Over the last decade, autotune has evolved from a subtlety producers and engineers use to alter vocals and correct out of tune notes to a full-blown identity for certain musicians. Now, predominantly used in the realms of trap and left-field pop music, fans will even be able to identify an artist just by the way their distinct autotune sounds. There are a variety of plugins available which can generate these desired sounds, so to help you get to grips with what autotune does and the best tools for the job, we’ve put together a list of the best autotune plugins on the market.
Based on auto-tune technology, AutoRap app lets you just enter the speech and convert it into a rap with proper composition and music. It has proved itself as a musical breakthrough in the mobile industry considered as one of the best auto-tune app for ioS. After launching the application there are two options that you can follow. 15 Best auto tune apps for Android & iOS While some people don't hesitate to show their singing talent in public, others prefer to leave it for their bedroom or bathroom. Regardless of which crew you belong to, the apps for automatic voice tuning will help you develop your singing skills and support your voice without hurting anyone's ears. Auto-Tune 8.1.6 is free to download from our software library. The size of the latest downloadable installer is 54.8 MB. You can run Auto-Tune on Windows 7/8/10 32 and 64-bit. Some of the program aliases include 'Antares Auto-Tune EFX VST3'. The software lies within Multimedia Tools, more precisely Music Production. If you need to add a song using autotune to video, MiniTool software is a good helper. In this post, I've summarized the 3 best free autotune software for DAW software. GSnap is a free autotune VST plugin from GVST, which can be used to correct the vocalist’s pitch. It contains three parts: Detection, Correction, and MIDI. Through this blog, let us discover the Best Autotune Software of 2020 available for you. Over many years we have seen the changes in the music industry. With the invention of autotune software for the Cher effect by Andy Hildebrand in 1998 many artists have started using this software for modifying and correcting their music.
If you’re looking to learn how to produce music like a pro working with audio plugins and DAWs, our online school can help. Studying online with Point Blank has never been better and now, with 25% off our Online and LA courses until 28th September, it’s the perfect time to kick start your music career with us.
What is Autotune?
Autotune essentially is a piece of digital software which can alter the pitch of a singer’s voice during a live performance or afterwards in post-production. The way autotune works is by changing the speed of the vibration of a certain note to increase or decrease the pitch. To create a seamless and smooth sound, autotune can then remove or add vibrations to keep the duration of the note the required length. Although this highly sought after robotic effect can be created by a vocoder and talkbox it’s important not to get them confused. The vocoder, which was invented in 1938, synthesizes human speech using different band frequencies whereas a talkbox lets musicians shape the sound of an instrument using their mouth and a plastic tube.
1. Antares Audio Technologies Auto-Tune
As the original developers and registered trademark owners of the autotune effect, it only seems right to head up our list with Antares Audio Technologies Auto-Tune. Since its initial release in 1997 Antares Auto-Tune plugins have come a long way. They now have a number of different versions available such as their flagship Auto-Tune Pro ($399) which is the most complete and advanced edition of Auto-Tune to their affordable Auto-Key ($49) and everything in between. Antares Auto-Tune is great for both detailed transparent tuning and creating that extreme autotune effect using a MIDI keyboard. Check out their different audio devices here.
2. Waves OVox
Our partners, Waves Audio, are renowned for the quality of their audio plugins – and their autotune plugin is no different. OVox is an all in one powerhouse which enables you to pitch, tune, harmonize and arpeggiate vocals as well as create classic vocoder & talkbox effects. The Note Mapper allows you to easily work with chords, scales and harmonies adding Daft Punk-style robotic tones to your vocals.
3. Melodyne
Although Antares were the first to create the autotune effect, Celemony developed their own stand-out take on the effect with Melodyne. Melodyne enables music producers and sound engineers to edit audio in crystal clear ways by editing notes directly. The ability to manipulate the pitch, formants, dynamics and timing of the on-screen notes allows you to reimagine and edit vocals, piano, guitar, synth and more hours, weeks or even years after the recording session. Although not the best for extreme autotune effects the 99€ essential version is great for detailed transparent tuning.
4. The Mouth
From Tim Exile, the man who brought us ‘The Finger‘, The Mouth helps generate melodies and harmonies out of any audio you feed into it. Whether you’re a singer, beatboxer, bass guitarist or synth player, you’ll be able to channel your sounds into The Mouth. The plugin is able to detect the pitch of an incoming audio source, autotune it and transform it into a scale or customised melody from MIDI notes.
