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Apple’s GarageBand is one of the best free DAWs if you’re a mac user and it’s brilliant for music producers who are just starting out. In this article, we are going to look at the best 5 free auto-tune plugins for Garageband. We're also going to look at the top 5 paid options too!
Contents
What Are The Best Free Pitch Correction Plugins for Garageband?
Here is the complete list of the best 5 free autotune plugins for Garageband:
- Graillon 2 (Auburn Sounds)
- VOLOCO (Resonant Cavity)
- MAutoPitch AutoTune (Melda Production)
- GSnap
- GarageBand Pitch Correction
1. Graillon 2 (Auburn Sounds)
Compatibility: Win, Mac, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: free!
Pros
✅ Professional sounding hard-tuned effects
✅ Quite good natural tuning effect
✅ Many easy-to-use features
Cons
❌ Does not allow for editing individual note pitch
❌ Some features of the plugin are limited for free users
Graillon 2 is the best free autotune VST on the market.
Graillon is an easy-to-use plug-in that provides amazing results. It has a great looking user interface that rivals most paid plugins.The numerous controls make Graillon 2 a very versatile plug in and it can be used to obtain both natural and artificial results.
2. VOLOCO (Resonant Cavity) – Best Autotune App & auV3 Plugin
Compatibility: Mac, iOS, Win, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: free!
Pros
✅ Many great sounding hard-tuned effects
✅ Very simple and quick to use
✅ Also available as an AU plugin
Cons
❌ Does not allow for editing individual note pitch
❌ Limited features
Voloco might not be the most technical autotune plugin but it is included here because of its ultra-simple design and its wide range of great sounding presets. This plugin is also available as an autotune app.
Voloco works best for creative hard-tuned settings. The super simple design allows users to quickly create great sounds and is a great tool for being creative and getting inspiration.
3. MAutoPitch Autotune (Melda Production)
Compatibility: Mac, Win, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: free!
Pros
✅ Great sounding natural autotune sound
✅ Good range of features
✅ Cool formant shift effect
✅ Precise editing with awesome utilities for mixing
Cons
❌ Inconvenient download
❌ Does not allow for editing individual note pitch
MAutoPitch is an extremely capable autotune VST plugin, offering almost the exact same pitch correction features as Graillon 2, but with a bit extra included.
But, it's a pain to install.
MAutoPitch comes as part of a free suite that contains 37 separate effects, analyzers, EQs and more. While some of these plugins are good, it's more of an annoying process to remove the plugins you don't want.
4. GSnap – Open Source Autotune
Compatibility: Mac, Win, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: Free!
Pros
✅ Works with a midi input
✅ Simple and easy to use interface
✅ Vibrato controls
Cons
❌ No formant shifting options
❌ Not great at detecting pitch
GSnap is an extremely clever auto tune VST plugin that has the unique ability of being able to ‘snap' to MIDI that is fed into it. It also has a very simple interface which makes it easy to use and understand.
Unlike the other free autotune plugins on this list, it shows you how much it's correcting the notes by. However, GSnap isn't as good at detecting pitch as the others on this list, and often corrects things out of key.
5. GarageBand Pitch Correction
Compatibility: GarageBand only
Price: free!
Pros
✅ Simple and easy to use
✅ Good pitch detection
Cons
❌ Only works in subtle scenarios
While it is not technically a plugin it is important to mention GarageBand’s built in pitch correction – which sounds great considering it comes with the software. Pitch correction in Garageband makes it easy to quickly adjust the pitch correction by your desired amount on any audio and push things that aren’t quite right in tune.
In terms of controls, it is the most limited on the list. Only allowing you to lock the notes to the song’s key or just chromatically. That being said it gives a great natural tuning effect.
What Is The Best Paid Pitch Correction Software Garageband?
Here is the complete list of the best 5 autotune plugins for Garageband:
1. Melodyne (Celemony)
Compatibility: Windows, macOS, VST, AU, AAX, 64-bit only
Price: $99-$699(Version Dependent) Free 30 day trial for Melodyne 5 Studio
Pros
✅ Individual note control & ability to change entire key
✅ Sibilance detection and removal unlike any other autotune tool available
✅ Audio to MIDI functionality
✅Polyphonic pitch correction
✅Natural and Transparent Sound
Cons
❌ No real-time tuning
❌Polyphony only available in editor and studio versions
Melodyne is the best vocal pitching and tuning tool. It's the most used for pitch correction, and can even be used on instrument editing, entire key changes, and sibilance removal.
Melodyne comes in four different versions –
- Essential ($99)
- Assistant ($249)
- Editor ($399)
- Studio ($699)
All of these have the highest quality of subtle and natural pitch correction on the market. However, Melodyne does not offer real-time autotune and isn’t useable in a live setting.
However, Melodyne has a big price tag, and might not be affordable for some, so you might want to check out some Melodyne alternatives.
