Voice Changer in Reaper DAW: Effects Chain Tutorial
Setting up a Reaper voice changer is one of the cleanest workflows in any DAW because Reaper’s architecture gives you direct, low-latency access to input monitoring tracks with a full VST3 plugin chain. Whether you want live Reaper vocal effects for streaming, recording, or routing to Discord and OBS, this tutorial covers every step — from creating the input track to optimizing latency and building a streamer routing matrix with Reaper’s built-in JS plugin system.
Reaper costs $60 for a personal license, making it one of the most affordable professional DAWs available. That price buys you an exceptionally capable host for voice processing: unlimited tracks, native VST3 support, a full library of free JS (JSFX) processing scripts, and a routing engine flexible enough to handle even complex multi-output streaming setups.
TL;DR
- Create an armed recording track with input monitoring to process your mic through a VST3 chain in real time.
- Load VoxBooster VST3 in the FX slot after ReaEQ and ReaComp for the cleanest input signal.
- Buffer size of 64-128 samples at 48 kHz gives near-zero monitoring latency on most modern interfaces.
- Use JS plugins (JSFX) to build flexible routing — split processed voice to recording, OBS, and Discord simultaneously.
- For hardware direct monitoring, bypass Reaper’s software monitoring path to achieve true zero-latency passthrough for critical performers.
Why Reaper Is a Strong Choice for Voice Changer Workflows
Before getting into setup, it is worth understanding why Reaper is particularly well suited for this use case compared to other DAWs.
Full VST3 hosting at any track stage. Most DAWs add plugins post-input or on busses. Reaper allows VST3 processing on the input monitoring path of any track, which means your voice changer sees audio before it is recorded. The processed signal feeds downstream routing in real time.
JS plugins (JSFX). Reaper ships with dozens of free, open-source JSFX scripts — lightweight signal processors written in a sandboxed scripting language. For streamers, these cover gating, ducking, mid-side processing, and routing tricks that would require expensive third-party plugins in other DAWs.
Flexible routing matrix. Each track in Reaper can send to any combination of hardware outputs, virtual audio cables, or other tracks simultaneously. This makes it straightforward to route your processed voice to a recording track, a virtual cable feeding OBS, and a virtual cable feeding Discord — all from a single input monitoring track.
Affordable perpetual license. The $60 personal license (for individuals and businesses under $20,000 annual revenue) is a perpetual license with free updates for the current major version. No subscription, no monthly fee.
For a focused look at how VST plugins integrate with voice changing software, see the guide at /blog/voice-changer-vst-plugin-setup.
Installing VoxBooster VST3 and Confirming Reaper Sees It
Before building any session, confirm that Reaper can find the VoxBooster VST3 component.
- Install VoxBooster on Windows 10 or 11. The installer places the VST3 plugin in the standard location:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\. - Open Reaper and go to Options > Preferences > Plug-ins > VST.
- Confirm that
C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\(or your custom VST3 folder) is in the scan path list. - Click Re-scan (or Re-scan / find new plug-ins). Reaper will crawl the folder and index any new plugins.
- After scanning, open any track’s FX chain and type “VoxBooster” in the filter box. If the plugin appears, the install succeeded.
If Reaper does not find the plugin after re-scanning, check whether you installed the 64-bit version (Reaper 64-bit only loads 64-bit plugins). Also confirm that Windows security software has not quarantined the VST3 file — check your antivirus logs if the plugin file exists in the VST3 folder but Reaper ignores it.
Creating the Input Monitoring Track
This is the core of the Reaper voice changer setup. You need an armed track with input monitoring enabled so that Reaper’s audio engine processes your microphone signal through the FX chain in real time.
Step 1 — Create a new track.
Double-click in the empty area below the track list in the Reaper main window (or press Ctrl+T) to create a new track. Name it something descriptive like “Voice – Processed.”
Step 2 — Assign your microphone as the track input.
