Auto-Tune Pro also includes Classic Mode, for the celebrated “Auto-Tune 5 sound,” Flex-Tune and Humanize for more transparent and natural-sounding tuning, Throat Modeling for subtle or extreme vocal transformations, and Transpose for real-time pitch-shifting with automatic Formant Correction. Live Auto-Tune: How does it work? Last night I saw Purity Ring perform live and it was spectacular. I've been to several major festivals and live in a city with multiple active venues that I.

• Auto Tune Live Plugin

This combination of preamp and Auto‑Tune processor could be just the thing for adding a radio‑friendly sheen to your live performances.

ART have teamed up with Antares to produce this DI‑box‑sized Auto‑Tune Pre, a mic/line preamplifier with a hardware version of Auto‑Tune built in. Clearly, such a product will hold little appeal for the DAW user as pitch correction is invariably best applied after recording, usually via plug‑ins, to allow scope for adjustment and parameter automation, but for live performance it has very clear applications. The Auto‑Tune Pre could also prove very useful for those using hardware multitrack systems that don't have the capability to run plug‑ins, as recorded tracks may be re‑processed via the line input of the Auto‑Tune Pre.

The Auto‑Tune section of the preamp, which claims a low latency of around five milliseconds, has a user interface designed to work as much like the plug‑in version as possible, and that extends to 'piano layout' note‑selection buttons on the front panel. These allow the user to create custom scales, as well as to select straightforward major or minor scales according to the key, though there's also a straightforward chromatic mode. Five user presets are available for storing the scales appropriate to specific songs, and these may be stepped through using an optional footswitch where required.

While the plug‑in version of Auto‑Tune has a fully variable control to set the speed of pitch correction, the Auto‑Tune Pre has just three speed modes, labelled Pitch Correct, Soft EFX and Hard EFX. The last two are special effects settings that capitalise on the now well‑known (and some would say overused) side‑effects of over‑fast pitch correction. Hard EFX produces the familiar hard‑quantised robotic or pseudo-vocoder sound recognisable from countless records, while Soft EFX imparts a hint of Auto‑Tune in a less obvious way.

On the mic amp side, a discrete‑component front end feeds a 12AX7A valve circuit to add a little warmth and character to the signal path. Internal step‑up circuitry boosts the valve supply voltage to well above what the power supply rating might suggest,and also supplies the phantom power. A +20dB gain switch operates in conjunction with the variable input gain control, where a pair of LEDs show signal present and clip status for level-setting purposes. A further rotary control sets the output level.

A TRS insert jack permits external processing to be interposed in the signal path between the preamp and Auto‑Tune sections, while a TRS footswitch jack socket on the rear panel provides a means of remotely bypassing the Auto‑Tune section and stepping through the five presets using a dual, momentary action (non‑latching) footswitch.

As well as the audio I/O, the Auto‑Tune Pre features a footswitch input, allowing you to remotely bypass the Auto‑Tune processing.

A 'combi' XLR/jack socket is used for the mic/line input, with the main output being present on both balanced XLR and unbalanced jack connectors. Three rear‑panel button switches select +4dBu or ‑10dBV output levels, low‑cut filter on or off, and 48V phantom power on or off. A further button functions as a power switch, with power coming from the included 9V AC power adaptor. ART quote a dynamic range of better than 104dB (A‑weighted), with the frequency response staying flat from 10Hz to 20KHz, ±1dB. The maximum output level is +24dBu (balanced).

Operation

The preamp section is quite straightforward in terms of control, so you only need to adjust the input gain until the red peak LED (which comes on 3dB below clipping) flashes only briefly and very occasionally on the loudest peaks. You may also need to engage the low‑cut switch, which will help combat vocal popping in live performance. A maximum of 66dB of gain is available if the output control is also set to full (+5dB), and that's plenty for a typical live performance using a close‑up dynamic mic.

For the Auto‑Tune section to work reliably, the mic should be positioned to pick up as little spill as possible, so the vocalist will probably need to work quite close to the mic, as excessive spill can defeat or confuse the pitch-tracking process. Individual scale notes can be toggled on or off via the note keys on the front panel, which have illuminated switch caps to show which notes are active.

