Nov 14, 2010 Hey there. Took me some figuring out to do, and some spending, but I made a tutorial on how to autotune your voice and words as you say them, right in a wond. The Auto-tune Live was built for this specific reason - auto-tune during live performance. But the Auto-Tune 8 (which you can read more about at came out last December was definitely built for auto-tuning on the fly, both in the studio and during live.
- Using Auto Tune Live Performance
- Auto Tune Live Plugin
- Can They Auto Tune Live Radio
- Auto Tune Live Performance
- Auto Tune Live
Jun 25, 2018 Whats the best way to have pitch correction/auto tune for a live performance? And I canceled a fair number of sessions because the players could not play or the singers could not sing and they'd expect ME to somehow make them sound as if they could. First, life is too short, Second, if I can make any moron sound like a star, what do I need.
Love it or hate it, the “auto-tune” effect is a pretty cool technological advancement in the field of audio, allowing vocalists to sing into a microphone and have they voices transformed into pitch perfect notes.
How do auto-tune microphones work? Well, there is really no such thing as an “auto-tune microphone.” Rather, the microphone outputs a mic signal which is then sent through an auto-tune processor (often in the form of a foot pedal). The processor is tuned to the proper key and setting and effectively auto-tunes the mic signals.
So even though there aren’t true “auto-tune mics” out there, it’s still worth understanding how auto-tune setups work with microphones, particularly in live settings. That is what this article will discuss!
What Is Auto-Tune?
Before we get into our discussion on auto-tune mics, it’s worth defining what auto-tune is.
What is auto-tune? Auto-Tune (first released in 1997) is a pitch correcting audio processor by Antares Audio Technologies. Many other pitch correction processors are on the market, though Auto-Tune is the proprietary eponym. Auto-Tune is used to alter the pitch of vocals and instruments (either subtly or obviously).
Auto-Tune and other auto-tune-like pitch correctors typically process audio by shifting the identified pitch to the nearest true semitone.
In western equal temperament, there are 12 equally divided semitones within an octave.
Auto-Tune first identifies the pitch the of audio signal. A single note of the human voice or of musical instruments generally has a fundamental frequency (the note being sung or played). Additionally, there are harmonics that sound at integer multiples of the fundamental frequency.
For example, a fundamental frequency of 100 Hz would have harmonics at 200, 300, 400, 500 Hz, and so on.
The processor identifies pitch by reading the frequency content of the signal and correlating the stronger frequencies to fundamentals and harmonics of a particular note.
Chords, which are made of multiple notes are difficult for Auto-Tune to process. That being said, processors such as Melodyne are fairly accurate at identifying the individual notes within a chord and are able to fine tune single notes within chords. That, to me, is really cool.
Once the pitch is defined, Auto-Tune will adjust it (up or down) to the nearest “true” note according to our equal-temperament 12-tone system.
Tuning Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune and other pitch correction plugins can be effectively “tuned.”
Being able to tune the pitch correction is incredibly important for different applications.
For example, there are two commonly used pitch systems in music. Though they are both based on the equal-temperament 12-tone scale, they differ in the fundamentals that relate to each note.
These tuning systems are known as:
- A440: where middle A is tuned to 440 Hz and all other notes are tuned accordingly.
- A432: where middle A is tuned to 432 Hz and all other notes are tuned accordingly.
Being able to tune Auto-Tune ensure its compatibility with the various tuning systems. We wouldn’t want to lock into A440 if the rest of the music in A432. That would mean that we’re tuning the vocal to be consistently sharp.
Additionally, these pitch correction processor can be tuned to certain musical scales. This is often when the “auto-tune effect” comes into play.
By tuning the processor to the key of the song, we can effectively make the vocal match the key regardless of how out-of-key the singer or instrument is.
However, when pushed too far, this will oftentimes remove the humanness of the performance, greatly reducing any vibrato or pitch ramping between notes.
This type of hard pitch correction distorts the voice but ensures that it’s in key. It is used to great effect in pop music (shout out to T Pain, an artist best known for his use of hard auto-tune).
Auto-tune (and other pitch correction processors) are available as both digital plug-ins for digital audio workstations (DAWs) and as rack-mount or pedals for real-time performances.
Boot Camp 6 will support Windows 10 on hardware going back all the way to 2012, which is a lot. Mac mini 2014 boot camp windows 10 replacement. Apple has released Boot Camp 6, an update to the company's dual-booting assistant that let's the Mac run the latest and greatest Microsoft has to offer:.
The “Auto-Tune Microphone”
As previously mentioned, there’s technically no such thing as an Auto-Tune mic.
Using Auto Tune Live Performance
Rather, any microphone can be used in conjunction with a pitch correction processor to achieve the “Auto-Tune” effect!
Using Auto-Tune In Studio Recordings
Auto-Tune is used in studio recordings all the time. This is particularly true in the clean production of pop music.
In most cases, Auto-Tune is used very transparently as a way to “touch up” a vocal and make it fit perfectly in the key of the song. I like to think of pitch correction, in this case, in the same way as enhancing a photo with Photoshop (without overly altering the content of the photo).
