Are you looking for the best autotune plugins to enhance your vocals? Look no further! In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide to the top 5 autotune plugins available on the market. Whether you are already a professional music producer or a complete beginner to the autotune world, this guide will help you find the perfect plugin to suit your needs.
Navigation
- What is Auto-Tune?
- Tips for Auto-Tuning
- Tips for Finding Your Best Auto-Tune Plugin
- Our Top Auto-Tune VST Plugins
What is Auto-Tune?
For the unfamiliar, Auto-Tune is a pitch correction tool originally developed by Antares Audio Technologies in 1997, which is used to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. Auto-Tune works by detecting the pitch of a note and then correcting it to the nearest semitone (or other musical interval, depending on the user’s preference). This software has now become an essential tool for music producers and artists alike, utilized regularly by people across the industry from bedroom producers to A-list studios, with mirror softwares popping up from many other plugin manufacturers.
Auto-Tune vs Pitch Correction
Auto-Tune and pitch correction are often used interchangeably as terms, but they are not necessarily the same thing. Pitch correction tools are primarily used to make minor corrections to the pitch of a note manually, resulting in the end listener likely not being able to notice their usage. Auto-Tune, on the other hand, is a more automated process which will automatically tune a vocal track to user-set parameters, and is often used creatively as a vocal effect.
Tips for Auto-Tuning
Auto-tuning can be a tricky process, but with the right know-how, you can achieve great results. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Use a good microphone: A good microphone is essential for recording high-quality vocals. Make sure you invest in a good microphone before you start recording, as auto-tuning won't be able to save your project from a poor quality recording.
- Record in a quiet environment: Background noise can interfere with the recording process. Make sure you record in a quiet environment to avoid any unwanted noise.
- Use headphones: Headphones can help you hear the pitch of your vocal track more clearly. This can help you make more accurate adjustments and hone in on the parameters you'd like to change.
- Experiment with different settings: Auto-tuning is not a one-size-fits-all process, so have fun with it! Experiment with different settings to find the perfect sound for your vocals, be it subtle corrections or a more in-your-face, robotic feel you're going for.
Tips for Finding Your Best Auto-Tune Plugin
When choosing an autotune plugin, there are several things to consider. Here are some tips to help you find the best plugin for your needs:
- Price: Autotune plugins can range in price from free to several hundred dollars. Determine your budget before you start looking for a plugin.
- Type of plugin: Are you looking for something more along the lines of a pitch correction tool, or are you wanting a fully-featured auto-tuning plugin to be used as a vocal effect?
- Features: Look for a plugin that offers the features you need. Some plugins offer more advanced features than others, but depending upon what you're using the software for, you may prefer a more simple and refined approach.
With that out of the way, it's time to provide you with an at-a-glance list of the top 5 autotuning and pitch correction plugins!
Our Top Auto-Tune VST Plugins:
1. Auto-Tune Pro
Product: Auto-Tune Pro
Manufacturer: Antares
Price: £419.95
Best Feature: Includes Auto-Key
Of course, as the original creators of the term 'Auto-Tune', this list probably wouldn't even exist without the input of Antares. Antares Auto-Tune has been the world standard for professional pitch correction for twenty years. Now, with their new and improved Auto-Tune Pro, new features and possibilities give the plugin versatility that takes it to a whole new level.
Among the newly added features, ‘Auto-Key’ is a standout success. Delivered as a separate plugin included with Auto-Tune Pro, Auto-Key can be placed on your master track in your DAW to immediately detect the key and scale of your recording. This additional plugin features a ‘Send to Auto-Tune’ button that does exactly that – Auto-Tune Pro will be automatically synchronised with the detected key and scale. Because of this, Auto-Key is still useful even when you already know the key of your track as you can send the key and scale information to multiple instances of Auto-Tune Pro without having to edit each plugin’s settings manually.
Auto-Tune Pro does a fantastic job of bringing brand new features and a streamlined workflow to an industry standard pitch correction plugin, and with its additional Classic Mode, Auto-Tune Pro now gives every possibility to achieve the perfect vocal sound.
Learn more about Antares Auto-Tune Pro.
