Love it or hate it, pitch‑correction is here to stay — but there can be way more to it than fixing performance issues.
Originally, pitch‑correction processors were developed to fix the slight tuning issues that are so common in recorded vocal parts, but engineers and artists soon discovered that by pushing those early processors’ settings beyond their intended limits, they could make them behave more like an effect — the almost vocoder‑like sounds that grace so many modern productions.
The technology has come a long way since Cher's 'Believe', and there are now plenty of natural‑sounding pitch‑correction plug‑ins that can be used to nudge notes discreetly into place. In fact, you’ll probably have such a tool bundled with your DAW. But there’s also a growing range of pitch‑processing effects designed specifically with creative applications in mind. Some combine pitch‑correction with effects such as formant‑shifting and ring modulation, while others use the corrected signal to trigger synth engines or pass MIDI data to other instruments. In Spotlight this month, we’ll take you through a selection of plug‑ins that were purposely designed with creative use in mind, whether that’s extreme hard‑tuning or mangling a sound beyond all recognition.
Antares Auto‑Tune & Mutator
For many, the first name to spring to mind when you mention pitch‑correction will be Auto‑Tune. Launched back in 1997, it was intended to tackle minor tuning issues, but it wasn’t long before producers and engineers realised that extreme settings created an ear‑catching effect. Antares have expanded the software significantly over the years, and Auto‑Tune Pro 11 includes a wealth of features, including a four‑part harmony player, tuning to MIDI notes, graphical pitch and timing editing and more. There are also no fewer than five versions choose from! The flagship offering is joined by Artist, a variant optimised for real‑time tracking and live performance. EFX+ pairs the pitch‑correction algorithm with a range of built‑in modular effects. Access is a stripped‑back, entry‑level version, while Hybrid runs on Avid’s DSP‑based Pro Tools HDX and VENUE systems.
Outside the Auto‑Tune range, Antares also offer Mutator, a sound‑design plug‑in created specifically for transforming voices into aliens, monsters and other weird and wonderful noises. In addition to pitch‑shifting and ring modulation, Mutator features Antares’ innovative throat‑modelling technology, and even includes an Alienize section that separates and reverses segments of the audio signal to create a new language! As well as allowing you to purchase individual plug‑ins up front, Antares offer Auto‑Tune Unlimited, a subscription bundle that includes all versions of Auto‑Tune alongside their entire collection of vocal‑processing plug‑ins.
Auto‑Tune $49 to $459, Mutator $79.
Auto‑Tune £31 to £290, Mutator £50. Prices include VAT.
sosm.ag/antares‑autotune‑pro‑11
Auburn Sounds Graillon 3
Auburn Sounds’ Graillon 3 is a pitch‑ and formant‑shifting plug‑in that’s capable of both natural‑sounding correction and more extreme creative effects. It features three pitch engines: G2, which retains access to the sound of this plug‑in’s predecessor; G3, an updated and enhanced version that boasts improved pitch detection; and I1, which utilises the engine found in the company’s Inner Pitch plug‑in, and offers more natural‑sounding correction on complex source material. A built‑in effects section provides low‑latency compressor, gate, chorus, preamp and bit‑crusher processors, all of which have been optimised for vocals. Best of all, Graillon 3 is free to download — though if you choose to pay for the Full Edition you’ll also get a Pitch‑Tracking Modulation feature, along with support for non‑standard tunings and a built‑in vocal doubler.
Free. Full Edition $38.67 including VAT.