Click the Input selector button on the left side of the track strip (it shows “Input: None” by default). A menu appears listing all available audio inputs from your interface. Select the input channel corresponding to your microphone — for example, “Input 1” for a single-channel interface.
Step 3 — Enable record arm and input monitoring.
Click the red Record Arm button on the track (the circle icon). Then click the Input Monitoring button — it looks like a speaker or a small monitoring icon next to the record arm. In Reaper’s default theme it may show as a meter icon. You can also go to Track > Track Recording Settings and set monitoring to “Tape Auto Style” or “Monitored Input (Record Disabled)” — the latter processes and monitors without writing a file.
With both enabled, any audio arriving at the track’s input is now routed through the track’s FX chain and out to the master output in real time.
Step 4 — Confirm signal flow.
Speak into your microphone. You should see the track meter moving. If you hear your raw voice (no effects yet), the input monitoring path is working. If you hear nothing, check that your audio interface is selected in Preferences > Audio > Audio Device and that the interface is not muted at the hardware level.
Building the FX Chain: ReaEQ + ReaComp + VoxBooster VST3
Click the FX button on your input monitoring track to open the FX chain window. This is where you add and order the plugins. The order matters — audio flows top-to-bottom through the list.
Recommended Chain Order
| Position | Plugin | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ReaGate (JSFX) | Closes the signal path during silence — removes breath noise and room hum that the voice changer would otherwise process |
| 2 | ReaEQ | Tonal correction before the voice changer — cut low rumble below 100 Hz, remove harsh resonances |
| 3 | ReaComp | Dynamic control — smooths out the level so the voice changer receives a consistent signal |
| 4 | VoxBooster VST3 | Voice processing — pitch shift, formant control, AI voice effects |
| 5 | Reverb / Space (optional) | Room character applied after voice conversion for a natural spatial feel |
Configuring ReaGate
Add ReaGate by typing it in the FX browser search (it is in the JSFX section, under “Dynamics”). Set the Threshold to just above your room noise floor — typically -40 to -35 dBFS for a quiet room with a decent condenser microphone. Set Attack to 5 ms so the gate opens quickly enough to catch natural speech onsets. Set Release to 100-150 ms so it stays open through short pauses mid-sentence.
Configuring ReaEQ
Add ReaEQ below ReaGate. The goal here is to clean up the raw microphone signal before the voice changer processes it. Problematic frequencies become amplified by voice processing, so removing them first prevents artifacts.
Baseline vocal EQ for voice changer input:
| Band | Type | Frequency | Gain | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HPF | High-pass | 80-100 Hz | Cut | Removes low-frequency rumble, HVAC noise, vibration |
| Notch | Narrow bell | 200-300 Hz | -3 to -4 dB | Reduces “muddy” boxy resonance common in home studios |
| Bell | Broad | 1-3 kHz | ±2 dB | Adjust to taste — this is the presence range of speech |
| Bell | Broad | 5-7 kHz | -2 to -3 dB | Tame sibilance before it gets amplified by voice processing |
| LPF | Low-pass | 16 kHz | Soft cut | Roll off ultrasonic content that can cause aliasing |
Adjust the 200-300 Hz notch by ear — its exact position depends on your room. Use the Solo button on the band to solo just that frequency range while adjusting, so you can hear what you are removing.
Configuring ReaComp
Add ReaComp below ReaEQ. For voice changer input, moderate compression keeps the level consistent without introducing audible pumping.
Recommended starting settings:
- Threshold: -18 dBFS
- Ratio: 3:1
- Attack: 10 ms (fast enough to catch transients without distorting them)
- Release: 120 ms
- Knee: 5-6 dB (soft knee — transparent compression)
- Makeup Gain: enough to bring the average level back up to around -12 dBFS peak
The goal is 4-6 dB of gain reduction on louder passages. Watch the gain reduction meter (the yellow bar) while speaking normally — if it is consistently above 8-10 dB, lower the threshold slightly.