2. Melodyne 5 Studio
Product: Melodyne 5 Studio
Manufacturer: Celemony
Price: £601.92
Best Feature: Incredibly natural-sounding vocal pitch correction
Celemony Melodyne 5 Pro is a powerful pitch correction plugin specifically designed to deliver high-quality pitch and timing adjustments naturally and with relative ease. It is a great tool for fixing timing and pitch issues in complex arrangements. The plugin also features a range of other tools, including the ability to edit pitched and noise-like components separately with the “Melodic” algorithm.
As a pitch correction plugin, Celemony Melodyne 5 Studio is an industry standard in accuracy. The plugin’s polyphonic audio editing feature is a standout success, allowing you to edit multiple notes at once and fix timing and pitch issues in complex arrangements. The formant tool, pitch modulation tool, and pitch drift tool are also great features that make it easy to achieve the perfect vocal sound.
Melodyne 5 Studio is the fully featured 'bells and whistles' version of Melodyne 5, but for those on a tighter budget or simply not needing all features, there are also several more affordable versions of Celemony's standout software available in the form of Melodyne 5 Essential, Melodyne 5 Assistant, and Melodyne 5 Editor.
Learn more about Celemony Melodyne 5 Studio.
3. Little AlterBoy
Product: Little AlterBoy
Manufacturer: Soundtoys
Price: £79.96
Best Feature: Pitch and formant change in real time
Soundtoys Little AlterBoy is a tried-and-tested pitch and formant manipulation plugin that allows you to adapt your vocals in real time. Though not necessarily a true autotune plugin, it's certainly a great tool for creating the harmonies, robotic vocals, and vocoder-like effects you might be looking for in your arrangement. This incredibly versatile tool also features a mix control, making for a quick and easy way to create on-the-fly harmonies.
As a pitch and formant manipulator for vocals and all other sounds, Soundtoys Little AlterBoy is a great corrective tool, with plenty of creative utility, and for a great price. The simple interface coupled with powerful and intuitively-designed effects makes it easy to quickly experiment with a number of different sounds and effects, including a number of great in-built presets. The mix control feature is also a standout success, allowing you to quickly create harmonies without having to spend hours tweaking settings.
Learn more about Soundtoys Little AlterBoy.
4. Revoice Pro 5
Product: Revoice Pro 5
Manufacturer: Synchro Arts
Price: £500
Best Feature: Intelligent pitch-mapping with the SmartPitch feature
Synchro Arts Revoice Pro 5 is a powerful vocal manipulation plugin which enables professional-grade vocal alignment, precise pitch correction, and the ability to create natural-sounding vocal doubles quickly and easily. It's a great tool for creating tight harmonies, doubling vocals, and aligning multiple vocal tracks. Also featured are a range of other tools, including a pitch correction tool, a time and pitch alignment tool, and a vibrato adjustment tool.
The plugin’s ability to automatically align multiple vocal tracks through the SmartAlign feature makes it easy to create tight harmonies and double vocals without having to spend hours manually aligning them. Further, SmartPitch is Synchro Arts' impressive built-in pitch-mapping feature which intelligently decides when to match the pitch of your vocal performances, and perhaps more crucially, when not to
If you're after only the pitch adjustment features or are looking to reduce cost, Synchro Arts have also released RePitch Standard and RePitch Elements, as less feature-rich but much more affordable pitch correction solutions.
Learn more about Revoice Pro 5.
5. Nectar 4 Advanced
Product: Nectar 4 Advanced
Manufacturer: iZotope
Price: £219
Best Feature: Powerful AI-powered vocal assistant
iZotope Nectar 4 is a feature-rich vocal mixing suite, comprised of thirteen individual plugins, and featuring an AI-powered vocal assistant to help you build and shape your vocals. The assistant analyzes your vocal track and intelligently suggests settings for EQ, compression, and other effects, often leading to only minimal (if any!) tweaking from the user for the perfect end vocal. The plugin also features a range of other tools, including a pitch correction tool, a harmony tool, and a de-esser tool.
Impressively, also included in Nectar 4 is a full copy of Melodyne 5 Essential, which as mentioned earlier in this article, is a powerful pitch correction tool in and of itself. However, the built-in pitch correction tool is fully capable of creating auto-tune-esque vocals, with a great degree of customisability for the user to decide just how natural or in-your-face they'd like their autotuning to be.
Of course, as you might expect with a plugin suite labelled 'Advanced', there are also more affordable options from iZotope in the form of Nectar 4 Standard and Nectar 4 Elements, depending upon your budget and needs.
Learn more about Nectar 4 Advanced.