Auto-Tune is easily one of the most iconic voice effects ever created.
It spawned new genres and even became controversial in the 2000s when some producers were accused of using it too heavily.
It’s such a huge production technique that the term Auto-Tune is commonly used in reference to the practice of pitch correction—even though Auto-Tune is just the brand name of the pitch correcting Auto-Tune VST series from Antares.
Today Auto-Tune VSTs and pitch correction plugins are a key part of almost all music you hear on the charts.
Whether used in a subtle way or not, Auto-Tune VST plugins are an important part of vocal production—they really can take anyone’s vocal part to the next level.
There’s a lot of Auto-Tune VSTs on the market today.
Depending on your needs and budget you’ll find free plugins you might have in your pocket right now, to more expensive VSTs with tons of added capability.
To help you know what pitch correction plugin is right for you, here’s the 7 best Auto-Tune VSTs right now for any budget.
Antares Auto-Tune is the original Auto-Tune VST. As I said earlier, it’s essentially the Kleenex of pitch correction!
Auto-Tune Access is the newest and most affordable option from Antares.
It comes with all the features you need to get truly authentic, great-sounding Auto-Tune vocal takes.
Whether you want a heavily affected sound or a subtle amount of natural-sounding pitch correction—Auto-Tune Access sounds professional and has you covered.
What sets it apart from the rest is that it comes with a monitoring feature that makes it possible to hear exactly what Auto-Tune is doing to your voice in real-time.
With most other auto-tune VSTs you can only hear the effect on your voice after recording your vocal take.
The best part is that you can rent-to-own Auto-Tune Access for $5.49 a month—instead of paying for the entire plugin upfront.
2. Your DAW’s pitch corrector
Looking to start pitch correcting your voice on a budget? You should definitely check out the plugins included in your DAW—especially if you’re a GarageBand user.
Whether used in a subtle way or not, pitch correction plugins are an important part of vocal production.
The pitch correction tool works well and serves as an excellent starting point for putting Auto-Tune style effects on your voice.
There’s a handful of settings for different use cases—whether you’re looking to put super crazy effects on your voice or polish up a vocal take with a bit of processing.
The pitch correction tool is also available on GarageBand for iOS, so if you’re an Apple user you literally might have an Auto-Tune style VST sitting in your pocket right now!
Here’s a more advanced plugin with a handful of auto-tune style features and some capabilities that take it far beyond just your regular pitch correction plugin.
Revoice Pro is an incredible plugin from Synchro Arts—it’s notable for its ability to synchronize different vocal takes to create a coherent part both in terms of rhythm and pitch.
If you work with layered vocal takes, especially background vocal parts and choirs, this award-winning plugin will revolutionize the way your vocal parts sound.
Revoice Pro is an incredible plugin from Synchro Arts
So, when looking to add a seriously professional touch to your layered vocal takes, you need to check out Revoice Pro.
MAutoPitch is a free pitch correction plugin from Melda Production that comes with a handful of great vocal processing functions.
MAutoPitch comes with basic pitch correction controls, formant shifting and a handful of effects options.
If you’re using a free DAW other than GarageBand that doesn’t come with a pitch correction tool, this is a great option as a starter kit.
Graillon 2 from Auburn Sounds is another free pitch correction plugin that has some basic features.
The free version comes with simple and easy-to-use pitch correction and pitch shifting.
And of course, if you like the plugin you can always upgrade to get extra features like advanced pitch tracking modulation, a bit-crusher and some formant modulation features.
Melodyne is a very advanced audio editing tool that includes a special focus on vocal editing and vocal processing.
That’s all to say that Melodyne can do Auto-Tune style effects, but it can do quite a lot more than just that.
It’s built for polishing vocal takes with fine-tuned, natural-sounding adjustments that are hard to achieve without advanced software.
If you’re looking for an advanced tool that does a lot more than just vocal processing and can be used to edit all kinds of audio, this is definitely a professional choice.
Of course, because the plugin can do so much and has tons of engineering behind it, you’ll really want this plugin only if you have the budget for it.
iZotope Nectar is another advanced plug-in with a ton of capability that’s designed for serious producers with a budget for premium plug-ins.
Nectar is a complete vocal production suite with twelve processing modules including vocal EQs, de-essers, pitch correction, vocal editing and much more.
So of course, it can be used to create Auto-Tune style effects, but it can a lot more than just that.
Similar to Melodyne, Nectar is a great tool for adding a high degree of polish on a vocal while still keeping it natural sounding.
For the serious music producer, Nectar 3 is definitely a choice plugin that’s trusted by many pros.