Vocoder vs AutoTune vs Talkbox: The Difference, in Details

Whether you’re a music aficionado looking to hone your production abilities or a budding producer who is entering the realm of vocal production, the concepts of vocoder vs autotune or talkbox are often confused with one another or just unclear in general. Aren’t they the same thing?

in this article, we’ll dive into these two concepts in absolute details so that we can provide clarity about the subtleties of these two techniques as we highlight their unique characteristics, uses, and benefits for improving your music production workflow. 

Vocoder vs Auto Tune vs Talkbox (TL;DR)

Auto Tune and Vocoder are different audio processing effects. 

• Autotune adjusts the pitch of the vocals or instruments to the closest actual note of the selected scale. 
• A Vocoder combines the sound of a voice (or instruments) with the sound of a carrier (e.g. a synthetizer). Thus, combining the vocal and synth outputs into one.
• A talkbox is a physical, hardware version of the vocoder, while the vocoder can by a piece of software like a VST plugin or a native functionality of your DAW.

1. What Are Vocoders? 

Vocoders (short for voice encoders) are hardware devices or software algorithms that process and modify the properties of human speech or vocals.

The terms voice encoders and decoders are often used interchangeably. They are frequently employed in voice processing, telecommunications, music, and audio production applications.

Here are some of their unique characteristics:

1. Speech Analysis

Vocoders assess the spectral and temporal properties of voice samples in the first step. The input signal is divided into various frequency bands, and each band’s amplitude and frequency content are examined.

2. Carrier and Modulator: 

The carrier signal and the modulator signal are typically the two input signals used by vocoders. While the modulator signal comprises the voice or speech input, the carrier signal provides the fundamental sound source or synthesizer tone.

3. Synthesis:

Vocoders modulate the carrier signal based on the analysis of the modulator signal, creating a new sound that mixes the qualities of the modulator and carrier signals. Unique vocal effects and transformations can be produced using this approach.

4. Voice Effects:

Vocoders can create a range of voice effects, such as harmonized vocals, robotic-sounding or synthesized vocals, pitch-shifting, formant shifting, and more. In telecommunications, they can also be utilized for voice coding and compression.

5. Applications in Music:

Vocoders are frequently employed in the production of music to produce distinctive vocal effects, such as the recognizable “robot voice” effect made popular in techno and pop music.

Additionally, they can be used to produce harmonies, mix vocals with synthesized sounds, and alter the timbre of vocal recordings.

Overall, vocoders are effective tools for modifying and converting speech or vocal signals, opening us a wealth of creative possibilities in applications for voice processing, audio effects, and music composition.

How Does A Vocoder work? 

A vocoder takes in audio signals and studies them. It then sends the sound characteristics of those signals to synthesizer sound generators.

The result of the vocoder lets you hear what this process does. In a standard vocoder sound, speech is used as the analysis signal, and a synthesizer sound is used as the synthesis signal.

The vocoder tracks the changes in the spectral qualities of speech as it is being processed. While as a result, a series of signals that correspond to these frequencies are generated while the user speaks.

A vocoder’s ability to control your synthesizer using a mic/keyboard/guitar signal is its major benefit. 

The external signal can only slightly change the output timbre. Only patching the pitch or loudness signal to the filter’s cut-off frequency input affects the timbre.

Even though it has a synthetic tone, adding breaths, vibrato, and dynamic range makes it sound more real. Lastly, it does not change the singer’s musical key.

What are Formants?

The frequency peaks in the spectrum that have a significant amount of energy are known as formants. They are particularly noticeable in vowels.

There is a resonance in the vocal tract that corresponds to each formant; broadly speaking, the spectrum has a formant approximately every 1000 Hz. It is possible to think of formants as filters.

Understanding formants is crucial because vocoders use them to change the sound. When a sound is played in a cavity—which may be a room, a box, or anything else—the object housing the sound begins to resonate, and some harmonics in the sound will become stronger as a result of the object’s resonance frequencies.

As a result, the audio spectrum will experience peaks, and it is these peaks that are referred to as the formants.

The periodic opening and closure of the glottis by the vocal cords, which results in a waveform with numerous harmonics, is what creates the sounds that make up the human voice.

Filters on formants

Even though they may all have the same fundamental note, they differ in their harmonics. The sound will also change if the harmonics are different. In order to create vowels out of any sound, you can employ filters calibrated to the frequencies of these formats, which you can denote for each vowel.

Why Are Vocoders Popular in Electronic Music?

When electronic music gained popularity, the vocoder was developed into a synth keyboard as a microphone.

