Use whatever autotuner you have, with the fastest retune speed, but put a graphic tuner before it (like melodyne) and edit the tuning of the vocals until it sounds as robotic as possible going through the autotune. I’ll often do wacky stuff with melodyne pulling note 40cents out of tune, so the autotune is forced to pull them back into tune, but with the retune set to fastest, it’ll give you all those great artifacts. This is the best way to get those weird scoops, rundowns and fake vibratos some people love
Yea every other method just looks like a headache to me. A vocoder literally turns your voice into electrical signal (or at least digitally emulates it).
Just to second this - a secret to ‘that’ sound is to track with autotune on in the cans. It’s impossible to pitch yourself perfectly, so you’ll still be close enough you’ll hit the notes post tuning, but it creates fluctuations in pitch (especially in longer notes) which changes the formant/timbre and sounds much more extreme.
You can also add 2 or 3 AT instances at different retune weights/relative major or minor/chromatic which cause the signature ‘flicks’ and freak outs on note changes.
this guy Alters^
Edit: also, you can rig it as a vocoder/harmonizer which, while not what OP was looking for, is worth noting as it can really retune and/or mangle your voice
Take antares and set it to "Classic" which is the autotune 5 algorithm
then do high retune speed, 0 if needed, and set the input type (which is basically a highpass) to instrument
Also if you want it REALLY roboty, just sing very badly. The more off you are the more autotune has to correct. If needed you could just straight track the whole song off key
alternatively any other autotune-type plugin works too, or melodyne if youre into manual work
I stick with mautopitch from melda l over anteres, my particular vocals i always want to sound overly robotic
2 takes overdubbed in mono with separate mautopitch on each gives it such a nice watery chorus effect
0 retune speed on any version of auto tune is fast enough, you gotta perform into it to get the result you want. That or go to town with a graphic editor before it but for whatever reason that never sounds right to me.
i really like what metatune from slate does, but imo it is best to monitor with autotune, or as recommended by others use melodyne before the autotune to fine tune how it reacts. The effect is stronger if the vocal is out of key, maybe try to pitch shift the whole thing a bit, this will also introduce some weird formant artifacts that sound great with more glitchy stuff
As others have said, you might be confusing auto tune with vocoders, but it's impossible to know what you're thinking of without hearing examples.
If you are talking about auto tune though, the easiest way I know of to get the most robotic sound is to put two instances of auto tune in series. Set the key of the first one to be a half step down, and then set the key of the second one to be correct. The second instance will have to work hard to correct from the first instance being in the wrong key, and give you a really robotic result.
You should also mess with automating formant shift on certain words, phrases, or delay throws. Little alter boy is a great tool for that, but there's lots of ways to do it.
You’re not wrong. Even if a Dalek isn’t technically a robot. But I think Styx agreed with you. Of course EWF used a tube. And lots of folks use a vocoder. Sometimes I think this job used to be more fun.
Use whatever autotuner you have, with the fastest retune speed, but put a graphic tuner before it (like melodyne) and edit the tuning of the vocals until it sounds as robotic as possible going through the autotune. I’ll often do wacky stuff with melodyne pulling note 40cents out of tune, so the autotune is forced to pull them back into tune, but with the retune set to fastest, it’ll give you all those great artifacts. This is the best way to get those weird scoops, rundowns and fake vibratos some people love
You can even do it after again to control those new oddities in weird ways, I do it a lot for my hyperpop stuff
Best comment here thanks g
yeah good tips, I was going to say the more out of pitch you are the more its forced to work and sound that way
Shit, this might be what finally convinces me to get melodyne.
Do it! It’s my favorite tuning app. I use it about 75% of the time over AT graphic
Posts and responses like these are a breath of fresh air. Great tip.
Damn this is tight. This how post Malone gets those warbles?
I mean hard AT is a big part of his sound, but he actually sings with that really quick vibrato.
Wild. He outed himself as a talented singer a while ago but I always assumed that effect must have been engineered beyond just autotune
Logic’s pitch corrector or Antares Auto-Tune in classic mode
Is there classic mode on antares pro 2024?
Vocoder
Yea every other method just looks like a headache to me. A vocoder literally turns your voice into electrical signal (or at least digitally emulates it).
Just get the singer to sing more out of tune. You want that auto tune sound, the singer has to sing like they are having a mild stroke.