5. Logic Pro’s Flex Pitch
Logic Pro’s inbuilt Flex Pitch is a stock plugin which can yield fantastic results. When activated, Flex Pitch splits your vocal or audio sample up into separate pitches so it’s easy to see which notes are being triggered by the sound. Once editing your audio samples you’ll be able to automate the volume, adjust vibrato, the formant and more giving you complete control of how your sound will end up. Take it to the extreme or keep your edits subtle with Logic’s Flex Pitch.
6. BeatLab’s Autotune for Ableton Live
What Is The Best Free Autotune Software
Our friends over at BeatLab have modded Cycling 74 Autotuna which is included in Max 7 Pitch and Time Machine pack. Now, with BeatLab’s moded autotune, you can easily select which scale you want to pitch correctly. It’s incredibly simple and easy to use – see for yourself by watching the video here.
The above list is by no means exhaustive and represents just a small amount of the very best of the wealth of autotune plugins available to producers today. Though the above plugins are, in our opinion, our favourite and most-used in our own productions, it’s always best to experiment with others to find out what works for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about how VSTs work, as well as the likes of Ableton, Logic Pro and more, you can register to study with us at Point Blank online.
Register to Access Free Courses, Plugins, Projects, Samples & More
Winrar software download for windows 7. When you register with Point Blank, you access an array of free sounds, plugins, online course samples, access to our social network Plugged In and much more! Simply register below and visit our Free Stuff page to get your hands on a range of exclusive music-making tools and tutorials provided by the team. Fill your boots!
This post is included in News
Disclaimer: Links throughout the article may be affiliated. If you click and make a purchase, I get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Whether you’re a home producer or work at a major recording studio, Autotune and other pitch correction software can help deal with a weak vocal performance.
In a hurry? I love Melodyne 4 Studio from Celemony. It’s sounds incredible, leaving little to no artifacts on vocals recorded in a treated space, but are in need of a little fixing.
But Autotune isn’t reserved exclusively for pitch correction. T-Pain popularized the hard-straightened pitch, even going as far as releasing an iOS app called “I Am T-Pain.”
Pitch correction software can also be utilized for other instruments as well. I’ve even used VariAudio (the “Autotune” built into Cubase) on bass guitar parts that were slightly out of tune. The result was surprisingly excellent, with little to no audio artifacts.
There’s a lot you can do with Autotune and similar software.
With so many options for producers, how can you decide on which one to use? Fortunately, I’ve had the experience working with many pitch correction plugins to weed out the good from the bad.
I’m going to include both free and paid options, so please read on!
Have an interest in virtual instruments? Don’t miss my other roundups!
Table of Contents
1) Antares Auto-Tune Pro (Paid)
Auto-Tune is the original pitch correction software. It’s so popular that its name is synonymous and is more of a colloquial term.
Antares gives you a couple of options to pick from depending on your needs — Pro, Artist, Access, or EFX+. As you’d guess, the price moves up the more features there are.
Auto-Tune is very hands-off. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s the most straightforward plugin for correcting pitch.
Pros
Easy to use for beginners
Lightweight on memory
Great-looking user interface
Cons
AUTO mode is limited
Difficult for beginners to use GRAPH
A little outdated compared
When using Auto-Tune on a vocal track in AUTO mode, set the key, the retune speed, and the amount of humanization. You should be able to hit the playback button now and hear hopefully great results.
Because it’s simplicity, I find that it doesn’t perform as well as others (when using the quick settings) that require more fine-tune vocal editing.
To fix an abysmal vocal performance, use the graph mode and hand tune each note to your liking. This process is much more complicated but yields a far better result.
I am not huge on Auto-Tune (I know many are), but it can deliver exceptional results. If you take the time to learn how to use it properly, you’ll have great-sounding vocals with ease.
Auto-Tune from Antares is available at Plugin Boutique.
2) Steinberg VariAudio — Cubase Pro (Paid)
Steinberg’s VariAudio is a pitch correction software included in Cubase Pro. It’s not a standalone plugin, so you won’t be able to use it if you don’t own Cubase Pro.
But, for those of you with Cubase who didn’t realize your DAW has pitch correction, rejoice!
I love VariAudio — so much so that I couldn’t imagine switching DAWs. I’ve been on Cubase for ten years, so I know my way around, but VariAudio is the one thing that will keep me as a forever customer.
