Auto-Tune was the first automatic tuning software to ever be introduced, bowing in 1997 courtesy of Dr. Andy Hildebrand. Before that, we resorted to Eventide H910 and H949 Harmonizers and a fast touch on the tuning knob. (Yes, vocal tuning did pre-date Auto-Tune, but nobody ever said it was pretty!) Auto-Tune set the standard and became synonymous with that sound — even entering the lexicon of the English language as a verb — and became the subject of a national debate. Made famous by artists like Cher and T-Pain and used by nearly every artist, it has become a very accepted effect for vocalists in the 21st century. These days, using Auto-Tune for making records is as common as using makeup in movies. Melodyne is the challenger, and a worthy opponent at that, with masses of devotees of its own. And for good reason. It offers similar functionality, and some people think it sounds better. Lots better.
So, which is better? In a head-to-head comparison, which one wins? That depends on who you ask. There are zealots who maintain, “I can hear Auto-Tune, and I hate it.” Others say that the Melodyne sound is super-obvious and they’d never use it. So, apart from the interface, what’s the real difference? Has anyone ever done a side-by-side comparison with the same vocal to see exactly what the results are?
Let’s Have a Contest
I wanted to find out what Auto-Tune sounded like versus Melodyne — sort of like putting two cars on a racetrack. I asked Bobby Dellarocco, staff engineer at Sweetwater Studios and our resident expert on Melodyne, to tune two vocal performances. Both were good performances but in need of “polishing.” And I would be the driver for Auto-Tune. I’ve been tuning vocals for big-name artists with gold and platinum records (see credits here) since the early ’80s* (and, no, I don’t “tune and tell,” but they are names you’d recognize), long before we even had DAWs. I was tuning vocals by hand in software DAWs years before Auto-Tune even appeared. Then I started with Auto-Tune within the first few software revs. I know Auto-Tune well.
* In the earliest days of vocal tuning, it was discreetly credited on albums by the nondescript title of “digital editing.” Go back and look at some of your favorite albums from the ’90s, and you’ll probably see a “digital editor.” Now you know.
For this comparison, I decided to offer different versions of what each software could do. You listen and decide which one you think sounds best. I’ll offer Bobby’s and my opinions at the end of this article. Here are the versions you’ll hear.
- Advanced — What a power user can accomplish by fine-tuning all the settings or drawing in the tuning manually
- Basic — What a beginning user (someone who doesn’t use it every day) can expect to get without much knob turning or option adjusting
- Robotic — Many people use these to generate completely robotic tuning with 12-tone scales, so we decided to compare how they sound doing that
NOTE: Bobby and I worked independently on these files and then compared notes once we were done. What you will hear is not just the software but our interpretations of what the melody was supposed to be (you’ll notice differences on both female and male examples). Frequently, with singers that are pitchy, the intended note can be the subject of debate unless the songwriter is present.
Female Vocal
Here’s the tuned female vocal performance. You’ll hear advanced, basic, and robotic interpretations. I’ve also included the untuned version at the end so you can hear the raw performance that we started with.
Advanced Auto-Tune
Here’s an example of what an advanced user can accomplish with Auto-Tune.
Advanced Melodyne
Here’s an example of what an advanced user can accomplish with Melodyne.
Basic Auto-Tune
Here’s what a beginner can expect with Auto-Tune.
Basic Melodyne
Here’s what a beginner can expect with Melodyne.
Robotic Auto-Tune
Here’s the robotic interpretation with Auto-Tune.
Robotic Melodyne
Here’s the robotic interpretation with Melodyne.
Original
Here’s the original vocal track so you can hear what we had to work with.
Male Vocal
Here’s the male vocal performance that was tuned. You’ll hear advanced, basic, and robotic interpretations. I’ve also included the untuned version at the end so you can hear the raw performance that we started with.
Advanced Auto-Tune
Here’s an example of what an advanced user can accomplish with Auto-Tune.
Advanced Melodyne
Here’s a sample of what an advanced user can accomplish with Melodyne.
Basic Auto-Tune
Here’s what a beginner can expect with Auto-Tune.
Basic Melodyne
Here’s what a beginner can expect with Melodyne.
Robotic Auto-Tune
Here’s the robotic interpretation with Auto-Tune.
Robotic Melodyne
Here’s the robotic interpretation with Melodyne.