This work by analyzing the formants in your voice/instrument and applying it on top of the frequency of the synth; this sound results in what we usually consider as a robotic voice in songs made famous by early electronic artists like Kraftwerk to modern electropop artists like Daft Punk. 

Components of a Vocoder

Carrier:

Your carrier type is determined by the carrier. The carrier can be set to a pitch tracker, modulator, noise, external source (such as the synthesizer shown above), or other configuration.

Formant:

Formant knobs change the tone of your sound using filters. How much of your processed signal melds with the original sound is indicated by the terms “dry/wet.”

Bands:

The number of bands the vocoder should utilize while modifying the signal. In general, the original sound is clearer the more bands there are.

Depth: 

When processing your signal, determines how deeply the cuts on each filter band should be applied. Attack and release go hand in hand with depth, respectively.

Bandwidth (BW): 

Each filter’s width in the vocoder is indicated by this. 

Range: Defines the lower and upper frequencies that can be set to control the range of the bands. for example, here, we’ve set the range from 30hz-3000hz

Unvoiced knob:

To resynthesize the parts of the modulator signal that are not typically tuned, such as for s sounds in a vocal, one can alter the loudness of a second noise generator. Together with the Sens, which is the sensitivity setting, you can balance the loudness of the unvoiced sound.

Pitch Tracker:

The pitch tracker is a mode that makes use of an internal oscillator to try and match the modulator’s pitch.

Electronic devices called oscillators produce a continuous periodic waveform at a specific frequency. The four waveforms that are used on synthesizers the most frequently are sine, triangle, sawtooth, and pulse (or square).

Sine waves indicate the fundamental or pure tone of a single frequency. The additional harmonics or overtones in the other waveforms occur above the fundamental.

The pitch tracker is a mode that makes use of an internal oscillator to try and match the modulator’s pitch.

In this case, the modulator will provide the pitch rather than the carrier, and you may instruct it where to look for the pitch to track by using the high and low parameters. The modulator can then be changed in place of the carrier.

It is not required to be voiced. As a result, you can use a synth with pitch movement as a modulator to apply such movements to another synth or instrument.

Vocoding Sound Design EXAMPLES

Using a mic, piano, or guitar to operate your synthesizer is a vocoder’s largest benefit. However, the external signal cannot change the output’s timbre. The only way to change the timbre is to patch the pitch or loudness signal to the filter’s cut-off frequency input.

The use of a vocoder is a method to make your external signal control the synthesized sound’s intensity and timbre. It sounds more human by adding breaths, vibrato, and dynamic range. Finally, when singing into a microphone, the singer’s musical key does not alter the sound output.

Here are a few examples of using a vocoder:

Vocoder on Voice

Vocoders naturally belong to vocals. Vocoders add depth and harmony to lead vocals. The vocoder can play chords to change the mood! Your voice splits the signal into multiple frequency bands, which are sent to several bandpass filters. Using eight to twenty bands in a vocoder improves sound quality.

Probably the most well-known application of a vocoder is modulation. In order to make two sounds (in this case, a synthesizer and vocal) interact with one another, you must set your carrier type to “external” while using this technique.

I just made a vocal track that sounds like this to start:

I also selected a stock synthesizer called Off World Strings that sounds like this on its own. 

• Then, I went to my track that has the vocal track on it and set the vocoder on it. I selected the carrier type to “external” and selected the synthesizer, which gives me a drop-down option to select the source as the channel 2-Off World Strings(synth), which is our Audio From. 
• Set the release rate at 150ms. Formant is 0; Attack is 1.00ms. Depth is 100%. Unvoiced is default with 50% sensitivity. The sensitivity of the unvoiced detection method can be adjusted using the Sens. variable. 
• When set to 100%, the unvoiced noise generator is active at all times. At 0%, the primary carrier source is the only one that is utilized.

As we discussed earlier, if the voice says the letter A, the vocoder will pick up those formants and apply them to the carrier, causing the instrument to also say the letter A. It is a clear mash-up of both the synth and the vocals. 

Vocoder on instruments

BASS – here, we try the vocoder on a bass track

• The carrier type can be set as “modulator,” and a vocoder can be added to the channel. The bass will be processed through the vocoder as a result of this action.
• I just changed the option to 40 bands for clearer sound, range to 845hz/223hz to cut frequencies out of this range, and BW to 190% so that the increase in overlap of the filters is heard but kept the remaining settings alone.

You can use this mode on anything, but I think drum sounds are very cool. Additionally, you may use the band EQ to emphasize the transience of the drums if you keep it set to only the top end.

Vocoder on Drums

While you will not want to use it frequently, adding a parallel vocoded signal to a dry drum part gives it a sense of tuned placement that, when used as a special effect, for instance, may be very powerful. This can transform a simple drum loop into something with far more fascinating harmonics.

