How to Autotune Your Vocals Like T-Pain, Cher or Daft Punk
Jul 8th in Production by Nic Bertino
Cher – Believe (First Pop Instance of Autotuning)
You may assume that it takes a masterful engineer and a lot of money in hard effects to get that autotuned sound, but that's not the case: using only a few steps and a simple plugin you will be well on your way. In this tutorial we'll go one step further and show you how to create an autotuning effect that sounds as good as the pros.
This tutorial assumes basic knowledge of VST effects and FL Studio. You will need Antares AutoTune VST or a similar autotuning VST to perform this effect correctly, and of course, a microphone that is able to record into FL Studio. Besides that plugin, I will be using the effects packaged with FL Studio to finish shaping the sound.
Tutorial Setup:
- iMac Core2Duo 2.16ghz
- 2GB Ram
- Audio Technica ST90 Microphone ($25!!)
- Alesis IO 26
Step 1
Make sure you've purchased Antares AutoTune, a similar VST, or have picked up the demo. If you're wary of purchasing this product, I've found that if you are working with any sort of vocals it pays for itself almost immediately.We are going to setup a mixer channel in FL Studio to pickup our microphone. Mine is on Blobusound Channel 2, so I select that accordingly.
If done correctly, you should have activity on the input meter. If not, you're going to need to check your ASIO/WDM settings, or make sure that you have a soundcard or interface that can support a microphone input.
Assuming you have activity coming in and that you can hear yourself, load Antares AutoTune onto the first slot of the mixer. Notice any difference? You probably can't--we need to change some settings before going further.
This is the raw vocal I'll be working with in this tutorial:
raw_vocal.mp3
Step 2
At this point, you're going to want to change the "Input Type" at the top. This helps the tuning engine accurately adjust the incoming signal (in this case, your voice) to "tune" correctly. We are going to manipulate the tuning engine by changing it to "Alto/Tenor Voice". This will trick the AutoTuner into shifting your voice upwards, and "filling in" your missed notes with a synthesized "voice."With the input type changed, it is now time to change the key and scale. T-Pain's hit song 'Buy U A Drank' is in B-flat minor, so we'll change the key to B-flat and the scale to minor.
You may notice some difference here, but the key to real auto-tuned vocals is to change the "Retuning" threshold to as fast as possible, in this case "0." With it down at zero, when your voice fluctuates from note to note, it detects what note your voice is in, then jumps it to the next note in the scale, keeping it in key. With these basic settings in place, you should be singing your robotic heart out.
vocal_autotuned.mp3
But this is just the basic effect, and through my $25 Audio Technica mic, it is sounding a little dry.
Step 3
The spirit of this effect is to sound a little more robotic, so what we are going to do now is further create that robotic/artificial sound using other effects. These effects will change from microphone to microphone, so it is important to experiment until you get the sound you're looking for.The next thing in my FX chain after the auto-tuner is going to be an EQ plugin. I'll be using this EQ to brighten up the highs, and exaggerate the artificial effect. Using EQUO, I've boosted all of the frequencies past 2.5khz to about 400%. This exaggerated EQ will add even more definition to the robotic effect. This may produce too much brightness on nicer microphones, so you may want to start at 400% and work your way down until you've got a reasonably bright vocal.
vocal_autotune_eq.mp3
Step 4
After the EQUO, I'll add a Reverb effect to the chain. This is my standard vocal Reverb palette, and I've placed it at about 50% volume to make sure that it isn't too overpowering on my vocals.
vocal_autotune_eq_reverb.mp3
Step 5
Optional: At this point, I've found that inserting the newly-added Soundgoodizer plug-in after the Reverb works very, very well on autotuned vocals. Give it a shot in the effects chain to get some interesting effects due to Soundgoodizer's limiter. It also keeps the volume level high and limited, which adds to the artificial sound.