Loading VoxBooster VST3
Click the Add button in the FX chain window, or drag from the FX browser. Search for VoxBooster and add it in position 4, after ReaComp.
Once loaded, the VoxBooster plugin window opens. Set it up for your intended voice effect:
- Voice Effects mode — select a preset effect (robot, alien, deep, etc.) or configure a custom pitch and formant combination
- AI Voice Clone mode — if you have loaded a custom voice model, select it here; the model processes your voice in real time using your GPU or CPU
- Noise Suppression — VoxBooster includes its own noise suppressor; you may want to disable it here since ReaGate and ReaEQ upstream are already handling that job, to avoid double-processing
Keep the input gain within VoxBooster’s recommended range — a green or light yellow input meter indicates a healthy signal. If the meter shows red clipping, reduce the makeup gain in ReaComp.
For comparison with how this same plugin chain is built in other DAWs, see /blog/voice-changer-fl-studio-effects-chain and /blog/voice-changer-ableton-live-routing.
Latency Optimization in Reaper
Latency is the delay between you speaking and hearing your processed voice in headphones. For most voice changer users, anything under 20 ms is imperceptible. Above 30-40 ms it starts to feel wrong — your brain expects the voice in your ears to match your mouth movements.
Setting Buffer Size
Go to Options > Preferences > Audio > Audio Device. The key setting is Request block size (buffer size in samples).
| Buffer Size (samples) | Approx. Latency at 48 kHz | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 32 samples | ~0.7 ms (+ interface latency) | Ultra-low latency; requires fast CPU, can cause dropouts |
| 64 samples | ~1.3 ms | Good balance for most modern CPUs |
| 128 samples | ~2.7 ms | Safe starting point; minimal CPU load |
| 256 samples | ~5.3 ms | Acceptable if CPU is limited; some perceptible delay |
| 512 samples | ~10.7 ms | Total round-trip gets noticeable; avoid for monitoring |
Start at 128 samples and test. If you hear clicks, pops, or dropouts, increase to 256. If your CPU handles 128 cleanly, try 64 for an even snappier feel.
Hardware Direct Monitoring
If your audio interface supports hardware direct monitoring (most interfaces from brands like Focusrite, SSL, PreSonus, and MOTU do), you can bypass Reaper’s software monitoring path entirely for the dry (unprocessed) signal. Enable hardware monitoring in your interface’s control panel, then route only the processed signal from Reaper back to your headphones. This gives the dry signal zero latency and the wet signal only the plugin processing delay.
For more detail on configuring ASIO drivers to achieve the lowest possible latency floor, the guide at /blog/voice-changer-asio-driver-guide covers driver settings, buffer sizes, and interface-specific tips.
Reaper’s Audio Thread Priority
In Preferences > Audio, set Thread priority to “Time Critical” if it is not already. This tells Windows to give the Reaper audio engine higher CPU scheduling priority, which reduces the probability of buffer underruns even at small buffer sizes.
Recording Your Processed Voice
Once the monitoring chain sounds the way you want, recording is straightforward. The track is already armed — clicking Reaper’s transport Record button (or pressing Ctrl+R) will write the processed audio (post-FX chain) to disk.
Important: Reaper can record either the raw input (pre-FX) or the processed output (post-FX). Confirm the right behavior by right-clicking the record arm button on the track and checking Record: Output (Stereo). “Input” records the dry microphone; “Output” records the processed signal after VoxBooster. For most voice changer use cases you want Output.
If you want a safety net, create a second track that records the raw microphone (pre-FX) simultaneously. Route your microphone input to this second track as well, keep it unarmed for monitoring but armed for recording. This gives you both the processed and dry recordings in sync, which is invaluable if the effect chain needs adjustment in post.
Streamer Routing: Sending Processed Voice to OBS and Discord Simultaneously
For streamers, the goal is to route the processed voice to multiple destinations at once: your recording track inside Reaper (for local archiving), OBS Studio (for your stream), and possibly a voice chat application. Here is how to do it using Reaper’s send system and JS plugins.
