Killer AutoTune and Melodyne Effects

DaGSpotSoldier

11B US Army
As Posted by me else-where;

Hello everyone, So I recently had some time to mess with Autotune to get that T-Pain effect, not to mention all the other people that use it.
First know this, you must understand some music theory to get the best effect, other wise use the settings I mention and hope for the best.
For advanced users, the better vocalist you are, the better the effect, usually vocall ranges above Middle C sound good.
This effect sounds very good on background vocal runs.

Well this is where I am thus far.
You must use the AutoTune VST version, Not the DX version

It has to do with the fact that the VST version ALLOWS you to set the Vibrato section of auto correction mode to Sawtooth and the other settings I mentioned(Formant to 100 and Amplitude to 30, all other Vibrato settings at "0") , without adding more Vibrato. The DX version adds Vibrato, which you dont want.
Thats just how it works, its weird.

Auto Tune Settings:
I have found that first, you will usually want to put AutoTune in a Major scale, such as C Major, depending on your key. Chromatic will be to jumpy.

Settings like these.
In Automatic Detection Mode(not graphical)
C Major
Retune-0
Tracking-67
Vibrato Section: All zero except for
Amplitude-30
Formant-100
Pitch knob can be tweaked for more effect.
Voice input type: Alto/Tenor, or your choice.

Retune is usually always at 0, but the Tracking can be tweaked for different effects.
The Vibrato section is real important for the effect. All other vibrato settings except for those listed here are set to "0"(example- "rate")
I usually max out the Formant and Amplitude settings.

But here are some more tips.
Auto Tune needs to be correcting the pitch to get good effect right?
So here is a cool trick I have found that works.

After getting a good recording of a vocal peice. Use another pitch correction program like
Waves Tune from the Waves Vocal Bundle
Or my favorite.
Celemony Melodyne 3
Use these programs to correct the pitch first, with the scale set to a Major scale, Like C Major.
Then use the Auto Tune effect, it will be much smoother.

For this effect, Autotune doesnt like natural Vibrato in a voice. It will be too jumpy while correcting.

That is why I like Celemony Melodyne 3. And you must be somewhat familiar with Melodyne to understand this. I first take my recorded vocal and run it through Melodyne. I correct the pitch to a scale of C Major.
Then here is the most coolest important part.

Now select all of your vocal notes, after setting the note snap option at the bottom left to "No Pitch Snap"(So the vocal notes dont snap to Major or Chromatic notes), and raise all the vocal notes up about "40 cents". Dont go more than 50 cents, or else when you run the vocal through AutoTune, it will raise everything a semitone(or more depending on your scale)
Again raise the vocal 40 cents, after it has been corrected inside Melodyne to a Major scale.(or Minor scale, your choice.)

Now you will export this vocal and take it to Auto Tune.
What you have done is set up the vocal so that Auto Tune will correct the vocal at just the right amount to get the effect.

Set Autotune up as an Insert, or use it offline, your choice. Use the settings I mentioned above, and you should have a good effect.

Here are some more important notes and tips
After the effect has been done.
Reverb choice is important. Along with maybe some delay. Sometimes the Correction will sound too jumpy on certain phrases, delay and reverb can smooth these out, and make them less noticable.


Also Eq is important, usually removing allot below 600hz sounds good.
Also haveing your Reverbed signal Eq'ed this way will sound good. Also, reverb set to a wide stereo image.

Try mixing the AutoTuned effect with some low sung harmonies.

Try Mixing down a complete vocal Harmony then use the Autotune.

And one I havent tried, but will, mix in a Vocoded effect with the AutoTuned effect.

Oh the list goes on. I will continue experimenting though. I will keep you guys posted.

I really wish there was a tutorial here on AutoTune. If there is someone let me know.
Hit me up wit some links or something.

And if anyone ever figures out this effect Jon Young is using,Let a playa know
http://www.myspace.com/officialjcash
Check out the chorus on songs like
"Now They Wanna"
These dudes got a good effect, and its so clear.

Holla

My myspace page is
www.myspace.com/dagspotsoldier
hit a playa up sometime
 
Last edited:
An old take of me doing a peice of a song by Brown Boy called "Superman"
I have since then upped my game and knowlege of this effect to a new level.
The word "I" is off, in the part "I can be your superman", but no biggie.
See attachement.
Next post is the Melodyne effect that I came up with. So dont try and cop it as your own. If you already knew about it, which I doubt, well ok, I stand corrected.
Its called the "Dozer" effect, named after its creator, ME.
 
Last edited:
Here is another cool effect, this is my 3rd place I have posted it.
Also posted in TonyTalkBox Forums

As Posted Else-Where:
So I get to name this effect cause I dont think it has been done.
I will call it
"The "Dozer" effect"
This is the first time I have ever posted this effect.