Step 6
After the Fruity Reverb, I'll add what is probably the most important and delicate effect in the chain, a chorus. Refer to the settings snapshot to recreate this wonderful effect: it will give your vocal plenty of depth, and it has convinced many of my listeners that I am not, in fact, recording on a $25 microphone!
vocal_autotune_eq_reverb_chorus.mp3
Step 7
Moving on from there, my next effect is the Fruity Delay Bank. I've kept this one simple, and it will create a little more atmosphere along with the Reverb that was added earlier in the chain. Notice that I've used some pretty crazy volume/mix values for the effects. Sometimes an effect becomes too overpowering at full volume, so experiment with turning it down until you achieve a nice balance.To smooth everything out after the Fruity Delay Bank, I'll throw a Fruity Compressor onto the channel and you are recording-ready and set to sound like T-Pain!
Listen to the final product:
vocal_autotune_eq_reverb_chorus_delay_compression.mp3
Download the Play Pack for this tutorial (1.4MB)
Contents:- All audio files
- Printable PDF tutorial
- Bonus audio: autotuned vocal acappella.
Related Posts
Keep reading with more great tutorials and articles!
Enjoy this Post?
We'd love your vote!
Plus Members
Source Files, Bonus Tutorials and
More for $9 a month for all TUTS+
sites in one subscription.
User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Bugsy July 8th
great content.
i’m new to the audio world and this is helping me to understand it. i’ll never be a top selling producer, but maybe i can mix a nice audio track for someones wedding dvd or something someday.
( )Daniel Richard July 8th
I can see a talkshow hosted by one author who autotunes his voices to various characters coming up shortly.
Great tutorial there Nic!
( )jyesmith July 8th
I just finished doing this only last week with a new recording of mine. Just hit ‘limit to key’ in GarageBand and mac sure your vocalist can slide between notes with force!
Great tut!!!
( )red July 8th
Hahaha, Soungoodizer! Where can I get this one. I can’t find a way to get on the flstudio site…
( )Skellie July 8th
@ red: Soundgoodizer is included with FL Studio 8 :). http://www.flstudio.com
Cheers!
( )Felon July 8th
Well explained, and the information regarding Antares Autotune will benefit users of all sequencers/production suites.
However, this effect is generally possible with any vocoder plugin - it’s not specific to Autotune.
( )Martín July 8th
Cool, a software talkbox
( )Allan July 9th
Awesome
( )Androo July 9th
FELON: Oh, it is forsure specific autotune. A vocoder will only mix a tone or chord with a voice signal. It is up to the player/sequencer to choose when to change tone (or chord). An autotuner gets that very specific sound character, almost like gliding (from detuned to tuned i asume) which would be pretty hard to get with traditional vocoders.
I have tried for years to achieve this with vocoders obtaining terrible results, this is the correct way of achieving Cher’s gliding pitch shifts.
( )Nic Bertino July 9th
Urg, it is neither a talkbox nor a vocoder. A vocoder works by taking something like a synthesizer and running it against your voice (or anything else) to create a talking effect. A talkbox works by routing a synthesizer sound through a small amplifier, which then goes through a tube which you place in your mouth. The sound bounces off of the back of your throat, and you “mouth” the words to achieve talkbox stardom. You may have already known this, but a lot of people get autotuners, talkboxes, and vocoders mixed up…
*Off to write a vocoder tutorial.. :)*
( )Appox July 9th
Fantastic tutorial
( )w00p July 9th
It’s amazing the difference between the raw vocal and the finished product! Jeez, we don’t even need to know how to sing anymore!
( )serpentemx July 9th
Great tut I’ve always wanted to mock this effect but with Adobe Audition and so the results were pretty disappointing . Thanks bro!
( )Skellie July 9th
@ serpentemx: We’re always happy to facilitate mocking here! hehe. I guess that’s the thing, with some of these trademark genre effects generally you either love them or you hate them :).
( )MarcusFromPhilly July 9th
Can I do this using Propellerhead Reason 4?
( )Nu Digi July 9th
I’m glad to see this published. But… I think artist integrity will prevent me from doing this to my own voice. or at least… OVER doing it…
( )Felon July 9th
@ Androo & Nic Bertino: I see where you are coming from, however I merely meant that you can create a similar effect with a vocoder, which would allow you to tweak the notation of the vocal via midi… it would obviously sound different from Autotune, as the processing is different.