Install a Virtual Audio Cable
Download and install VB-Audio Virtual Cable (free). This creates a virtual audio device pair: CABLE Input (a device you can play audio into) and CABLE Output (a device apps can capture from). You can install up to two cables with the free version.
Create Send Tracks
-
Send 1 — OBS. On your “Voice – Processed” monitor track, click the Route button (or Ctrl+Shift+click the track area). Add a new send. Set the output hardware destination to “CABLE Input” (VB-Audio Virtual Cable). In OBS, go to Audio > Add Source > Audio Input Capture and select “CABLE Output.” OBS now hears your processed voice from Reaper.
-
Send 2 — Discord (if needed). Install a second VB-Audio cable (VB-Audio Cable B). Create another send from your voice track to “CABLE B Input.” In Discord’s Voice & Video settings, set the input microphone to “CABLE B Output.”
-
Master send — Headphones. Keep the main output sending to your interface’s headphone output so you can hear the processed voice in your monitoring mix.
Using a JS Plugin to Build a Routing Matrix
Reaper’s JSFX library includes a “Channel Splitter/Joiner” script that lets you map specific channels to different destinations inside a single track — useful for multi-channel setups. For simple stereo-to-stereo routing to virtual cables, the native send system (described above) is sufficient.
For more complex scenarios — like feeding a game audio mix to OBS while also sending a clean voice-only feed separately — JSFX “Channel Router” scripts can handle arbitrary input-to-output mappings per track without needing third-party virtual cable software.
Comparing Reaper to Other DAWs for Voice Changer Use
| Feature | Reaper | FL Studio | Ableton Live | Audacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VST3 on input monitor track | Yes | Yes (mixer insert) | Yes (audio track) | VST bridge only |
| Built-in gate/EQ/comp | Yes (JSFX) | Yes (native) | Yes (native) | Limited |
| JS/scripting for routing | Yes (JSFX, powerful) | Limited | No native scripting | No |
| Real-time voice monitor | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| License cost | $60 perpetual | $99-$499 | $99-$499/yr | Free |
| ASIO low-latency support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plugin bridge (32-bit) | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Recording dry + wet simultaneously | Easy | Possible | Possible | N/A |
The Audacity voice changer tutorial covers the post-production side of things — useful if you want to understand offline processing before committing to a real-time DAW setup.
Gain Staging: The Most Common Mistake
Poor gain staging is responsible for more voice changer quality problems than any single plugin setting. Here is the signal level to target at each stage of the chain:
- Interface preamp output: Peaks around -12 dBFS on your interface’s input meter. If your interface shows red (clipping), lower the preamp gain knob.
- ReaGate input: Should match the interface output — peaks around -12 dBFS. Watch the track input meter in Reaper.
- ReaEQ output: EQ cuts and boosts may shift level by a few dB. After EQ, compensate with the EQ’s built-in gain so output is still near -12 dBFS.
- ReaComp output: The makeup gain brings the compressed signal back up. Target peaks around -10 to -12 dBFS going into VoxBooster.
- VoxBooster input: The plugin’s own input meter should show green. Red means you are driving it into saturation, which produces distortion artifacts. Adjust ReaComp’s makeup gain to fix this.
- VoxBooster output: The processed voice going to recording or to virtual cables should peak no higher than -6 dBFS to leave headroom.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Voice sounds metallic or has artifacts after VoxBooster. Usually a sample rate mismatch. Check that your interface, your Reaper project (Project Settings > Project Sample Rate), and VoxBooster are all set to the same sample rate — typically 48000 Hz. A mismatch causes the plugin to see audio at the wrong speed, producing pitch and timbre artifacts.
Clicking or crackling in the monitoring output. Increase buffer size by one step (e.g., 128 → 256 samples). If that does not fix it, check for competing audio processes — close browser tabs playing audio, Discord’s audio processing, or any other software that is exclusively claiming the ASIO device.
