What Is Autotune?
There has been a lot of debate over the use of autotune and whether or not it should be used in music. Despite the difference of opinions, it has been used by many prominent musicians and in numerous songs. But what exactly is autotune and how does it work?
Autotune is nothing more than an audio processor that measures and alters pitch. Its ability to detect and alter pitch makes it a perfect tool to help singers “stay in tune”. Even though autotune is mainly known for its use in vocals, it can also be used for any other instrument.
Autotune was initially released in 1997 and was made popular not long after in Cher’s song Believe in 1998. Since then autotune has been used countless times, sometimes on songs hitting top charts.
Free Autotune VST Plugins For FL Studio
So we have a good idea of what autotune is and why it’s used. The question remains, are there any free autotune VST plugins for FL Studio?
Below are 10 of the best free autotune plugins for FL Studio and any of the popular DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation).
1. GSnap
GSnap is a great option for free autotune! On top of being a great tool to auto pitch correct, GSnap has an intuitive user interface and is easy to use.
Additionally, you can fine-tune your pitch correction settings and allows remaking popular effects like T-Pain’s voice or Cher’s.
2. Graillon 2 Free Edition
Graillon 2 is another great option for a free autotune VST plugin. It works with FL Studio and comes with plenty of fine-tuning options. Keep in mind that there are two versions of Graillon 2, one is free which offers pitch shifting and pitch correction, while the paid version offers everything!
If you’re looking to learn more, they offer a manual on their website and help getting started using their plugin.
3. KeroVee
Another great option for a free autotune VST is Kerovee. It works with FL Studio and is fairly simple to use. With multiple fine-tuning options for tuning speed, nuance, pitch correction amount, and more, Kerovee is a must-have for a free VST.
4. MAutoPitch
MAutoPitch is a fairly basic but effective auto-tuning tool. Designed to automatically tune and pitch correct vocals and monophonic instruments.
There are some creative features added in as well, including formant shift and stereo-expansion.
5. Voloco
Voloco is a free option for auto-tuning and pitch correction like the others on this list, but it comes with a caveat. Voloco comes as a plugin for Windows or Mac like the other VSTs, but it also can be downloaded as a mobile app.
While you might not prefer to record vocals on your phone, it’s a nice tool to have to test out any lyric ideas and see how they might sound when you’re not near your computer.
6. 4 Band Shifter
4 Band Shifter is “able to shift independently the pitch of 4 adjacent, user-definable frequency bands”. This means some fine-tuning depending on the frequency you’re capturing vocals in.
On top of that, this plugin is very simple and easy to use. It’s perfect for a free autotune and gives you exactly what you need without too many confusing bells and whistles, making it perfect for beginners.
7. DSP 2 Vocal
The final voice processor on our list comes with a few more features than some of the other free options.
The DSP-2 comes with an intelligent dynamic processor, a four-band equalizer, a saturator, and a room emulator based on the Schroeder reverberator. Since the DSP-2 is a bit more than the rest of the voice processors on the list, I recommend only using it if you know what the functions do or are ready to learn.
Why Is Autotune Used So Much?
There are multiple reasons that singers and producers use autotune. While some people will make the claim that using autotune is lazy and that it means you can’t actually sing, that’s not always the case. I mean, sure someone who uses autotune might be doing it because they can’t sing, but that doesn’t mean everyone does.
Save Money!
For example, one reason autotune is used is to save money. Studio time is expensive and it’s cheaper to autotune vocals, even if they’re already close to tune, instead of spending hours trying to hit every note right.
This applies to singers that are great at singing. Even though someone might be able to get really close to tune and sound amazing live, recording for a song that will be mastered and produced needs to be as close to perfect as can be.
Ease Of Production/Familiarity
Another reason is how much easier it can make the production process. Why have to mix and master vocals that aren’t quite right when you can just make them sound right with the mix. The reality is that music production is a creative process and you can do whatever you want to help that process.
Finally, maybe a singer’s brand is to use an obvious but entertaining version of autotune. Take T-Pain for example, as an artist he’s great and has an amazing singing voice. Despite being a more than capable vocalist, he uses autotune as a part of his brand, making him instantly identifiable in any song.
Does Autotune Come With FL Studio
Since autotune is nothing more than a pitch corrector, then yes, FL Studio does have a default autotune program known as Pitcher. Pitcher is fairly easy to use and not a very complicated plugin.
If you’re a beginner producing, Pitcher might not be immediately understandable, but it’s easy to learn! I recommend the below video on using Pitcher for autotune.
Singers Who Use Autotune
We’ve talked about how prominent autotune is and that to some artists it’s just an extra instrument they use as a part of their brand. But what about the top artists, how many use autotune?
These are just a few of the most popular artists that use or have used autotune. Some may not be a surprise but some may, as autotune use is sometimes subtle.
- Britney Spears
- Will.I.Am
- Ke$ha
- Justin Bieber
- T-Pain
- Aphex Twin
- Travis Scott
- Lil Wayne
- Lady Gaga
- Beyonce
Does Autotune Work On Instruments?
Autotune is just another processing tool to get a sound “in-tune” with a predetermined key. If you’re playing the violin where hitting the exact note may be difficult, it makes sense to try and tune the recording back to the key it’s supposed to be in.
It also depends on the tone you want as autotuning a live instrument too harshly can make it sound robotic, but doing it lightly can retain its natural live tone. There’s nothing saying you can’t make it sound robotic though, maybe that’s what you want in your song?
That’s why music production is an art, if you can make it work for you, then it’s not wrong.
But to answer the original question, yes you can use autotune on instruments. I mean, after all, the voice is just another instrument as well.
Are Autotune Implants Real?
At the time of writing this, there was also a viral video of a rapper showing an “autotune implant”.
The reality is that these aren’t a thing and all video reproductions of it are fake! There is no such thing as an autotune implant and no proof other than a faked CGI video.