Understanding the Basics: A Beginner’s Guide To Using AutoTune
Learn the secrets of AutoTune in this comprehensive beginner's guide! Discover how it's used in modern music and its impact on vocal production. This guide is perfect for musicians of all levels seeking to delve into this powerful tool.
August 31, 2023
Read time: 5 mins
What Is AutoTune in Music?
The fascinating story behind AutoTune started with Dr. Andy Hildebrand. Believe it or not, Hildebrand was a geophysicist who designed software to help find oil beneath the Earth's surface. One day, he realized he could adjust the algorithm used for oil exploration to tune a singer's recorded vocal, and just like that, in 1997, AutoTune was born!
Now, why is it called "AutoTune"? As you can imagine, the reason is relatively straightforward: "Auto" stands for automated, meaning you don't need to correct every pitch manually. What about "Tune?" Well, that's what the software does: it tunes your voice to the desired pitch. Put the two words together, and you get AutoTune, an automatic tuner for your voice.
So, what does AutoTune actually do?
Simply put, the software analyzes your voice, and if you sing an off-pitch note, it automatically corrects it. The very first time the world heard the magic of AutoTune was in the song "Believe" by Cher in 1998. Remember that robotic vocal effect in the chorus? That's when AutoTune took the industry by storm. After Cher, artists like Travis Scott and Kanye West made AutoTune a crucial part of their signature sound, and over the years, it's become a staple in various genres, from pop to hip hop and electronic music.
AutoTune has had a massive impact on the music industry as a whole, revolutionizing music production and allowing artists of all levels to produce and release professional-sounding tracks. However, some music enthusiasts and artists believe AutoTune is detrimental to creativity, claiming that the software could be used to hide a lack of talent or discourage vocalists from honing their craft. This ongoing debate comes down to how artists use the tools at their disposal and whether AutoTune is used to streamline and improve the creative workflow.
What Is AutoTune Used For?
Let's start with the basics: AutoTune can be many things, but first and foremost, it's a pitch correction tool.
Imagine you're in the recording studio finalizing a song. While listening to your takes, you notice certain notes don't sound great. So, what's the solution, aside from re-recording the whole thing? Enter AutoTune, a tool that scans your vocal track, transforming those less-than-perfect notes into a pitch-perfect performance. Rather than recording multiple takes until you get the ideal sound, AutoTune efficiently handles the task, saving you both time and unnecessary stress.
Different Methods of Using AutoTune
When performing live, AutoTune can be a real lifesaver. Even the best singers can make mistakes, but AutoTune can be applied in real-time during live performances to ensure those vocal imperfections won't compromise the show. In this case, the AutoTune settings are usually subtle, so the performance maintains its raw, energetic vibe.
Now, moving to the cozy ambiance of a recording studio, we can truly experiment with AutoTune's endless functionalities. As a creative tool, AutoTune has a different impact on your sound: less about rapid corrections and more about meticulous craftsmanship.
By using AutoTune, artists can channel their energy into creating emotive vocal recordings and exploring diverse styles, knowing that they'll be able to refine the pitch in post-production. AutoTune is the ultimate pitch correction companion in the recording studio, offering unique creative opportunities to musicians and producers of all levels.
The AutoTune Effect
Here comes the more controversial part—using AutoTune as an overt effect, which transforms a vocal track into a de facto musical instrument. Since the early 2000s, hip hop and trap artists have turned AutoTune into a creative tool, bringing to life a distinctive sound, the so-called "AutoTune Effect." When used this way, AutoTune creates a recognizable synthesized voice that's extremely popular in modern music, especially hip hop and electronic music. If you want to learn more about it, including how to create this unique sound effect, check out our AutoTune Effect article.
Before the trend took hold, Cher's 1998 hit "Believe" offered a glimpse of AutoTune's potential as a creative enhancer. This song corrected pitch and transformed her vocals into an otherworldly melody that captivated the audience. The fascination with replicating this novel sound set the stage for AutoTune's broader use.
Another pivotal figure in this story is Kanye West. His album "808s & Heartbreak" wasn't just an emotional work and a playground for AutoTune experimentation. Tracks like "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" showcased how AutoTune could enhance emotions, extending its use beyond robotic effects. This work further consolidated the union between rap and AutoTune; with the emergence of Future and a new generation of successful artists, hip hop seamlessly integrated extensive AutoTune effects, as evidenced by tracks like "Mask Off" and "Life Is Good," which showed AutoTune's genre-spanning impact.
Today, many artists utilize this tool, including worldwide-known pop stars like Billie Eilish. While she might not be the first artist you associate with AutoTune, she skillfully uses it to enhance her ethereal, whisper-like vocals subtly. Instead of morphing her voice into a robotic entity, the aim in this case is to refine the emotional subtleties that define her unforgettable style.
The Impact of AutoTune
Before AutoTune, breaking into the music industry required exceptional vocal prowess and the financial means to hire skilled producers and audio engineers. However, AutoTune reshaped the music landscape and democratized music creation.
AutoTune empowers individuals with raw talent to create something that sounds excellent without spending endless hours in the studio or practicing. This innovation allowed aspiring musicians to realize their musical aspirations, regardless of their vocal skills or budget.
Yet, AutoTune's role has evolved beyond pitch correction, giving musicians a tool designed for boundless artistic exploration.
