Why guitar modelling giant Neural DSP has ventured into the world of vocal processing

This week saw the launch of Mantra, a new comprehensive vocal processing plugin from Neural DSP, a company which, until now, has been associated primarily with guitar amp modelling and processing.

Mantra is designed to “reimagine the entire vocal chain”, with compressor, EQ, pitch correction, de-esser and harmonisation functions all housed within one plugin. In fact, Neural calls it a “world-class vocal studio in one plugin”.

But why now for Neural DSP to foray into the world of vocal processing, when its stake in the guitar and bass digital processing market is already so strong? Ultimately, it came down to spotting an opportunity, as Neural DSP CPO and Co-Founder Francisco Cresp and Plugin Product Manager Francois Barrillon tell MusicTech.

After being one of the main players in guitar and bass amp modellers and plugins for some time, why now for Neural DSP to foray into the world of vocal processing?

Francisco Cresp: “We’ve spent years building tools that remove technical friction for guitarists and bassists. Getting a great tone used to mean spending a lot of money and dealing with complicated gear. We changed that by making it simple to get professional results, whether you’re on stage or working from a bedroom studio.

“When we looked at vocal production, we saw a similar opportunity. Most existing solutions fall into one of two categories: they’re either overly complex, requiring stacks of plugins and deep technical knowledge, or they’re overly simple, offering very limited control and unsatisfying results. We felt there was a gap we could fill.

“With Mantra, we wanted to combine the best of both worlds. We used our expertise in analog modelling to design modules like saturation and compression that feel and respond like high-end studio gear. But we also designed the interface and workflow to be modern, fast, and intuitive, so you don’t have to spend time figuring out plugin chains or routing.

“Another key part was tracking. A lot of vocal plugins sound great in mixing, but they’re not usable when tracking because of latency. Mantra was built to deliver a fully processed sound in real time, with no noticeable latency, so vocalists can perform with confidence and hear the near final sound as they record.

“We saw this as the right time to enter the vocal space because we had the experience, the tech, and a clear understanding of where we could offer something different.”

A lot of the messaging surrounding Mantra’s release relates to the simplification of vocal processing workflow. Was this a strategy to appeal to those less experienced with vocal processing, or for more advanced users, too?

Francois Barrillon: “We wanted Mantra to be immediately usable for anyone, even if they’ve never mixed vocals before. But the idea wasn’t to oversimplify or limit control. Instead, we focused on making powerful tools faster and more intuitive to use. Beginners can simply browse through presets and get great results by adjusting just a few of the quick controls.

“Even experienced producers often find vocal chains messy and time-consuming. You’re dealing with multiple plugins, routing, latency issues, and overlapping parameters. Mantra puts everything you need in one place, with a signal path that just works, so you can stay focused on the sound and performance with no interruptions to your creative flow.

“So yes, the accessibility helps newer users, but we designed Mantra to be a serious tool that advanced users would trust in real sessions.”

Does Neural DSP plan to release more tools catered to vocals – or perhaps production and mixing, more broadly – in the future?

Cresp: “We’re always paying close attention to how people are making music and what kinds of tools they’re reaching for. With Mantra, we saw an opportunity to apply our strengths, particularly in analog modelling and intuitive interface design, to an area that could benefit from both.

While we don’t have anything specific to announce at the moment, we’re certainly exploring ways to expand on what Mantra represents. If we feel there’s something meaningful we can contribute, something that reinforces our core goal of removing technical friction from the creative process, we’ll definitely consider it.”

Mantra is available now for €199. Learn more at Neural DSP.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.