Check out some our in-depth comparisons of the top autotune plugins with Melodyne:
2. Antares Auto-Tune
Compatibility: Mac, Win, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: $69.95-$299 (version dependent) Free 14-day trial for Auto-Tune Unlimited
Pros
✅ Powerful, high-quality autotune sound that uses the original Auto-Tune trademarked style
✅ Great for hard tuning
✅ Includes graphical note editing
✅ Brilliant formant shifting and throat modeling
Cons
❌ Very expensive
❌Graphical note editing is monophonic
Antares' Autotune in is probably one of the most famous pop music production tools ever made.
It has been popular since the 90s and works in real-time, meaning you can use it for live performances. It also combines automatic tuning with a graphic pitch interface. Antares AutoTune is available in 5 different versions and you can check out our comparison here.
Antares' plugin has the upper hand over Melodyne in terms of real-time vocal pitch control. Melodyne requires a lot of input, however, this generally means it is a lot more transparent and has higher tuning quality. When I tried Antares Auto-Tune Pro I was blown away by how powerful it was but I found that the graphical note editor was not as intuitive or effective as Melodyne’s.
3. Waves Tune
Compatibility: Win, mac, VST, AU, AAX, 64-bit
Price: $199 (on sale for $35.99)
Pros
✅ Very low latency and easy on the CPU
✅ Real-time tuning for Live performances
✅ Natural and Smooth Sound
✅ Brilliant formant shifting and hard tuned sound
Cons
❌ No polyphonic note editing or ability to change entire keys/chords naturally
Waves Tune is one of Waves’ best-known plugins, offering graphical pitch editing, real-time autotune, and loads of tools for editing timbral and vocal quality.
Waves Tune’s ability to work in real-timemakes it great for live performance. Thesound quality is very natural, but it also gives you the ability to have a robot voice effect.
Waves Tune is much better for a hard-tuned sound and live autotune than Melodyne. However, Melodyne is better for in-depth, meticulous vocal editing and provides a more natural sound. I found that when I started using both, Waves Tune was much easier to use and navigate.
4. Revoice Pro 4 (Synchro Arts)
Compatibility: Mac, Win, 64-bit, AU, AAX, VST, VST3
Price: $520 (On sale for $310)
Pros
✅ High-quality natural vocal tuning
✅ Great interface for complex vocal arranging
✅ Graphical interface for highly controlled editing
✅ Closest to Melodyne in terms of functionality
Cons
❌ Does not work in real-time
Revoice is a top of the range pitch correction plugin that provides very high-quality vocal correction and control. Revoice’s main strengths lay in fake double tracking, time synching between vocals, and working with vocals in bulk (like backing vocals).
Compared to Melodyne there is tough competition between pitch editing and sound quality however Revoice offers no distinction between esses and breaths which is where Melodyne really shines. Melodyne’s user interfaces is also cleaner and less cluttered than Revoice’s which makes it easier to operate effectively, especially when starting out.
5. Soundtoys Little Alterboy
Compatibility: Win, Mac, AAX, VST 2, AU, 64-bit
Price: $99
Pros
✅ Easy to use
✅ Very creative and characterful sounds
✅ Great value for money
✅ Brilliant formant shifting
Cons
❌ Does not work in real-time
Little Alterboy is a simple, versatile plug-in, that offers a great deal of variety. You can do anything from bringing more dynamics into your vocals to achieving that classic hard tune effect.
Little Alterboy does not offer nearly as many features as Melodyne or give you anything close to the control it has over pitch. However, it does give you the ability to add more character to your sounds in a way that Melodyne can’t. Where the main emphasis of Melodyne is transparency, Little Alterboy is all about experimenting with standard autotune and creating unique, creative sound design and audio manipulation.
Summary
To recap, here is the complete list of the best autotune plugins for GarageBand:
Free:
- Graillon 2 (Auburn Sounds)
- VOLOCO (Resonant Cavity)
- MAutoPitch AutoTune (Melda Production)
- GSnap
- GarageBand Pitch Correction
Paid:
Autotune plugins are good for making small adjustments to your vocal pitch, creating Hip Hop hard tuned effects, and even altering the sounds of instruments. They’re also useful in many production situations. We've included a wide range of options from beginner to advanced for you to choose from so there should be a pick for everyone.
If you're a beginner a paid option might not be worth it yet, but if you're a seasoned producer, you may want to look into something like Melodyne.
FAQ
Does Garageband Have Autotune?
GarageBand has a built-in autotune which allows you to lock the notes of your vocals to the song’s key. The functions of GarageBand’s autotune are limited to an option to link to key and a 0-100 amount slider. GarageBand has many great built-in features and the autotune is good but limited.
Should I Get A Paid Autotune Plugin or Will A Free One Suffice?
Free auto-tune plugins are great for experimenting and for achieving the hard-tuned hip hop auto-tune effect. If you want to achieve a more transparent and professional-sounding tuned vocal track, then a paid autotune plugin would be the way to go.
How Do I Install An Autotune Plugin in GarageBand?
How Do I Install An Autotune Plugin in GarageBand?
Here's how you can install a plug in in GarageBand:
- Download an AU plug in of your choice.
- Go to Finder\Macintosh HD\Library\Audio\Plugins\Components.
- Drag your downloaded AU unit to the Components folder.
- Enable audio units checkbox in GarageBand > Preferences > Audio/MIDI.
- Close & Reopen GarageBand. You're done.