When setting a simple major or minor scale, a 'key' button allows the 12 scale options to be cycled through, and a row of 12 LEDs indicates the currently selected key. A similar arrangement allows stepping through the major, minor or chromatic scale options, and the lighted 'note' buttons change according to your selection so that they always reflect the target notes for the current setting. Of course it doesn't matter what scale you select if you use chromatic mode, as the pitch is always nudged towards the closest semitone (and in this mode, allthe note buttons light up to show that they are all 'valid').

A useful setup aid is provided in the form of pitch oscillators, which can be activated by pressing and holding the button of the note pitch you want to hear for two seconds or more. There's no mention of any means of offsetting the internal pitch reference from its A440Hz setting, so if you're playing along to a non‑concert‑pitch instrument, the Auto‑Tune function should be bypassed. Pressing Store saves your setting to the current Preset, as shown by the LEDs on the right-hand edge of the panel. The state of the bypass switch is also saved with each preset.

Tested with my acoustic guitar combo's mic input and a dynamic microphone connected to the Auto‑Tune Pre, I was a little disturbed to be greeted by a low level, but still annoyingly audible, background hum/buzz that wasn't there when I plugged the mic straight into the combo. I made sure that the Auto‑Tune Pre and its cables were well away from the amplifier, and other powered devices in the vicinity were also unplugged to avoid interference, but the buzz remained unless the Auto‑Tune Pre was switched off. Oddly enough the level of buzz changed very little when the output level switch was operated, but with the output level set to +4dBu, the buzz would almost certainly be inaudibly low in a live situation, as long as the mic gain was set sufficiently high.

In all other respects the unit worked exactly as promised, with a clean, solid‑sounding pre‑amp and effective Auto‑Tuning. In the normal pitch correction mode, the correction rate is fairly slow, so natural inflections aren't usually affected, unless you are into making very slow pitch glides. There's a sense of chorusing when you hear the pitch-corrected vocal alongside your natural voice, but nothing too off‑putting. The middle setting is more assertive, but still allows most of the singer's natural articulations to come through. This introduces some familiar Auto‑Tune fast‑slurring artifacts, but everything still sounds more or less human with a contemporary edge not dissimilar to that heard on many pop records.

Go to the Hard EFX setting and the pitch correction is so fast that most of the natural articulation is stripped out, leaving you with a hard, pitch‑quantised sound, again corresponding to the kind of thing heard on some records — Cher's 'Believe' being the best-known example. On these faster settings more noticeable chorusing effects can be heard as the shifted sound interacts with the sound of your un‑amplified voice. If that is too off‑putting you may wish to arrange for non‑pitch‑corrected monitoring!

Conclusion

Other than a little background hum/buzz, which can be largely alleviated by being careful with your gain and output level settings, the Auto‑Tune Pre works exactly as it should, delivering the classic Auto‑Tune processing in a very easy‑to‑use manner. In addition to its vocal applications, the process can also work well on certain instruments, such as sloppily played cello or violin, when used in a pop context. There are also special effects galore to be had by experimenting with scales containing very few notes. I can't get too excited about the Auto‑Tune Pre as a studio processor, at least not for DAW users, but for live performance or the hardware studio operator it has a lot to offer.

Alternatives

The TC Electronic Mic Mechanic puts automatic pitch correction into a pedal format, along with a mic preamp, some auto EQ/dynamics functions and a selection of delay/reverb effects. It has variable correction speed, but only operates in chromatic mode.

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Can store five user settings.
• Classic Auto‑Tune sounds, both natural and 'hard'.

Cons

• Some background noise audible in some setups, though this should be unnoticeable in live performance.

Summary

A practical implementation of Antares Auto‑Tune, in a compact mic‑preamp format that is well suited to live-sound work.

information

Sonic 8 +44 (0)3302 020160

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 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.

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.

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

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.

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.

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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.

Auto Tune Live Plugin

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