Studio Auto-Tune, when used in this fashion, is typically applied after the vocal performance has been captured by the microphone and recording console/software.
With Auto-Tune in a studio, a great vocal performance can be made perfect with little distortion or artifacts. Even to trained ears, subtle use of Auto-Tune can go undetected and sound as natural as the singer’s unaltered voice.
Of course, the Auto-Tune effect is also used in studio recordings.
In this case, the processor is typically engaged during recording.
The vocalists sings into the microphone. That signal is sent through the DAW (or analog console) with Auto-Tune engaged.
This means that, when monitoring, the engineer, producer, and artist will hear the vocal as if it was already processed through Auto-Tune. Again, this does not mean that the microphone, itself, is Auto-Tuned.
Using Auto-Tune In Live Performance
Let’s get outside of the studio and onto the stage, where pitch correction devices are also used on vocals.
In live situations, Auto-Tune-type processors are typically in the form of pedals (which can be controlled immediately by the artists) or in the form of rack mounts (which are controlled more so by the audio technicians).
The artist controlled pedals are typically used for the obvious Auto-Tune effect that has become popular in modern music.
These pedals allow the artists to control the amount and type of pitch correction that is applied to their voices, which could change for each song or even during a single song. These pedals also give the artist the ability to disengage pitch correction at any time, which comes in handy when talking to the audience between songs.
The rack mounted pitch correction processors are often set transparently and are not adjustment much (if at all) after sound check. These units typically are used to polish vocals into the pitch-perfection with as little colouration to the vocal as possible.
Related Questions
Do most singers use autotune? In modern pop music (and many genres), vocals are often processed with auto-tune or other pitch correction processors. Today’s pitch correction plug-ins are transparent and can change a well-performed vocal from great to perfect. They can also be hard-tuned to get the “auto-tune” effect as well.
Do singers actually sing in concerts? In pop music, there is sometimes debate as to whether a singer actually sings live or if they lip sync. Most vocalists sing in concert, though some do not. Though controversial, lip syncing can improve a performance, especially if the singer cannot reach the notes or if dancing is a part of the act.
Oct 24, 2018 Our latest generation of Z390 motherboards takes automatic tuning to a whole new level with intelligent prediction. AI Overclocking is faster and more efficient than other methods, and it allows you to overclock a system in just a few short steps from the UEFI or desktop. Naturally, we had to take it for a test drive. Click the icon to open the AI Suite II main menu bar. Click each button to select and launch a utility, to monitor the system, to update the motherboard BIOS, to display the system information, and to customize the settings of AI Suite II. The Auto Tuning button appears. Remove ai suite 2. Jan 23, 2017 Hello: I have been fiddling with the auto-tuning function in the AI Suite III - 'Dual Intelligent Processors'. I am a novice at OC so not sure about the settings. I have tried this with a target of 4.5 Mhz and 1.35 volts and also without any targets at all. With the targets I got 4.6 Mhz with a multiplier of 46 (15% OC). I noted some possible stability issues (that I was not sure were related.
What I find most fascinating about Antares Auto-Tune is that everyone and their mother knows what it is, despite the fact that it's just another digital audio plugin used in bedroom and professional studios alike. Even people who have no clue what an EQ or compressor does somehow at least know of the word 'Auto-Tune' and even the general effect it has on the human voice.
But even though Auto-Tune has evolved to become this cultural phenomenon, very few artists or producers truly understand how to get it to sound like the way it sounds on major records.
In case you don't know what it is, Auto-Tune, in a nutshell, is a pitch correction software that allows the user to set the key signature of the song so that the pitch of the incoming signal will be corrected to the closest note in that key (and does so in real time). There are other pitch correction programs out there that do similar functions: Waves Tune, Waves Tune Real-Time, and Melodyne (which is pitch correction, but not in real time), but Auto-Tune seems to have won the standard for real-time pitch correction.
Auto Tune Live Plugin
Auto-Tune traditionally is used on vocals, although in some cases can be used on certain instruments. For the sake of this article we will be discussing Auto-Tune and its effect on the human voice. Listen to this early example from the 'King of Auto-Tune,' the one artist who did more to popularize its effect than any other, T-Pain.
Can They Auto Tune Live Radio
Working as a full-time engineer here at Studio 11 in Chicago, we deal with Auto-Tune on a daily basis. Whether it's people requesting that we put it on their voice, something we do naturally to correct pitch, or even for a specific creative effect. It's just a part of our arsenal that we use everyday, so over the years we have really gotten to know the ins and outs of the program—from its benefits to limitations.
So let's delve further into what this software really is and can do, and in the process debunk certain myths around what the public or people who are new to Auto-Tune may think. If you were ever wondering why your Auto-Tune at home doesn't sound like the Auto-Tune you hear from your favorite artists, this is the article for you.
To set the record straight, as I do get asked this a lot of times from clients and inquiring home producers, there really are no different 'types' of Auto-Tune. Antares makes many different versions of Auto-Tune—Auto-Tune EFX, Auto-Tune Live, and Auto-Tune Pro—that have various options and different interfaces, but any of those can give you the effect you're after. Auto-Tune Pro does have a lot of cool features and updates, but you don't need 'Pro' to sound pro.