Baby Audio Humanoid
Described by Baby Audio as an “over‑the‑top pitch corrector”, Humanoid has been designed specifically for creating hard‑tuning effects and carrying out radical voice transformations. Its Pitch section makes it possible to instantly quantise incoming notes and tune them to a user‑defined scale, and also allows vocal parts to be ‘played’ using either MIDI notes or automation data. Some additional shaping of the signal is provided by Robotify and Formant controls, but it’s in the following Synthesize section that things get really interesting. Along with its pitch correction, Humanoid features a built‑in wavetable engine that resynthesizes the incoming signal, creating a new, blendable layer that pushes the vocal sound even further into synthetic territory. Yet more synth‑style control is provided by a Filter section, which acts on the spectral content gathered during the plug‑in’s analysis process — a move that allows for much narrower cuts than traditional filters. A Utility module offers onboard de‑essing, gating and control over the pitch‑detection behaviour, while an Effects section adds some finishing touches like stereo widening, vibrato and tempo‑sync’able stutters.
$129 including VAT.
Devious Machines Pitch Monster
Devious Machines Pitch Monster
Despite its relatively unassuming GUI, Devious Machines’ Pitch Monster packs in a trio of sound engines (Granular, Formant and Vocode) that allow it to extend far beyond the capabilities of typical pitch‑based processors. Eight‑voice polyphony means that incoming monophonic sources can be played much like an instrument, and it’s possible to generate up to eight unison voices to reach a grand total of 64 parts. In addition to its standard pitch‑shifting behaviour, the plug‑in features a Chord mode that allows users to create up to eight‑part harmonies and chords using an on‑screen piano keyboard, and a MIDI mode that tunes the incoming signal based on note data from a MIDI controller or DAW track. When using MIDI mode, Pitch Monster will respond to glide and pitch‑bend messages too. Although primarily designed for vocals, Devious Machines say that their plug‑in is also capable of working with other clean monophonic sounds.
$99.99£79.99 including VAT.
MeldaProduction MAutoPitch
Available as part of MeldaProduction’s free MFreeFXBundle, MAutoPitch is a simple plug‑in that’s capable of both subtle corrective tuning and more heavy‑handed effects. Incoming monophonic audio signals can be locked to chromatic, major, minor and pentatonic scales, while an Automatic Tuning section houses Depth, Speed, Detune and Base parameters that can be used to fine‑tune the pitch‑correction’s behaviour. An Effects section then offers control over formant‑shifting and stereo width processors. As with everything in the MFreeFXBundle, MAutoPitch is free to use, but for a modest fee all of the bundle’s plug‑ins gain additional functionality, including oversampling and the ability to create and organise your own presets.
Free. Extended features $51£41 including VAT.
Native Instruments The Mouth
Another option that combines pitch‑correction with synthesis is Native Instruments’ The Mouth. Created by British producer and performer Tim Exile, this plug‑in is capable of creating melodies and harmonies from any input source, and keeps latency low enough to allow for live use. Incoming signals are automatically tuned, either to a user‑defined scale or in response to MIDI notes, before triggering built‑in synth, bass and vocoder modules. Alongside the sound‑generation sections, the plug‑in includes an effects section that houses delay and compression processors. A simple mixer section then offers independent control of Input, Synth, Vocoder, Bass and FX signals, while a set of eight macro knobs provides control over the likes of tone, resonance and stereo width. The Mouth was built using NI’s powerful modular Reaktor software, and will run happily in the free Player version — but those with a full licence are able to take a look behind the scenes and see exactly how the effect works.
$69£59 including VAT.
Slate Digital Metatune
Slate Digital boldly claim that their offering in the world of creative pitch effects is “the best automatic tuner on Earth”. Capable of everything from subtle, natural‑sounding tuning to extreme, robot‑like sound effects, Metatune promises to have users up and running in seconds thanks to a simple and intuitive GUI. On‑screen piano keys make it possible to quickly select a target note, chord or scale, while a handy ‘heat map’ display provides a visual indication of the input signal’s pitch both before and after processing. Metatune’s entire range of effects can be created and fine‑tuned using just three simple controls: Speed, Sustain and Amount. There’s also a Note Stabilizer mode that allows wanted elements of the input signal such as vibrato or small variations between notes to go unprocessed, and, thanks to a Groups feature, it’s possible to link multiple instances of the plug‑in so that changes can be applied across multiple tracks instantly, rather than relying on copying and pasting settings.