( )Alex July 11th
Got a question: Where do I get this little “audio player” from? That green flash player you are using to preview all of the audio files. Please let me know. Thanks in advance.
( )Skellie July 11th
@ Alex: Just in case you don’t see my answer on the other post, http://www.wpaudioplayer.com/
( )Alex July 11th
@ Skellie: Thank you SO MUCH!!! Keep up the great work!!!
( )ali July 17th
audiotuts is the coolest site.
( )Jim Jones July 17th
WOW THIS ACTUALLY WORKED!!!!!!!!! too bad i got nuthin to sing about
( )jboozket July 19th
Great Tuto! Thank you!
Actually, I’m on my quest to find how this voice was made:
http://pylepro.free.fr/I%20cant%20wait.mp3
I know it’s maybe autotune but it sounds more exaggerated, more synthesized.
I come from a french Talkbox Forum
http://mo.cheez.free.fr/forum/index.php
It’s funny, in french autotune means money right now!
Best regards
J.
( )zach August 15th
Aye do u kno how to do this in adobe audition 2? Cuz I dnt wanna download all those things!
( )jay September 2nd
i already have autotune & i am useing it in cool edit , well i am trying to figure out how i can use the auto tune without haveing to record myself first , i hear people singing into the mic on the chat rooms & u tube useing autotune . what do i need to do that?
( )13Moons Records September 8th
good job, you have teaching skillz & the layering of effects shows depth of artistry…
this autotune vocoder thing is just the reevival of the whole consiousness expansion thing..people always wanna blow there minds…just wait til folks find out about cymatics & brainwave entrainment for music…
( )Mike September 21st
Hey I been messin with this thing for about a year now…I actually got pretty good with it too. But I’d hafta’ say that the main thing with using auto tune is setting the retune speed to 0 & relaxing the options but the most important part (wich I’m 100% sure) is finding THE EXACT KEY TO UR SONG. Now I’m not a “musician” but I know a thing or two about audio & recording. I don’t know how to read notes by ear & whatnot…But the point I wanted to get at is simple, what is a good way to find the key of my song? Is there something that can do it for me automatically? I actually have something that does this but it’s not accurate at all. Can I get some suggestions? Thanks.
( )JonO March 11th
Mike, you have two options to finding the key of a song:
1) learn music theory and then learn to use your ears;
( )2) hire an actual musician or a composer who’s spent years of their life learning this so you don’t have to. Pay them well.
Mark May 6th
Easy enough, my music teacher is a PRO!
David November 2nd
Mike
You lazy sob. We all just wanna ‘produce’ music without even doing anything huh?!
An automatic key finder?!? I’m sure it’s out there but surely surely surely you can find the key ‘your’ song is in by ear?
Music you read, THUS WITH YOUR EYES! Do you read books with your ears? Do you read books?
Get a piano or simple midi keyboard and hit every note between middle C and the next untill you find one that sounds in tune to every aspects of your chord progression. Voila, the key, the idiiot way anyway.
Sheesh….next people will want software that inspres them, writes lyrics, sings it for them, produces the track, mixes it and presses it to CD, distributes it and this all automatically and of course gives them all the credit while they sit on the couch scratching their nuts…fuggin lazyass.
( )pix November 18th
people, this stuff is easy.
( )first of, give yourself time to understand sound, listen and then listen again. it gets to a stage where you just listen a sound and detect its key with ease(train your ear)
As a producer and a singer, it sure does work for me.
Autotuning depends on individual voice texture because mr. A’s preset might work or Mr B.
bijou December 11th
does any1 have the set up file for autotune? I’m writtin from Angola (Africa just fyi) n i’m havin a hard time downloadin it cuz the servers keep f*uckin up n i keep losing connectiviy n wutnot.. so please please please… if you do have it send it to me on cnorberto87@hotmail.com.. who knows… maybe we can even xchange other recording techniques…
i work with cubase, FL studio, n acid5 as my main softwares n they do some great things for me…
( )bob December 19th
links broken
( )Joel Falconer December 19th
@bob: Which link? There are quite a few there.