I wanted to debunk this first, as some people come to me asking about the 'the Lil Durk Auto-Tune,' or perhaps that classic 'T-Pain Auto-Tune.' That effect is made from the same plugin—the outcome of the sound that you hear depends on how you set the settings within the program and the pitch of the incoming signal.
So if your Auto-Tune at home sounds different from what you hear on the radio, it's because of these factors, not because they have a magic version of Auto-Tune that works better than yours at home. You can achieve the exact same results.
In modern music Auto-Tune is really used with two different intentions. The first is to use it as a tool in a transparent manner, to correct someone's pitch. In this situation, the artist doesn't want to hear the effect work, they just want to hit the right notes. The second intent is to use it as an audible effect for the robotic vocals you can now hear all over the pop and rap charts.
But regardless of the intent, in order for Auto-Tune to sound its best, there are three main things that need to be set correctly.
The correct key of the song. This is the most important part of the process and honestly where most people fail. Bedroom producers, and even some engineers at professional studios who might lack certain music theory fundamentals, have all fallen into the trap of setting Auto-Tune in the wrong key. If a song is in C major, it will not work in D major, E major, etc.—though it will work in C major's relative minor, A minor. No other key will work correctly. It helps to educate yourself a bit about music theory, and how to find the key of a song.
The input type. You have the option to choose from Bass Instrument, Instrument, Low Male, Alto/Tenor, and Soprano. Bass Instrument and Instrument are, of course, for instruments, so ignore them if you're going for a vocal effect. Low Male would be selected if the singer is singing in a very low octave (think Barry White). Alto/Tenor will be for the most common vocal ranges, and soprano is for very high-pitched vocalists. Setting the input type correctly helps Auto-Tune narrow down which octaves it will focus on—and you'll get a more accurate result.
Retune speed. This knob, while important, is really all dependent on the pitch of the input source, which I will discuss next. Generally speaking, the higher the knob, the faster it will tune each note. A lower speed will have the effect be a bit more relaxed, letting some natural vibrato through without affecting a vocalist's pitch as quickly. Some view it as a 'amount of Auto-Tune knob,' which isn't technically true. The amount of correction you hear is based off the original pitch, but you will hear more effects of the Auto-Tune the faster it's set.
So let's say you have all of these set correctly. You have the right key, you choose the right range for the singer, and the retune speed is at its medium default of 20ms. You apply it on the singer expecting it to come out just like the pros. And while their voice does seem to be somewhat corrected, it's still not quite corrected to the right pitch.
Here's why your Auto-Tune doesn't sound like the pros:
The pitch of the vocalist prior to Auto-Tune processing must be close enough to a note in the scale of the key of the song for Auto-Tune to work its best. In other words, the singer has to be at least near the right note for it to sound pleasing to the ears.
Auto Tune Live Performance
Whether you're going for a natural correction or the T-Pain warble, this point still stands. If the note the singer originally sings is nowhere near the correct note in the key, Auto-Tune will try to calculate as best it can and round up or down, depending on what note is closest. And that's when you get undesirable artifacts and hear notes you weren't expecting to hear. (Here is an example of how it sounds when the incoming pitch isn't close enough to the scale, resulting in an oddly corrected pitch.)
So if you put Auto-Tune on a voice and some areas sound good, some sound too robotic and a bit off, those are the areas that the singer needs to work on. Sometimes it can be difficult for non-singers to hear slight sharp or flat notes, or notes that aren't in the scale of the song, so Auto-Tune in many cases can actually help point out the problem areas.
Auto Tune Live
This is why major artists who use Auto-Tune sound really good, because chances are they can sing pretty well before Auto-Tune is even applied. The Weeknd is a great example of this—he is obviously a very talented singer that has no problem hitting notes—and yet his go-to mixer, Illangelo, has said before that he always uses at least a little bit of Auto-Tune on the vocals.
If you or the singer in your studio is no Weeknd, you can correct the pitch manually beforehand with a program like Melodyne, or even with built-in pitch correction tools in your DAW, where you can actually go in and change the pitch of each syllable manually. So if you find yourself in a situation where you or an artist you are working with really want Auto-Tune on their vocals, but it's not sounding right after following all the steps, look into correcting the pitch before you run it through Auto-Tune.
If you get the notes closer to the scale, you'll find the tuning of Auto-Tune to be much more pleasing to the ears. For good reason, T-Pain is brought up a lot when discussing Auto-Tune. Do you want to know why he sounds so good? It's not a special Auto-Tune they are using, its because he can really sing without it. Check it out:
Hopefully this helps further assist you in your understanding and use of Antares Auto-Tune, and debunk some of the myths around it. Spend some time learning some basic music theory to help train the ear to identity keys of songs, find which notes are flat and which notes are sharp. Once you do, you'll find you'll want to use Auto-Tune on every song, because let's face it—nearly a decade after Jay-Z declared the death of Auto-Tune on 'D.O.A.'—it still sounds cool.
We understand the importance of online privacy and are committed to complying with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. To reflect our commitment, we updated our terms and conditions. By continuing to use Reverb, you agree to these updates, and to our cookie policy. Learn More