• I simply created a straightforward drum loop with a DNB vibe for this example.

• I added a vocoder and set the carrier type to “noise.” None of the other settings are changed.

• You can also choose noise as the modulator if you want to make it sharper and edgier. As noise will be utilized in place of a synth in this instance and will be produced immediately by the effect, you will not require a separate track. 
• To vary the noise’s character, you can then experiment with this X, Y pad. In this example, there is a high rate on the X-axis and Y-axis both to get a cleaner, smoother sound. 
• You may alter the noise density on the Y axis to get a grittier, distorted sound. As there are no values to go by, you may play by ear to achieve the optimum result.

It is amazing how simple yet powerful this vocoder use case is. It is no secret that many producers use white noise in their mixes to add interest to the color spectrum. This technique uses the vocoder to automate that idea, giving your drums a little more presence and punch.

Vocoder on Chimes

Here, I’ve shown how the vocoder sounds on the chimes.

• I added a vocoder to the chimes channel and set the carrier to a modulator. 
• This time I changed the Unvoiced setting to -20dB while keeping the sensitivity to 50%. This way, it adds some noise which enhances the brightness.

• So is to get a crispy highs sound which can be used for some sound designs like flying bats or some small animals scurrying etc. Depending on the requirement, the settings can be manipulated to get the desired outcome.

You also have two other choices in the carrier mode. The modulator can serve as its own carrier, which will result in an excellent sound.

the same sound, synthesized again. This is primarily true if you want to experiment with all those settings without actually fusing the modulator with another sound, which is also fantastic for sound creation. 

Pitch-Tracking mode

 I’ve set the highs at 500hz and lows at 80.0hz in a pulse waveform to accentuate the highs and muffle the lows. You can hear the difference from the modulator example as the notes increase in intensity in short bursts as opposed to a steady volume.

Vocoders are a great signal processor for converting various kinds of source material, not simply voices, despite what the name of the device immediately implies. While the modulator typically merely needs to be anything with lots of dynamics, the carrier is typically a prolonged melodic/harmonic sound, like a synth pad.

Vocoder Usage in Popular music

Electric Light Orchestra – Mr. Blue Sky (OST Guardians of the Galaxy)

“Mr. Blue Sky, Mr. Blue Sky” at the mark 2:20 is the vocoder running through the EMS Vocoder 2000. Notice how the formants get edgier while maintaining intelligibility.

Kraftwerk custom-made their own vocoder to be used on this album. You can hear the synthesis of Ralf Hütter’s voice along with the original all throughout the song.

Kraftwerk – Robots

With the success of the single and album Autobahn on the charts, Kraftwerk’s usage of a vocoder in 1974 was what really popularized the device. 

Daft Punk

Daft Punk regularized the vocoder into their music style permanently, as can be seen in this track. Every line sung by Pharrell Williams is run through a vocoder to achieve a sound that is robotic and is merged with a synth.

2. What Is AutoTune? (In Deep Details)

Auto-tune is an algorithmic voice processing tool that employs computational technologies to automatically improve and fix a sound of an instrument of a singer’s voice pitch.  This has grown to be a well-liked instrument for musicians and record producers since it enables more accurate and emotive performances.

Pitch correction

An effect known as a pitch correction plug-in modifies your voice’s intonation to make it sound completely in tune with the song’s key. Each component of the vocals is perfectly pitched since it uses the original pitch of the recordings as a starting point.

Pitch correction, which can be applied both in real-time and in the recording studio, is a skillfully designed effect that preserves the harmonic features of the voice while correcting any pitch-related issues.

Components of Auto-Tune

These are essential tools that can assist you in honing your vocal performance and giving it a distinctive sound. 

The basic features of any auto-tune are:

Key

The group of pitches, or scale that serves as the foundation of a musical composition is known as the piece’s key in music theory. The controls for key signatures are located at the bottom of the plug-in window. Always start by selecting the appropriate key signature for your vocal setting. 

Scale 

Any group of musical notes arranged according to basic frequency or pitch is referred to as a scale in music theory. An ascending scale is one that is in order of rising pitch.

You should choose E minor if your track is in that key. Simply choose the Chromatic scale to allow the plug-in to find each note’s nearest tone if you are unsure of your song’s key signature.

Input

The first step in using Auto-Tune is selecting the input. You can select an alto, soprano, tenor, bass, and so forth vocal type. You can select the appropriate instrument from the dropdown menu if you intend to use Auto-Tune for musical instruments (yes, you can do that, too).