$199 including VAT.
sosm.ag/slate-digital-metatune
Soundtoys Little AlterBoy
Soundtoys know a thing or two about pitch‑shifting: their founders were part of the team behind Eventide’s iconic H3000, and were also involved in creating a number of pitch‑ and formant‑shifting tools for Pro Tools TDM systems both as Wave Mechanics and Soundtoys. Pitch‑correction duties in their current line‑up, though, fall to Little AlterBoy, a simple and intuitive plug‑in dedicated to hard‑tuning and vocoder‑style effects, with some saturation thrown in for good measure. Little AlterBoy sports a minimal set of controls, with Pitch and Formant dials joined by three operation modes: Transpose, Quantize and Robot. The first mode simply shifts the pitch of the incoming signal without applying any automatic correction, while the second tunes it to the nearest semitone, resulting in the ever‑popular hard‑tuning effect. Finally, Robot locks the signal to a single note that can be tuned in either direction using the Pitch parameter. It’s also possible to control the Pitch dial from a MIDI keyboard, essentially turning the plug‑in into a vocoder. Lastly, there’s a Drive control derived from the tube saturation models found in Soundtoys’ Decapitator, and a Mix control for blending the effect with the unprocessed input signal.
$99 including VAT.
sosm.ag/soundtoys-little-alterboy
www.soundtoys.com/product/little-alterboy
Waves Vocal Bender & OVox
There are two creative pitch‑correction plug‑ins by Waves: Vocal Bender and OVox. The former is the simpler option, with real‑time pitch‑ and formant‑shift controls providing a fast and easy way to achieve the usual hard‑tuning effects, as well as more subtle doubling effects. A Flatten control facilitates robot‑like vocal tuning, and there’s a section equipped with four modulation sources (pitch and amplitude envelopes, an LFO and a step sequencer) that can be used to create effects such as vibrato, pitch drops and sequenced pitch changes. OVox, on the other hand, is a voice‑controlled instrument that provides independent control over a vocal’s pitch, amplitude and formant. It has two independent engines that can generate up to eight voices, making it possible to create chords from a monophonic input, and there’s a whole host of built‑in filtering, modulation and effects processing. Along with the usual vocoder‑style effects, OVox can transform vocals into entirely new sounds, and it’s even capable of converting the incoming signal to MIDI data, allowing users to trigger other instruments with their voice in real time.
$149 each, including VAT.
Zynaptiq Pitchmap & Pitchmap Colors
Zynaptiq are well known for their innovative approach to processing, and Pitchmap is no exception. It’s capable of processing the pitch of individual sounds within a mixed signal in real time, making it possible to change the melodies and harmonies of any source by either playing a new part on a MIDI keyboard, or manually tuning notes in the GUI. Some clever behind‑the‑scenes processing splits incoming signals into their component parts, with the resulting pieces displayed above an on‑screen keyboard. From there, it’s possible to apply tuning correction to individual notes, harmonics and transients, as well as ‘re‑mapping’ them to a new pitch, or even isolating/suppressing them. Used sparingly, Pitchmap is capable of subtle corrective work — there’s a Natural Mode that recognises vocal sounds and processes them separately to help avoid artefacts — but pushed a bit harder, it’s capable of far more, from quickly trying out new harmonies and variations to creating synth‑style sounds from live inputs.
Based on the same technology, Pitchmap Colors is intended to make more obvious transformations to the source material. It splits incoming audio into chromatic pitches, then shifts them to match notes on an on‑screen keyboard, in a MIDI track, or in a live MIDI input. So any piece of music, in any key, can be conformed to fit the notes or chords you choose. Interestingly, Pitchmap Colors can apply harmonic characteristics to atonal or noise‑like sounds, allowing even ‘industrial’ sound recordings to be turned into something melodic.
Pitchmap $169€179, Pitchmap Colors $99€109. Prices include VAT.