dumb question about voice correction software

Nola

Well-known member
hi. i don't have any voice correction software but i was thinking about getting some. how does it work with automation. do you have to turn on "write" for it to write corrections or does it do it automatically? what if you only want a few notes corrected -- is there a way to play through the song and have the pitch correction on but only correct a few notes and not the entire song?

is there any good free pitch correction? what is the best paid one? thanks everyone
 
Yes, you can decide what to correct and what not to correct, to varying degrees depending on the software. For example, the version of Melodyne I've used doesn't let you apply the effect to parts smaller than the ones it has detected. If it detects a note being held for five seconds it may not let you correct a section of that note separately. But it's not the top version of Melodyne.

I think there's a free pitch corrector in Reaper. I don't know if it comes with the Reaper plugin pack that you can download separately.
 
thanks bouldersoundguy. what if you correct like two notes and then play the entire track back. does it want to rescan it and correct it all again? like how do you tell it not to correct everything each time you play the song back?

and is the correction written automatically or do you have to use write automation? like if i corrected 2 notes and then exported it without write turned on, would they be fixed in the mixdown?
 
How any pitch correction software works depends on the software. I myself have only used Antares (years ago) and Melodyne now. Melodyne wins by a huge margin IMO. But the workflow is a bit slower as it runs separate from your DAW. In real time, but not quite as easy to use. Of course it has more abilities than others.

Waves Tune is another option that some use but from everything I have heard Melodyne is the best for tuning vocals with the most natural sound. The full version of Melodyne can tune single notes in a guitar chord. Done it myself. But it is expensive...

I myself haven't experimented with WT or Anteres recently as I just went with what I know to give the best results. And Cubase has a built in pitch correction (Variaudio)that can be used for little bits.

All will allow minor adjustments to pitch of individual notes. I have not heard of any freeware pitch correction.
 
I've only tried Melodyne. I'd spend the extra dough and get the full version. You record your take and then apply the plugin to make as many or few corrections as you please. It's totally non-destructive. Used tastefully, I cannot hear the correction at all.
 
thanks bouldersoundguy. what if you correct like two notes and then play the entire track back. does it want to rescan it and correct it all again? like how do you tell it not to correct everything each time you play the song back?

and is the correction written automatically or do you have to use write automation? like if i corrected 2 notes and then exported it without write turned on, would they be fixed in the mixdown?

Sorry to answer your question for Boulder, (how you doin man?) but the corrections are written within the VST. No automation.

In a program like Melodyne, you are best freeing up your resources by exporting the track back into your project and disabling the VST. In Melodyne for instance, you have to run it with a buffer setting of 1024 or higher while using it. You tune the notes you need, export the tuned track back into your DAW then disable the original. You can always go back if you want to change what you have done.

That it pretty much what I mean about the slow workflow with Melodyne. You really do not want to run it in real-time while mixing. It does work that way but best to export to an audio track.
 
Sorry to answer your question for Boulder, (how you doin man?) but the corrections are written within the VST. No automation.

In a program like Melodyne, you are best freeing up your resources by exporting the track back into your project and disabling the VST. In Melodyne for instance, you have to run it with a buffer setting of 1024 or higher while using it. You tune the notes you need, export the tuned track back into your DAW then disable the original. You can always go back if you want to change what you have done.

That it pretty much what I mean about the slow workflow with Melodyne. You really do not want to run it in real-time while mixing. It does work that way but best to export to an audio track.

I'll second that. Melodyne is a bit of a hog on my system. I'll sometimes run three or four copies at once when I'm working out a vocal harmony arrangement (save often...), but as soon as I am finished I'll render those tracks to stems and take Melodyne offline.
 
I use the one that came with Sonar- In this case you def do not want to set it up to do the whole track. That's not only total over kill, but a resource hog as well.
You high light a section for correction for where it's needed and it makes new clips for just the phrase you're working on.
 
I use Waves Tune when I want to correct vocal tracks.
It's very similar to Melodyne, and it runs as a VST plug within the DAW.

TBH...I've seen about an equal number of folks love/hate both Melodyne and Waves Tune. Both can do a great job, but neither is perfect, in that you can get artifacts and whatnot...but a lot depends how you use it, and also how hard you use it.
I mean....they don't do magic. You can't take absolute shit vocals and make them sound like Celine Dion or Robert Plant or whoever. Light use always yields the best results...and it's best to use it sparingly, rather than simply applied across the entire track...IMO.

With Waves, I've come up with a system that allows my to use it selectively, on single notes if needed.
You normally would scan the whole track once with it, then you're supposed to run through that track and adjust individual sections, etc....but I found that dumb, and it's too easy to end up going around in circles, 'cuz if you accidentally re-scan those sections you've adjusted, Waves will try to correct them again to the default setting.

I duplicate the vocal track and run Waves on that track in its entirety. Then I'll play back the vocals and listen to both tracks. I'll A/B the original track with the duplicate track, one section at a time. As I work through the track. I simply cut out the sections of each track that I want to keep, and I also delete the stuff from the Waves tune window for the sections I remove from the WT track.
IOW...I have sections of original untouched vocal on one track, and on the other track are any notes/words I wanted to correct. It works really well, and if I want to change something on the WT track, I can just copy/past that sectiuon from the original track, and then re-scan that one spot.
 