Just to second this - a secret to ‘that’ sound is to track with autotune on in the cans. It’s impossible to pitch yourself perfectly, so you’ll still be close enough you’ll hit the notes post tuning, but it creates fluctuations in pitch (especially in longer notes) which changes the formant/timbre and sounds much more extreme. You can also add 2 or 3 AT instances at different retune weights/relative major or minor/chromatic which cause the signature ‘flicks’ and freak outs on note changes.
Or sing every note at the same pitch, and then change them to the desired pitch, like a sampler.
Try izotope vocalsynth. Has loads of more robotic effects!
Just use Melodyne. Use the pitch mod tool to flatten all pitch lines on each note blob and hard lock each individual note to center pitch.
Soundtoyz Little Alterboy, it’s cheap too
You can use this to change the pitch of vocals/instruments, but not automatically. It’s a pitch shifter, not an autotune.
It has the Quantize button which can sometimes give a super cool robotic sound.
this guy Alters^ Edit: also, you can rig it as a vocoder/harmonizer which, while not what OP was looking for, is worth noting as it can really retune and/or mangle your voice
Ovox has a lock to pitch or something which might be what you’re looking for? I really like it but it is by waves though js
real question is which does the best [Soundwave impression?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsLcTtCrqwg)
Turn off some of the notes/pick a key, this helps
if the negative retune speed on metatune isn't enough than idk
AAS Autotune, it's free. My friends and I call it "Ass Autotune".
Izotope VocalSynth is technically a tuner XD
Take antares and set it to "Classic" which is the autotune 5 algorithm then do high retune speed, 0 if needed, and set the input type (which is basically a highpass) to instrument Also if you want it REALLY roboty, just sing very badly. The more off you are the more autotune has to correct. If needed you could just straight track the whole song off key alternatively any other autotune-type plugin works too, or melodyne if youre into manual work
IF you really want the robot sound why not go the full hog and try a vocoder? Or both together?
Often what people mistakenly call autotune is actually vocoder. Which can indeed be robotic sounding.
Hah. I came here to recommend using a vocoder! That’s what us (at least -*this*) old timers used to think sounded robotic.
I think the best move here is to get your hands on a way old version of Antares Autotune. Like the oldest, dinkiest little one you can still run.
I stick with mautopitch from melda l over anteres, my particular vocals i always want to sound overly robotic 2 takes overdubbed in mono with separate mautopitch on each gives it such a nice watery chorus effect
0 retune speed on any version of auto tune is fast enough, you gotta perform into it to get the result you want. That or go to town with a graphic editor before it but for whatever reason that never sounds right to me.
i'd say autotuna in ableton (m4l)
Little Alterboy
i really like what metatune from slate does, but imo it is best to monitor with autotune, or as recommended by others use melodyne before the autotune to fine tune how it reacts. The effect is stronger if the vocal is out of key, maybe try to pitch shift the whole thing a bit, this will also introduce some weird formant artifacts that sound great with more glitchy stuff
As others have said, you might be confusing auto tune with vocoders, but it's impossible to know what you're thinking of without hearing examples. If you are talking about auto tune though, the easiest way I know of to get the most robotic sound is to put two instances of auto tune in series. Set the key of the first one to be a half step down, and then set the key of the second one to be correct. The second instance will have to work hard to correct from the first instance being in the wrong key, and give you a really robotic result. You should also mess with automating formant shift on certain words, phrases, or delay throws. Little alter boy is a great tool for that, but there's lots of ways to do it.
Why not use a vocoder?
I prefer recording with autotune on
Skip the auto tune and try a comb filter
Whats that?
It is how we made robot voices before auto-tune, you young whipper-snapper.
Damn unc
Kilohearts have a free comb filter
It is? I always associate ring mod with 'robot voice' [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVKdW5JUqZg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVKdW5JUqZg)
You’re not wrong. Even if a Dalek isn’t technically a robot. But I think Styx agreed with you. Of course EWF used a tube. And lots of folks use a vocoder. Sometimes I think this job used to be more fun.
Kerovee ... [https://youtu.be/XSLXgxhZAQk?&t=28](https://youtu.be/XSLXgxhZAQk?&t=28)
You do know iZotope made a plugin with T-Pain, right?
Vocoders are pretty robotic. The lead vocal on "Kid A" for example.