How Ian Kirkpatrick Uses AutoTune as a Creative Instrument
July 14, 2026
Read time: 1 min
Ian Kirkpatrick — producer behind records for Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and the Backstreet Boys — uses AutoTune as a sound design tool, not just a corrective one. In this interview, he walks through his session workflow, his approach to Retune Speed as a creative parameter and the Vocal Reverb presets he built around real studio situations.
Kirkpatrick's sessions run on AutoTune — not as a safety net, but as a deliberate part of his sound. In the interview he goes deep on the Vocal Reverb presets he built around real studio situations, and explains why reaching for fewer plugins afterward felt like the natural result of finding tools that actually fit the work. If you want to explore the same toolkit, AutoTune Unlimited has everything he uses in one subscription.
Written by
Brian Davitt
Senior Manager, GTM at AutoTune
Brian has 15+ years of experience in the music industry, transitioning from his early 2000s roots touring with bands to becoming an audio engineering professional after earning his degree in 2011. Before joining AutoTune, Brian built his expertise working with legendary music technology brands including M-Audio, HeadRushFX, and Akai Pro. When he's not developing marketing strategies for AutoTune, Brian rocks out with his Math Rock band Between 3&4.