I have been busy with school. But also doing alot of studying if mixing and mastering. I will be incorperating these effects into my new sound.
I will be moving toward a R&B,Crunk, Reality, Dance Freestyle genre once I get back in my Studio.
ANYWAY

Try this effect.

We will take advantage of what happens to a vocal when It is "Sped Up"(stretched), then brought into Melodyne, and brought back to its original Tempo.

Tools Needed
A Time Stretching plugin, I recommend either:
Waves Soundshifter, or Samplitudes Time Stretcher(very good algorithms).
AND
Celemony Melodyne 3.

Once you have a good vocal take recorded.

Stretch the vocal take. Speed up the vocal.
For instance, using a Time Stretching pluggin, My favorite is Waves Soundshifter, set in tempo mode
Original Tempo-120
Stretch To-140 or a little more, like to 160.
Dont stretch the vocal too much, or the effect will have artifacts when ran through Melodyne.

Now export the stretched vocal.
Open a new Arrangement in Melodyne.
Set the arrangement to the Tempo you "Stretched" to.
Example: Set Arrangement to a Tempo of 140.

Now import your vocal into the Arrangement.

Now using the Arrangement Global Controls
Bring the Arrangement down to a Tempo of 120(or the vocals original Tempo)

You will now have stretched the vocal back to its original Tempo, and stretched the vocal sound to original speed.

Hear how it sounds? Interesting huh.
Well now just chop up some notes and Raise the split notes 2 Semitones, straighten out the vocals Vibrato using the Pitch Modulation tool.
Then export.

Do some experimenting with Reverb and Eq to get a unique hot sound.

Good Luck and God Bless
 
I hate to tell you, but stretching and squashing audio like that is not a new technique. maybe using one program to stretch it and another to bring it back is your original idea tho. makes sense that different algorithms would process it differently for a different sound.
 
Darko said:
I hate to tell you, but stretching and squashing audio like that is not a new technique. maybe using one program to stretch it and another to bring it back is your original idea tho. makes sense that different algorithms would process it differently for a different sound.

Yeah for example using Waves Soundshifter P Offline with Mode set to Transient will have a different effect than if you set the mode to Smooth.
Useing the Waves Soundshifter allows you to do less of a "Stretch" and get a good effect, when incorperating different Modes(transient,smooth)
You can even set the Waves Soundshifter P Offline to a smaller stretch
Example: Source Tempo-120
Destination-127
and still get a good effect. But it is all in which mode you choose(Smooth, Transient, Punch..)
So experimentation with different tempo stretches is the key.

The Time Stretching in Samplitude allows for more time stretching, with less artifacts, than if you were to stretch the same amount with other "Time Stretchers" I have found.

I came up with the Idea because while lengthing a note in Melodyne to, lets say an Exagerated 400 times; When played it had a drawn out horn type sound. So I was like, hmmm. What if I stretch(actually speed up) a vocal, then stretch it back out to normal tempo, what would happen. So I did it and thought it sounded tight.

ANOTHER NEAT TRICK
Once you have the vocal in Melodyne, and brought the vocal back to original tempo, try this

Select all vocal notes and bring them down 2-4 semitones,
this will give a gritty sound.
Then raise the formant for all the notes to match the original tone, before you lowerd the notes. This will have to be done by ear.

The lowering of the notes along with a raise in formant, coupled to the fact that maybe you removed alot of Pitch Modulation, will create a cool effect.

Then split some notes of certain words, raise the split part 2 semitones, and you will get nice pitch bending effects, along with a neat sounding Vocoded sound.
 
I cant wait to get back in my studio to actually put some of this knowledge to use on my next track. Ive been busy wit college and all.
 
nice tips... def gonna try this... sounds like that tpain effect
 
Nice tips...I've downloaded the demo VST of Auto Tune. To test it out on my singing, IT"S CRAZY MAN!!! I sound better but I already can sing good without it.
 
this sounds really cool... thanks for the tips, im usin em
 
Ohh **** dude. Ive been looking fo this thread fo bout a good week. Glad this **** here. Hey, why dont they make a how to fo the auto tune. Those bastards, well, at least they made the software huh?
 
when u are just using to correct or smooth out the vox its not an "effect" but when u intentionally push or abuse the plug in to get a certain sound it becomes an effect.....tpain aint the only one....erry body on akons konvict music label uses that.,,, its more about their sound as a camp or label than it is trying to cover up pains bad singin
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Peep my new track "GOTTA GET WIT DAT" on my myspace page. Ive been told Im gettin better effects than T-PAIN, that mine sounds original. No im not braggn my peoples. Peep the intro, then I do a little piece after 3rd chorus.
I think my sounds more clean, with virtually no "warbling" like with T-Pains. Oh and the outro has a little peice.
And since then I have gotten even better at this effect.
Practice Makes Perfect.

****, Im thinkn pretty soon I could be collabing with some people and taking in clients that want my effect. OKOK, so maybe thats going to far.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top