( )Mark December 28th
Thanks alot for this great tutorial!
( )So I learned how to “robotize” my vocals using autotune. But how do I adjust the notes I sing? Can’t I define what notes the vocals should include and autotune changes my vocals so that they fit the given notes?
foo January 8th
Kind of funny. Back in the day people avoided pitch correctors because you could always tell (that annoying robotic effect) and instead of cheating chose to just train to sing and play in tune. Nowdays people actually desire that effect… Irony.
( )foo January 8th
I forgot to add, if you really want that cheezy effect get in ebay and pick up an old pitch correcting device. Just plug it in and go.
( )JEFF HYACINTHE January 9th
DAMN THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS
( )Savage-K January 14th
Ive been doin this effect for almost ten years now. crazy, i never thouht it would be made popular by out-of-tune singers.. ha funny
( )dj deva February 6th
great …
( )Bryant February 14th
Great! You’re intentionally spreading this horrible technique? Oh well, it will die soon; just like everything else in pop music history (thankfully). This effect is the worst thing to ever happen to music, BAR NONE.
( )Josh March 4th
i don’t understand how to save my file once i have applied fx to it. i followed this tut and got pretty darn close to what you have. but im kinda a fl studio noob. how do i export this edited file? (i am using a prerecorded file imported into the channel panel and then assigned a free mixer track)
( )Mikhail May 18th
Ihave the same problem. How to save it. After applying the effects
( )manu March 20th
wow wow wow so thats it..mann next tyme am sounding like t pain.gud job
( )Toni G March 20th
this was what i was lookin about.
( )i was using my autotune and i didnt know what was wrong
it couldnt autotune it good
it was because of the Alto/Tenor Voice
thanks a lot
Joao Caserta March 23rd
Hi Nic,
needless to say this is a great tutorial!
I was wondering if it was possible to do the same effect with Celemony Melodyne. I could’t figure it out just yet.
I would apreciate if you gave me a hint wether it is possible or not!
Thanks!!!
( )shinobido April 3rd
Total respect!!
( )Ur da best !!
Greg April 8th
Graham Yeadon’s free GVST suite has an auto-tune-like plugin in VST format (Gsnap, not GTune which is a tuner!).
http://www.gvst.co.uk/
Not as many fine-grained options as appear in Antares or Melodyne offerings, but still quite useful for those of us on a budget!
Disclosure: I wrote the documentation for the plugin (neither of us got or will get any money from it) which is why I know about the plug-in. But I’m only sharing because I stumbled across this article!
( )rich April 25th
will this work in cool edit pro 2
( )Sanatize April 14th
This is an awesome tutorial BUT, I can pretty much garuntee that T-Pain and all the major artist using autotune are NOT using auto mode. They are using Graphics mode. And i can garuntee there not using Fl studio they are using Pro tools.
Im using Cubase Sx3 and WHEN i use autotune its Autotune 5. Ive recently learned graphics mode and the sound comes out MUCH smoother and more full your first time around. Graphics mode opens the door to SOO MUCH MOREE and u dont have to use 10 efects to get a decent sound.
( )Nic Bertino April 18th
Sanatize, T-Pain actually produces in Logic and I’m almost positive he (or his producers) use MIDI targeting mode and actually draw out the notes. It creates a much more controlled sound.
( )Sanatize June 24th
In graphics mode u draw out the sounds but i agree with the midi targeting mode come to think of it. BUt where have u heard that he produces in logic? Out of my times in the studio no matter what studio Protools was the industry standard.
( )jaylen April 24th
I need help getting this? when i get the trial it does not have a .exe. help me out and email me at dogm10@gmail.com
( )rich April 25th
do u kno by any chance how to add anatares into cool edit pro
( )Mark May 6th
Someone knows what key “Heartless” is in?
( )The one by Kanye West.
Because this is on song that RockS with AutoTune!
Steevie May 6th
everybodys just starting to copy t-pain now
( )Aubix May 24th
How would i thank you for this ?! Your Awesome ~!.
( )carla June 5th
hey is there a way to download antares aoutotune vst for free
i’m kinda short cuz of the economi
( )