Pros
Integrated into Cubase
Quick to edit any clip
Very fast and no CPU
Cons
Audio artifacts are very noticeable if not careful
Limited cutting resolution
Not intuitive at first
VariAudio functions similar to Melodyne and Auto-Tune’s graph mode. Double-clicking on a clip opens up the editor, where you can choose to enable VariAudio — no plugin required.
From here, it’s simple as using Pitch Quantize and Straighten Pitch on each clip. Cutting clips also helps pitch only individual sections of a waveform.
The newest version of VariAudio introduced some incredible options for adjusting pitch that make the software even more valuable.
I highly recommend considering Cubase Pro if you plan to switch DAWs — for VariAudio exclusively!
Steinberg’s Cubase Pro is available from Plugin Fox.
3) Celemony Melodyne (Paid)
We’re moving up the price ladder, but for a good reason. Melodyne from Celemony is one of the most utilized pitch correction plugins used by professional vocal editors and producers.
Melodyne offers (to my ears) the most accurate and musical sounding algorithm, leaving no tuning artifacts that are easily recognizable to the untrained ear.
Pros
Incredible-sounding algorithm
Tons of flexibility when vocals sound poor
Zero audio artifacts in most cases
Cons
Difficult for new users
Rather expensive
The software has incredible note detection allowing for more accurate tuning. I find that in VariAudio, there are times that the software cannot understand individual notes, so they are omitted. It’s not too often this occurs, but Melodyne does it better.
Melodyne is available at Plugin Boutique.
4) Waves Tune (Paid)
Waves Tune operates similarly to Auto-Tune and Melodyne. Before you begin tuning, the software scans the audio track and displays audio waveforms.
The process of editing is quite similar as well, though the interface is slightly dated.
Pros
Included in many of Wave’s plugin bundles
Relatively lightweight on CPU
Cons
Outdated
Difficult to use
I have never enjoyed using Waves Tune but figured it needed a mention since Waves is one of the most popular audio plugin companies.
5) Waves Tune Real-Time (Paid)
While cheaper than the regular version of Tune, Tune Real-Time offers a quick and user-friendly experience for tuning vocals. I’d compare this plugin to using Auto-Tune on AUTO mode.
Note transition is iffy at best and artifacts are present throughout (at least when I used it). The plugin isn’t smooth sounding at all, and there aren’t many parameter changes available.
I’d recommend Real-Time for two different scenarios. The first being someone new to audio production looking to fix a vocal without technical knowledge of tuning vocals. You won’t get the most professional sound, but it will be acceptable.
The second scenario is for producers working with singers in the studio who struggle to sing on pitch.
Using a pitch-correction software can boost the confidence of the singer in the booth, though I can’t say for sure if this will lead to a better sounding vocal take.
Despite the marketing of Waves Tune Real-Time, claiming instant vocal tuning, I could envision latency becoming an issue in some home studio settings.
Free Auto-Tune VST Plugins
If you’re on the fence about which one to get or want to save a little cash, try some of these free pitch correction plugins I’ve listed below.
Things To Consider When Choosing a Pitch Correction Software Plugin
Despite all the choices I’ve laid out, you still may be confused on the correct option. Here are some things to consider before making a decision.
Does the software maker provide a trial?
If so, take the trial and check out the software! There’s nothing more frustrating than buying a plugin only to find out that it’s non-refundable.
Do you need graph editing functionality?
Graph editing, like seen in Melodyne and VariAudio, is for advanced vocal editors. If you need a quick tuning for a little enhancement of a track, you may not need to edit each note.
The Best Free Autotune Software For Mac
If you want to draw in the notes physically, a more advanced pitch correction software will be necessary.
Further features you may desire are formant control, MIDI input (for vocoder), and note straightness. These types of effects are often essential in a lot of today’s popular music.
Mine does — that’s why I’ve included VariAudio in this list. Digital audio workstations like Propellerhead’s Reason and MOTU Digital Performer also come with their native pitch correction software.
Wrapping Up
Which one do I like most? If I didn’t have VariAudio included in Cubase, I’d most likely be using Melodyne exclusively. It sounds incredible, and the workflow is so intuitive.
Free Autotune Online
So there you have it — my list of the best Auto-Tune/pitch correction VST plugins. Which one do you currently use in the studio? I’d love to hear from you down below in the comments. Thanks for reading!