Top FX Plugins for Hyperpop
Hyperpop has exploded onto the cultural radar, reshaping how we think about pop music. With its chaotic yet catchy blend of distorted synths, pitch-shifted vocals, and hyper-stylized production, the genre has captivated listeners worldwide. From underground SoundCloud communities to mainstream chart-toppers, hyperpop has become a bold voice for a generation drawn to its surreal and boundary-pushing aesthetic. Its rise reflects a larger shift in music, where genre lines blur, and creativity thrives in the digital space. At the heart of hyperpop’s unique sound lies its use of innovative production techniques, made possible by powerful VST plugins. These tools allow producers to warp, distort, and transform sounds into the fantastical and futuristic elements that define the genre. In this post, we’ll dive into the best VST plugins for creating hyperpop, breaking them down into categories to help you craft your next genre-defying banger. Let’s get started!
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iZotope Trash 2
iZotope Trash 2 is the ultimate tool for distortion and sonic destruction, offering multiband processing, convolution reverb, and flexible filters to craft aggressive, gritty soundscapes. Its wide range of distortion types—from subtle warmth to complete audio annihilation—makes it perfect for hyperpop’s abrasive textures. You can use it on synths, drums, or even vocals to add a raw, chaotic energy that cuts through the mix.
One of its standout features is the customizable Trash module, allowing you to design your own distortion curves for truly unique tones. Add in the advanced dynamics and modulation tools, and you’ve got a powerhouse plugin for pushing sonic boundaries. Trash 2 is a go-to for producers who love to break the rules and create sounds that are both bold and boundary-pushing.
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Soundtoys Effect Rack
The Soundtoys Effect Rack is a dream for hyperpop producers who love to experiment. It allows you to stack and combine multiple effects, including delays, modulations, saturation, and pitch effects, in a modular format. This flexibility makes it easy to create evolving textures or dial in just the right amount of chaos. The interface is user-friendly, encouraging you to tweak parameters in real time and stumble upon unexpected, magical results. Whether you’re adding a subtle shimmer to vocals or obliterating synth lines, this plugin delivers.
What makes it a standout is its integrated presets and customization options, which speed up your workflow while offering deep creative potential. The Effect Rack eliminates the need to open multiple plugin windows, letting you focus on the sound instead of the setup. It's perfect for layering complex FX chains to give your tracks a polished yet experimental edge. If you want to push your sound design into uncharted territory, this is a must-have.
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Guitar Rig Pro by Native Instruments
You might think Guitar Rig Pro is just for guitarists, but it’s a secret weapon for hyperpop producers. With its wide range of amp sims, cabinet models, and creative effects, this plugin is a playground for anyone seeking unique textures. Use its granular delays, quirky modulation effects, or even combine multiple distortions to craft hyperpop's signature chaotic yet catchy sound. It’s especially effective on synths and vocals, transforming them into gritty, alien soundscapes.
The plugin’s customizable racks and intuitive drag-and-drop interface make it easy to experiment without breaking your creative flow. Guitar Rig Pro is also perfect for adding subtle atmospherics or wild, glitchy transformations. Whether you're looking for smooth pads with a touch of grit or full-on noise explosions, this plugin delivers endless inspiration.
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OTO Biscuit by Softube
The OTO Biscuit combines bitcrushing, filtering, and step sequencing into one sleek package, perfect for hyperpop’s glitchy, lo-fi sound. Its signature bitcrushing effect can reduce your audio resolution to gritty perfection, while the filter and delay options add depth and movement. Biscuit’s analog character ensures that even extreme effects feel warm and musical. Whether you’re distorting vocals or adding texture to drum loops, this plugin can twist and mangle your sounds in exciting ways.
What makes Biscuit unique is its ability to switch between clean digital effects and warm analog degradation with a simple toggle. You can dive deep into sound design using its step sequencer to create rhythmic glitches and evolving textures. It’s ideal for those who want to add a distinctly hyperpop edge to their productions.
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ShaperBox 3 by Cableguys
ShaperBox 3 takes sound manipulation to the next level with its suite of time, filter, pan, and distortion effects. This plugin is built for producers who want to inject life and movement into their tracks. You can stretch and reshape audio in real time, creating rhythmic stutters, glitchy transitions, or pulsating sidechain effects. Its visual editing interface makes it easy to customize the timing and intensity of each effect, so you’re always in control.
What sets ShaperBox 3 apart is its ability to layer multiple “shapers” for complex, evolving effects. For example, you can combine time-stretching with rhythmic filtering to create hypnotic, pulsing grooves. It’s perfect for adding depth to pads, creating dynamic synth leads, or even turning a static loop into a vibrant, shifting element. With this plugin, your hyperpop tracks will never sound static or predictable.