Original
Here’s the original vocal track so you can hear what we had to work with.
Lynn’s Takeaway
Auto-Tune Advanced
Auto-Tune’s Graph Mode interface can be pretty intimidating (see above), but it’s as powerful as it is scary. The red line is observed pitch, and the green lines are corrected pitch. (Note that there are some major differences of a quarter step or more between the red and green lines.) Auto-Tune has a wide range of tools that will allow you to do pretty much anything you want. You can work with blocks (like Melodyne), and you can adjust how tightly (or loosely) notes are tracked and squeezed into pitch. Plus, you can draw pitches freehand or with lines and break points. But the best thing to me about Auto-Tune (A-T) is that, with it, I can generate results that don’t sound “tuned.” I made a whole career doing that before Cher came along. Listen to the examples and see if you agree.
NOTE: Auto-Tune doesn’t always track consistently during playback, and some notes may play back an octave higher or lower than intended. That’s been my experience for years. So, I prefer to tune and record the results to another track so that I have a printed “tuned” vocal when I’m done — with all the tuning changes locked in.
Auto-Tune Basic
When using the Auto Mode settings in Auto-Tune (as someone who first launches the program would), it’s fast and will make the intonation acceptable. This is the easy window (see above), but, as you can see, it still offers lots of powerful (and potentially confusing) options. You may need to break out the manual to find out what the Flex-Tune, Retune, and Humanize controls do. However, I found that the “easy” settings in Melodyne yielded better results. For instance, there was one note that A-T couldn’t resolve in the key on the male vocal, and I had to exclude it (using the “Remove” button) from certain phrases using the keyboard. Would a beginning user know how to do that? Not sure. While it sounds natural, A-T is probably tweakier and more demanding for a beginner than Melodyne.
Pluses and Minuses
One huge advantage that I learned about was Melodyne Studio’s ability to import multiple tracks into the same window, so you can not only see and tune lead vocals but also import and tune background vocals (or stacks) in the same window. That’s a huge timesaver and something that I’d never seen before. That’s a game changer for someone who is tuning lots of tracks of vocals.
The most interesting part of this contest was observing how A-T and Melodyne differed in tracking pitches. They both “heard” things differently. Overall, I was impressed by how Melodyne tracked and interpreted vocal pitches. I think both programs are incredibly valuable; and, if I was tuning vocals, I would have the deluxe versions of each because each has its strengths.
Bobby’s Takeaway
Melodyne Advanced
For the advanced tuning clip using Melodyne, I tried to take a pretty in-depth approach. After importing the vocal, I first split note changes that didn’t register on the import. Inflections like vocal scoops sometimes get lost since there is no defining transient, so going through and separating those inflections helps preserve the realism of the vocal. Once those were taken care of, I went through phrase by phrase with the Pitch and Pitch Drift Tools. I lean on the Pitch Drift Tool a lot as I feel it is one of the most transparent tools a vocal tuner can have in its arsenal. It preserves the modulation of the vocal while pulling it to the center of the desired note, avoiding the “robotic” sound that some tuning tools exhibit. Last, I went through with the Pitch Modulation Tool to clean up any overly quivery notes, being careful not to rely too heavily on this tool as it can result in robotic artifacts.
Melodyne Basic
For the basic Melodyne, I tried to be as automatic as possible. I imported the vocal, highlighted all of it, and used the Pitch Center and Pitch Drift faders at the top of the window. I moved a couple of the blocks to ensure it corrected the vocal to the intended note.
Pluses and Minuses
Melodyne has been my go-to tuning software for years. I love the visual feedback you get from the software and the different tools it has. It has nearly everything I need in a piece of tuning software. While I love using Melodyne, in my opinion, the Auto Mode setting in Auto-Tune really set it apart — putting the “auto” in Auto-Tune.
Conclusion
These are both amazing pieces of software. How much you can “hear” the results of one or the other is up to the individual user. Most radio listeners won’t be able to distinguish between them. Ultimately, the choice of which to use depends on the interface and how fast or deep one needs to work. In my opinion, having both is ideal since they each have their unique strengths. Both are available at different levels and prices:
Auto-Tune: Pro, Artist, or EFX+
Melodyne 5: studio, assistant, or essential
If you have a question about which one or which version would work best for your needs and skill level, then give your Sales Engineer a call at (800) 222-4700 and chat with them about which is right for you.