VoxBooster not appearing in Reaper’s FX browser after install.
Run a full VST scan: Preferences > Plug-ins > VST > Re-scan. If it still does not appear, confirm the VST3 file exists at C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\ and that it is a 64-bit binary (right-click the file > Properties > check architecture in the Details tab or look for “x64” in the filename).
High CPU usage with the voice changer active. AI voice processing is computationally intensive. If you have a dedicated GPU, ensure VoxBooster is configured to use it (check Settings in the plugin interface). On CPU-only setups, close other CPU-intensive applications while streaming. You can also reduce the AI processing quality/resolution setting in VoxBooster if available, trading off some subtlety for lower CPU load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a voice changer as a VST plugin in Reaper?
Yes. Reaper supports VST2, VST3, and CLAP plugins on its input monitor tracks. Load VoxBooster VST3 in the FX chain of an armed recording track with input monitoring enabled, and your voice is processed in real time through the plugin before it reaches any downstream track or recording.
What is the correct FX chain order for vocal effects in Reaper?
Start with a gate or noise suppressor, then ReaEQ for tonal shaping, ReaComp for dynamic control, your voice changer plugin (VoxBooster VST3), and optionally a room reverb last. Placing the voice changer after EQ and compression gives it a clean, level-consistent input signal, which produces better-quality output.
How do I monitor my voice through Reaper without latency?
Set your audio interface buffer size to 64 or 128 samples in Reaper’s Audio Device preferences, and enable input monitoring on the track. For near-zero latency use an audio interface with hardware direct monitoring instead of relying on software monitoring through Reaper’s engine.
How do I route a processed voice to OBS from Reaper?
Install a virtual audio cable (e.g., VB-Audio Virtual Cable). In Reaper, route the monitor track output to the virtual cable device. In OBS, add an Audio Input Capture source and select that virtual cable as the input. This lets OBS pick up your processed voice without touching your physical interface.
Do I need a paid Reaper license for voice changer use?
Reaper offers a fully functional 60-day evaluation period. After that, the personal/small business license costs $60 USD — one of the most affordable professional DAW licenses available. All features, including VST3 hosting and JS plugin scripting, are included at that price.
What Reaper JS plugins are useful for streamers doing voice effects?
JSFX scripts that work well alongside a voice changer include: ReaGate (noise gating), Stereo Width (create a wider or narrower voice image), and the various pitch utilities in the Reaper JSFX library. You can also write custom JS scripts to build routing matrices that split your voice to multiple output busses simultaneously.
Why does my voice changer VST plugin sound robotic or distorted in Reaper?
The most common causes are a buffer size set too high (increases latency artifacts), sample rate mismatch between your interface and Reaper’s project settings, or gain staging issues — the signal hitting the plugin is either too hot (clipping) or too quiet (noisy). Set both your interface and Reaper project to 48000 Hz, keep input levels peaking around -12 dBFS, and use a 128-sample buffer.
Conclusion
Setting up a Reaper voice changer with a proper FX chain is a one-time effort that pays off every session. The combination of ReaGate → ReaEQ → ReaComp → VoxBooster VST3 gives you a clean signal path, transparent dynamics, and a well-fed plugin that performs at its best. Reaper’s JSFX scripting and send routing then let you broadcast that processed voice to any combination of recording, streaming, and communication destinations simultaneously — without additional hardware beyond a basic virtual audio cable.
The $60 license makes this setup accessible to anyone serious about audio quality without locking them into an expensive subscription model. With the right buffer settings (128 samples at 48 kHz is a solid starting point), the round-trip latency through this chain is well under the 20 ms threshold where the human ear begins to notice it.
If you are building out a full professional voice-processing station across multiple DAWs, the related guides for FL Studio effects chain and Ableton Live routing cover the same concepts adapted to each DAW’s architecture. And if you are starting from scratch with hardware selection, the ASIO driver guide is the place to start.
Download VoxBooster — includes the VST3 plugin, 3-day free trial, no credit card required.