Speed

This is the main factor that determines how your vocals will sound. The retune speed setting controls how quickly Auto-Tune should step in to repair an out-of-tune note. The ultimate impact will be more robotic the lower the value we place (i.e., a slower retune speed). 

Choose a faster retune speed if you want a more transparent effect while still maintaining the natural qualities of your voice. This will also smooth out any little flaws in your performance.

For performers who have great control over their voice and can typically attain perfect pitch even without autotune plugins, a slower retune speed is more acceptable. For musicians wishing to use autotune plugins as creative tools, a faster retune speed is advised.

DRY/WET

Other effects include DRY/WET. After using the pitch correction tool on the recordings, Effects has the width, formant, and dry/wet controls, which are all sound manipulators/operators. 

Auto-tune Origins

Auto-tune automatically adjusts the pitch. It is Antares Audio Technologies’ 1997 audio processor. It uses a patented pitch-measuring gadget to record and perform vocal and instrumental music in the chosen key. 

The approach has since been adopted by other companies. It corrects off-key vocal tracks.

Popular Auto Tune Examples in Music

“Cher” is credited with popularising the effect through her song “Believe.” Even though Auto-tune was meant to discreetly correct imprecise intonations to make music more expressive.

The producers of the song used aggressive settings to make Cher’s vocal adjustments happen more quickly than they would have naturally, thereby stylizing the use of the effect to be more than just a pitch correction tool.

Cher – Believe

The whole of the verses sounds like they are being sung through a box. This is done by cutting both the highs and lows making the overall sound compressed.

Thereafter, at the mark 0:36, you can see that it gives sort of a steppy sound. This was done by cranking up the re-tune settings in Auto-tune. This broke up the main track by analyzing the formants and tuning them, which created a quick change in the pitch during the flow of the singer.

Is Auto Tune cheating?

The topic of whether it is cheating is debatable as the creator of the software, Andy Hildebrand, is of the opinion that the modern form of recorded music is cheating considering the number of retakes done to record the final vocals on a track, not to mention the tools and technology used to release a song. On the other hand, all Auto-tune does is speed up the process and saving studio-time.

Examples Where Autotune is Useful

Live Vocals 

I’ve used the Mautopitch free auto tune plugin by Melda Production here and changed nothing but the Speed to 100%.

The faster the speed, the quicker the autotune acts on the pitch correction, making it sound (near)“Perfect” pitch but it may also affect the natural sound of the track. 

Hard Tune Vocals 

The signature sound of modern Hip-Hop/Rap is a slight detune on the Auto-tune. Here, it is set at 38.4 cents. Then, we set the depth and speed for 50% along with the width at 17.6% while removing all the formants to give a glitch/steppy sound to all the words.

This is the quality of vocals that have been overtuned so that they skip from one pitch to another, becoming a little (or a lot) robotic in the process.

IS A VOCODER THE SAME AS A TALKBOX?

The fundamental difference between a Vocoder and a Talkbox is that the former is digital while the latter is a physically used analog hardware instrument. The talkbox modulates your voice through a tube that goes into your mouth, and the sound from your mouth goes into the mic. In contrast, the vocoder is directly through the carrier channel to the modulator.

How a talkbox typically looks like. Here the M222 from MXR

Which is better? Auto-Tune or Vocoder?

The use of either Auto-tune or Vocoder is rooted in the intention of the artist’s creativity.

1. Vocals– Auto-tune can be used to make the singer sound like they are singing in perfect pitch. It can also be intentionally made to sound off-key by selecting the notes other than what the singer is singing. Whereas Vocoder is used to embellish the voice with an instrument or effect regardless of the pitch. 

2. Instruments– Auto-tune is applied to the channel of the instrument track to fix the pitchiness of the notes played. Whereas the Vocoder is used to enhance the sound of an instrument by side-chaining it to the other instrument. For e.g., Setting an external pad effect as a carrier to the drums.

A vocoder and an auto-tune effect are sometimes confused with one another. The vocoder used to be a synth with a microphone when used as an instrument; however, it is now also accessible as a VST and software.

We used Ableton’s stock vocoder effect as an example of this. A vocoder effect is used to combine the sound of a voice with that of an instrument, frequently a synth.

The instrument would still be audible to us, but it would speak words in a voice-like manner.

In Autotune, there’s just the main track and no carrier. With the aid of auto-tune, the vocalist might appear to have a perfect pitch.

By choosing notes other than those the performer is singing, it can also be purposefully made to seem off-key. In case of instruments, we use it to correct the pitchiness of the played notes; auto-tune is applied to the channel of the instrument track rather than through it.

FAQ on Vocoder vs AutoTune vs Talkbox