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OTT by Xfer Records [FREE]
When it comes to hyperpop, OTT is an absolute staple. This free multiband compressor by Xfer Records is famous for its ability to bring out every detail in a mix. It works by squashing dynamics in an aggressive but musical way, making subtle elements pop while giving everything a punchy, cohesive sound. Whether you’re working with vocals, drums, or synths, OTT adds a layer of polish that helps your mix cut through.
Its intuitive controls let you fine-tune the depth and timing of the compression, making it easy to get the right balance of squashed and airy. Hyperpop thrives on exaggerated dynamics, and OTT ensures your sound remains bright, bold, and impactful. Best of all, it’s free, so there’s no reason not to have this essential tool in your arsenal.
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Sonible pure:series Bundle
The Sonible pure:series Bundle is the perfect set of tools for producers who want quick, high-quality results without the hassle of tweaking endless parameters. This bundle includes pure:comp for compression, pure:verb for reverb, and pure:limit for limiting, all powered by AI-driven technology. These plugins analyze your audio and apply optimal settings, making them a game-changer for speeding up your workflow while maintaining pro-level quality.
Each plugin is designed for simplicity, but don’t mistake that for a lack of power. You can easily fine-tune the results to match your creative vision, whether you’re adding subtle reverb to vocals or tightening up a chaotic mix. For those who crave more flexibility, the FabFilter suite offers deeper control and customization, but the pure:series is unbeatable for its balance of ease and quality.
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Denise Poltergate
Distortion is a hallmark of hyperpop, but it often brings unwanted noise and chaos into the mix. Denise Poltergate solves that problem by offering a powerful yet musical noise gate. It’s designed to clean up your distorted sounds while keeping their energy and character intact. Use it on vocals, synths, or even drums to ensure your mix remains clear and punchy, no matter how wild the sound design gets.
What sets Poltergate apart is its creative gating options, which allow you to shape your sound rather than just suppress noise. You can add rhythmic gating effects or fine-tune the gate’s behavior to complement your track’s vibe. For hyperpop producers, this tool is a lifesaver for maintaining clarity in dense, chaotic mixes.
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Waves Tune Real-Time
For hyperpop’s signature pitch-perfect, robotic vocal sound, Waves Tune Real-Time is a go-to. This plugin provides real-time pitch correction, allowing you to lock vocals into key without sacrificing a natural flow. Whether you’re recording live or processing takes in post, it delivers smooth, Auto-Tuned vocals instantly. The interface is straightforward, making it easy to adjust speed, range, and correction strength to match the vibe of your track.
What makes Waves Tune Real-Time perfect for hyperpop is its ability to push vocal lines into extreme pitch territories while maintaining clarity. From delicate pitch bends to full-on robotic transformations, this plugin is versatile enough to handle everything hyperpop demands. If you’re chasing that futuristic, pitchy vocal aesthetic, this is an essential tool.
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Little AlterBoy by Soundtoys
Little AlterBoy by Soundtoys is a vocal manipulation powerhouse, offering pitch-shifting, formant control, and drive in a simple interface. With just a few tweaks, you can transform a vocal into a helium-high chipmunk tone or drop it into a deep, menacing growl. It’s the ultimate tool for creating surreal, otherworldly vocal textures that define hyperpop’s sound.
One of its standout features is its formant shifting, which lets you drastically change the perceived gender or size of a voice. Add a touch of drive for a gritty edge, or use the MIDI control feature to create robotic, pitch-shifted melodies. Whether you’re adding subtle enhancements or fully deconstructing a vocal, Little AlterBoy is an essential creative tool.
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Polyverse Manipulator
For truly alien and futuristic vocal effects, Polyverse Manipulator is in a league of its own. This plugin lets you warp pitch, harmonics, and timbre in ways that are perfect for hyperpop. It’s built to push the boundaries of sound design, enabling you to create completely unrecognizable, glitchy textures. Manipulator excels at adding movement and depth to static vocals, making them feel dynamic and alive.
The plugin’s harmonic shifting and granular processing allow you to stretch and bend audio in ways no traditional pitch-shifter can. You can even feed it MIDI to control pitch shifts and create synthetic harmonies. Whether you’re subtly enhancing vocals or turning them into glitchy soundscapes, Manipulator offers endless possibilities for hyperpop producers.
Polyverse offers a lot of modern sound-shaping effects that are perfect for hyperpop.
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Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links, which means Internet Tattoo may receive a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.