Have you ever heard someone who got a perfect pitch? I bet you did, and I know you also want to have a perfect pitch to deliver awesome vocal performances. Of course, someone who got perfect pitch would never hit sharps or flats when singing, and a cursory look at the list of famous singers both of the past and present will show you that only a handful of singers can consistently sing in perfect pitch. The likes of Bing Crosby, Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Karen Carpenter will come to mind.
The rest of the popular singers, I think, in some ways had their vocal outputs processed using either pitch correction or Auto-Tune. You may not notice these behind-the-scene vocal enhancements, but indeed these vocal enhancements and modifications happen most of the time.
In fact, most pop, rock, and hip-hop artists utilize either Auto-Tune or pitch correction in their live performances and recording sessions. Moreover, vocal processing has already been standards in most recordings and live performances. But what is the difference between pitch correction and Auto-Tuning?
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Differentiating Between Pitch Correction and Auto-Tuning
Pitch Correction
Pitch correction is usually done manually by analyzing the default notes that a song should have or by figuring out the notes of a recently composed music and analyzing notes mismatching. It will be useful to remember that even the best singers sometimes miss their notes. Thus, pitch correction lets the sound engineer correct certain pitches.
Note that pitch correction is a manual process that sound engineers usually engage in to rectify wrong notes or pitches. They meticulously sift through the tracks to figure out the missed notes, and this process can take several hours, depending on how perfect the singers deliver their vocal renditions.
Applications of Pitch Correction
Pitch correction is a welcome app for those who are engaged in recording and sound engineering. It has the following applications:
It Corrects Pitch and Intonation
Pitch correction usually entails fixing the wrong intonation. With the pitch correction app, you can quicken the recording process and save the vocalists from doing many takes. You can correct wrong intonations using the pitch correction software without overworking the recording artist’s vocal cords.
Hence, with the pitch correction software, overdubbing becomes less necessary. You can also utilize pitch correction to fix intonation in the instrumentals like the violin, trumpet, or cello.
It Can Produce Vocal Harmony and Vibrato
Many music producers and sound engineers use pitch correctors to add vocal harmony to certain parts of vocal recordings. With this software, they can duplicate a track or a segment of the vocal track to enhance the vocals.
They can also use various types of effects to create the impression that many people are singing. They can also utilize the pitch corrector app to add vibrato to the vocal rendition.
They Can Create Extreme Effects
The one who conceived of the pitch correction initially made it to create natural-sounding effects. However, at present, more and more producers and sound engineers are utilizing the pitch correction app to set up extreme effects on the recordings.
With this software’s use, you can create extreme effects that are not natural sounding, yet they add something to the recordings’ overall results.
Auto-Tune
The Auto-Tune is a form of audio processor first introduced in 1997. It is almost contemporaneous with the pitch correction software. The Auto-Tune was conceived to correct or disguise off-key inaccuracies. Nowadays, however, many artists use the Auto-Tune system to distort vocals deliberately.
The Auto-Tune comes as a plug-in for DAWs used in recording studios. Moreover, it can be a stand-alone device. Auto-Tune processor shifts a bit the pitches of the vocals to the nearest and correct semitone.
You can also utilize the Auto-Tune processor to significantly raise or distort the human voice and lower the pitch. In most professional recording studios, the use of Auto-Tune has been a standard procedure during recordings.
Auto-Tune’s increasing popularity can be attributed to artists like Daft Punk and T-Pain, who made use of this feature more often in their songs. Moreover, as its name connotes, Auto-Tune is automated, unlike pitch correction, which is manual.
Applications of Auto-Tunes
Auto-Tunes, as an audio processor, helps in correcting pitch inaccuracies. As mentioned above, this pitch correction is done automatically. It can disguise off-key inaccuracies, allowing you to have perfectly tuned vocals without doing more takes or overdubbing. You can also utilize it to expand your music creativity, just like what some hip-hop artists did.
Although many criticize the use of the Auto-Tune, its use has increased in popularity. However, you should not confuse the effect of Auto-Tune with that of the talkbox or vocoder.
Which Should You Use: Pitch Correction or Auto-Tune?
Of course, you can use both pitch correction and Auto-Tune in the recording. Sound engineers and music producers often utilize these two technologies to enhance the recording process of vocals. For example, sound engineers have long been using pitch correction when they are editing and mixing tracks. However, since pitch correction is done manually, it is not easy to use it during live performances.
On the other hand, the Auto-Tune is done automatically using the Auto-Tune processor. Thus, many artists make use of Auto-Tune during their live performances. Depending on your needs, however, you can use either the pitch correction or Auto-Tune to address your specific needs.
Conclusion
Both the Auto-Tune and pitch correction apps are welcome technologies for sound engineers and music producers. Even artists would benefit from these technologies, though both technologies tamper with the natural sounds of the voice.
As an artist like me, I would love to sing on key most of the time, and I would love to utilize the Auto-tune during my live performance and the pitch correction during my recording.
Moreover, as an artist, you will have off-nights when your singing does not come out perfect. However, with the help of Auto-Tune and pitch correction, you can breeze through whatever singing engagement you want to do with confidence, whether you are performing live or doing recordings.
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