds? Mono or Stereo? How many repeats? With this vocal-centric echo unit, your delays can dance around your vocals in any manner you'd like.
Set the number of repeats and level of your echo simultaneously with the Amount knob
Keep those repearts right down the center or let them bounce around in stereo
See your exact delay times (in ms or tempo-based measurements) with the digital readout
Add some character to your sound with LoFi delays
Fully automatable for the ultimate vocal delay throws
Beyond The Booth
Now things are starting to take shape... But what shape will your vocals be in? With the Space control, you decide between intimate, upfront vocals or larger than life reverb.
Use lower Size settings for intimate, tight & focused vocals
Turn it up high for ballads & arena rock anthems when your singer is really belting out those notes!
Amount provides a convenient way to go from fully dry to fully wet and everything in between without having to jump back and forth between plugins
High Voltage
All good things must come to an end, but by the time you're done, you'll have a high octane vocal ready for release.
Use the optional Limit circuit to catch any stray peaks as your vocals pass onto the next part of their path
Start how you began with Output Gain
Easily find that Sweet Spot once more - post-processed & ready for action!
Change your signal path's routing with a Pre FX switch for when you want to set levels before the effects in the chain
Over 99+ presets created by producers and engineers featuring Howard Benson, Mike Plotnikoff, Joe Rickard, Hatch Inagaki, Joel Wanasek, Joey Sturgis, Collaborators, members of the JST Community and more
Vocal production insights video with Howard Benson and Mike Plotnikoff*
Vocal mixing video tutorial with Howard Benson*
Vocal mixing video tutorial with Joey Sturgis*
Complete how-to video manual explaining all functionality of the plugin
Plugin User Manual
* Videos are accessed via the JST VIP Members’ Portal. Membership is not required.
Requirements
Mac or Windows computer with supported OS and supported DAW (see below).
No recurring fees. Buy once and the plugin is yours forever. No hidden charges, no annual renewals. Just pure, uninterrupted creativity backed by a lifetime of software updates.
Affordable Excellence
Top-tier sound shouldn’t break the bank. With JST, you receive premium quality without the premium price tag. And for those looking for even greater value? Dive into our specially curated bundles and amplify your savings alongside your sound.
Low Latency & CPU Friendly
JST plugins are engineered to be light on your system, ensuring smooth playback and recording sessions. With JST, elevate your sound without compromising your computer's performance.
PRODUCER / ENGINEER
JOEY STURGIS
JST was founded by music producer Joey Sturgis. He has also co-founded URM Academy, Drumforge, Riffhard and has contributed massively to music creators all over the world.
It’s quite expensive and the time based effects are of course limited in post processing which you may want to do more with outside of the module. It is convenient and provides what it says that it does, but it’s awfully expensive for what it is. I’d probably pay less than half the price for what this is. Its also quite demanding if you don’t have a testa super computer, but it does a nice bright tone if you’re a fan of the adjacent music styles involved.
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joe simpson
Misleading
I can't review the actual product because the plugin won't open on garageband. I have all the requirements won't work. Apparently it's a know issue they have with garageband not recognizing the product as safe to open. This is definitely a garageband issue. However you know its an issue and it's not going to work on garageband, yet it's advertise that it will. It's slimey and they should be ashamed. When I upgrade to logic pro and can finally use the product, I really don't care how good it is. I will not recommend this to anyone.
K
Kristian Wangberg
Made me sound good
I'm an amateur mixing engineer, and using this i was able to make my vocals sound good for the first time.
Great all in one tool
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william armstrong
This plugin saves so much time
If you are looking for your next vocal chain, this is it. But this isn’t just a one trick pony, try it on your instruments as well, this plugin easily helps you with proper snare traps, and layers, Not to mention how good it makes any voice sound. You won’t regret it 🫶
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stuart hatty
good, and not just vocals`
The simple interface and presents are great for quick and good vocals. But there are also chains for drums, keys and effects which work very well. So i use it applied to multiple instrument tracks too