The rise of many viral sensations on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, primarily producing tracks without leaving the confines of their bedrooms, owes much to AutoTune: accessible software solutions have enabled virtually anyone with a computer to craft professional-sounding music, effectively shortening the journey from obscurity to prominence for many.
What's intriguing is that AutoTune can be as subtle as you need it to be, enhancing tracks without listeners noticing it. Its discreet influence renders it one of the most impactful tools in contemporary music production.
How Does AutoTune Work?
When you sing a note, you hit a specific pitch, defining how high or low the note sounds. If you're off-key, AutoTune gently pushes your vocal pitch onto the right note.
Let's get to the scientific part: sound waves have frequencies that determine the pitch. When you sing into a microphone, your voice is converted into an electronic signal. AutoTune then uses complex algorithms (called ‘phase vocoding’) to analyze that signal's frequency and identify the intended musical note. Then, it modifies the frequency to align it perfectly with the closest note in a predetermined key and scale. Once AutoTune identifies the 'off' notes, it performs what's called "quantization:" AutoTune adjusts the note's pitch to put the correct pitch into place, giving you that smooth, pitch-perfect sound.
You'll find a very important knob in AutoTune: the Retune Speed. This setting determines how quickly AutoTune corrects the pitch. Turn it to a low setting, and you get that iconic Travis Scott-style robotic voice. Turn it to a high setting, and you get a more natural and subtle correction.
AutoTune Pro X offers two methods of pitch correction: Automatic and Graphical. Auto Mode is like the Autopilot of pitch correction: sing, and AutoTune takes care of the rest. Graph Mode is for seasoned producers who want to fine-tune each note, manually sculpting the perfect vocal performance.
For those artists who use AutoTune as an effect rather than just a pitch correction tool, the Formant Shifting and the Humanize functions are crucial. The Formant Shifting function changes the tonal quality of the voice without affecting the pitch, adding a unique color to the recordings. The Humanize function makes the tuning less robotic, allowing some natural imperfections to come through.
Overall, AutoTune uses phase vocoding and time-stretching techniques to bring the perfect vocal track to life. Simply put, it manipulates the audio signal's frequency and time characteristics, ensuring the pitch correction happens without altering the song's tempo or introducing distortion.
The Best AutoTune Plugins
The range of AutoTune plugins developed by Antares can satisfy the needs of everyone working in the music industry, from professional sound engineers to bedroom producers and vocalists. Each plugin offers a set of features tailored for specific applications, so let's look at the most popular plugins.
AutoTune Pro X: The Professional Standard
AutoTune Pro X is the most comprehensive and advanced edition of this AutoTune. Designed for professional use, this plugin offers both Auto and Graph Modes, making it suitable for a wide range of pitch correction and sound manipulation tasks. AutoTune Pro X is a must-have tool for artists who want to achieve pitch perfection and is widely used by top-tier recording studios and successful recording artists.
AutoTune Artist
Designed with the live performers in mind, AutoTune Artist can work with ultra-low latency, offering real-time pitch correction, a fundamental feature for artists and sound engineers who want to recreate studio-level quality when on stage.
AutoTune EFX+ 10
For those who want to do more than just pitch correction, AutoTune EFX+ 10 comes with a set of cutting-edge effects that'll revolutionize your sonic palette. Aside from pitch correction, this plug-in comes with extensive vocal processing tools, custom creative presets, and a professional multi-effects rack, which makes it the ideal tool for endless creative exploration.
AutoTune Access 10: The Beginner's Choice
Not everyone wants to go pro or dive deep into sound engineering, and that's totally okay! AutoTune Access 10 is the simplified, user-friendly version of AutoTune, perfect for beginners or those who want a straightforward pitch correction tool and nothing else.
AutoKey 2
AutoKey 2 automatically detects any audio file's key, scale, and tempo. This can be a life-saver for artists who want to simplify their workflow or don't have the musical skills to recognize the key and scale of their tracks.
Harmony Engine: Harmony Made Easy
Harmony Engine is an exceptional tool for creating rich and professional harmony arrangements from a single vocal track. But that's not all! You can manipulate every single harmony voice, adjusting its vocal character, vibrato, and pan settings, bringing to life a diverse and immersive vocal performance.
Mic Mod
Mic Mod is a microphone modeling tool that can recreate the sound characteristics of a wide variety of microphones, from modern to iconic vintage mics, empowering you with the sound of high-end microphones without spending a fortune on recording gear. Furthermore, you can adjust every aspect of your virtual microphone, from EQ to proximity control, saturation, and much more.
Final Thoughts
In modern music production, AutoTune is a multifaceted tool that allows artists to express themselves fully and create a distinctive and professional sound signature without spending thousands of dollars in the recording studio. This remarkable achievement changed how we make music, and it will undoubtedly affect the industry for years to come.
Pitch perfection and cutting-edge vocal effects are now accessible to anyone. So, what are you waiting for? Elevate your music, polish your performances, and let your vocal creativity soar. With AutoTune in your digital toolkit, the only limit is your imagination.
Written by
Antares Editorial
Antares is a leading developer of software for music recording and live performance. For over 20 years, Antares has powered the music of top-charting and indie artists with products including the industry standard for pitch correction, AutoTune™.