Just thought I would also mention, that if you are thinking of buying something...Waves is still running a sale until Jan 3...and if you go though Audio Deluxe, you can get even better pricing. Right now through Audio Deluxe, the full Waves Tune is $85...the Waves Tune LT is only $42.

Melodyne may also be on sale on some websites, but the pricing is a bit more confusing as there are like 4-5 different versions...Studio Bundle, Full, Assistant, Essential...and the pricing ranges from about $550 I think for the Studio Bundle to about $80 for the lightest Essential version (which is about what you can get the full Waves Tune at this time).

There's some talk that my DAW (MAGIX Samplitude ProX) may incorporate Melodyone in a future release...which would be great, that way I could have both Melodyone and Waves Tune.
 
...but a lot depends how you use it, and also how hard you use it.
I mean....they don't do magic. You can't take absolute shit vocals and make them sound like Celine Dion or Robert Plant or whoever. Light use always yields the best results...and it's best to use it sparingly, rather than simply applied across the entire track...IMO.

This ^^^

I always get the performance to sound the best I can before tinkering with autotune. If light correction sounds wonky, then that section gets re-tracked.

I have Autotune Evo 6, Melodyne (included with Sonar), and Waves Tune (acquired for cheap maybe a year ago). I tried Waves and Melodyne, didn't like the results. Still using my old, trusty Autotune. Because I only apply light correction the benefits of the newer plugins are probably lost on me. I don't try to craft the performance with the tool, I only use it to reduce pitchiness/enjoyment for the listener.
 
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I use Melodyne on all of my tracks for vocals. the full version came free with PreSonus's Studio One 2 Pro. This is what I do, exactly:

record vocals in my DAW, manually edit volume/silence and breaths, bounce the track out, open the track in Melodyne stand-alone, edit the track in Melodyne (as many notes as you want. it looks like a midi-editor, so you can change whichever notes you please and to what extent you want...100% on key, 70% etc..), then export that new vocal track and insert it in the place of the old one in my DAW.

since using Melodyne as the stand alone program writes a new track when exporting the new file, you don't have to worry about Melodyne running in the background and using resources.... it's a brand new .wav file.

PM if you have questions. it's really easy and takes about 5 mins to comb through a track to make changes.
 
I have been working with the Waves version. Even if you don't like to use Autotune software, they are a great way to help improve your singing.

One of the things I have learned by using the software, entering and exiting a note. I can now appreciate opera singers starting the note right on pitch and know how to exit. If nothing more the software is a great learning tool. Waves seems to be the right amount tool for the right amount of coin.
 
One of the things I have learned by using the software, entering and exiting a note. I can now appreciate opera singers starting the note right on pitch and know how to exit. If nothing more the software is a great learning tool.

I agree. If nothing else, studying the pitch map will make you more aware of your habits and tendencies as a singer. Even if you don't tune a thing. Melodyne revealed all sorts of vices that I do unconsciously: Starting a note low and bending up to pitch, excessive vibrato on held notes, a tendency to sing flat. I guess a vocal coach could have pointed them out just as well.

With pitch correction, the less you do the better the results. Unless you want to sound like the current crop of pop singers, to each his own. That's actually why I don't use the standalone version of Melodyne--I want to hear the vocal in the track while I make corrections, so that I'm correcting by ear and not by eye. Just render a stem of the vocal track when you're done, and then take Melodyne offline.
 
That's actually why I don't use the standalone version of Melodyne--I want to hear the vocal in the track while I make corrections, so that I'm correcting by ear and not by eye. Just render a stem of the vocal track when you're done, and then take Melodyne offline.

The full version that comes with Studio One 2 comes in both standalone and integrated into the DAW. In my DAW, I can right-click the vocal track and select "edit with melodyne", even if i haven't used melodyne on that track.

definitely listen to the track first and see if it works before using it. I just like to have a finished, in-tune track to import in place of the old. You don't have to edit the whole thing.
 
When I had a slow computer, I did the offline method with melodyne. But with a bigger better faster computer, I just use it as an insert VST and transfer the offending bits as I go. I agree that it makes a good learning tool. I've been using it less and less lately.
 
Can I use the reaper plugin without having to work inside of Reaper? The software drives me nuts, eats all my tracks, re sends and all that. I have limited (literally) time each day to mix and master original music. So if I can use this pitch correction without having to fuss with reaper this would be great. I use other reaper plugins nicely with my DAW without issues (compressors, EQ's ad so on.)
 
Can I use the reaper plugin without having to work inside of Reaper? The software drives me nuts, eats all my tracks, re sends and all that. I have limited (literally) time each day to mix and master original music. So if I can use this pitch correction without having to fuss with reaper this would be great. I use other reaper plugins nicely with my DAW without issues (compressors, EQ's ad so on.)

I have some I've used in Sonar.
 
Can I use the reaper plugin without having to work inside of Reaper? The software drives me nuts, eats all my tracks, re sends and all that. I have limited (literally) time each day to mix and master original music. So if I can use this pitch correction without having to fuss with reaper this would be great. I use other reaper plugins nicely with my DAW without issues (compressors, EQ's ad so on.)

I don't quite understand what you think Reaper is doing wrong. If you're having troubles with it, try starting a new thread either in the Reaper forum here, or at the Cockos forums. Detail your issues, and most likely you can get it sorted out.

I do think that the Reaxxx plugs can be used in any host that is compatible with VST plugins though. But really, a little time invested in troubleshooting your issues will pay dividends for future sessions.
 
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