United Plugins Traptune Review – What You Should Know

You’re probably looking for some plugin that fixes your vocals, and came across Traptune. You’ve come to the right place!

Traptune is a compact and easy-to-use plugin made by United Plugins for the main purpose of being applied to your vocal channel. However, they emphasize that it is much more than just an automatic tuner. 

In this United Plugins Traptune review, we’ve stress-tested the plugin, laid out the features and pros & cons. So, stick around if you want to see if the United Plugins Traptune is really worth your money.

Is The United Plugins Traptune Worth It? (Quick Verdict)

To be completely honest, there are a lot of free automatic tuner plugins in the market that do exactly the same job as Traptune. So to justify its cost, you should certainly consider the add-on features of Traptune like Distortion, Reverb, Delay and Second Voice. If you want a plugin that is an all in one vocal enhancer, Traptune fits the bill.

Compatibility: (Windows 8 to 10 (32-bit or 64-bit) Intel/AMD processor with SSE2 compatibility VST, VST3, or AAX compatible Host/DAW)
Price: $31

What Is Traptune & What Does It Do?

TrapTune is an automatic tuner plugin with powerful vocal effects capabilities. It has the distinction of being the only automatic tuner plugin with added effects like Reverb, Distortion, Harmony and Delay, which saves time and effort of putting these plugins separately. It works for natural, harsh, and sophisticated vocal effects.

TrapTune is not just an automatic tuner with a unique character, though it can deliver everything from subtle pitch correction to an artificial ‘Cher effect’. It can be combined with a second voice harmony, doubler, and special effects section to creatively craft a vocal track that stands out from the other plugins.

What Features Do I Get With The United Plugins Traptune?

TrapTune has various features that improve the vocal performance and/or the final output. The Tune-in section controls the tuning intensity, the Second Voice section creates harmony by transposing by semitones or octaves. Stereo voice triggers a stereo effect. Distortion adds Drive and lastly, Delay and Reverb effect too.

With a vast number of presets and a dedicated bypass switch, TrapTune can adapt to your needs and create unique sounds.

Traptune comes equipped with 6 modules:

1.      General

2.      Tune-In

3.      Second Voice

4.      Distortion

5.      Reverb

6.      Delay

General

Input – The Input knob controls the input gain in the range of +/-24dB.

Output –The Output knob controls the output gain in the range of +/-24dB.

The gain of the signal that is being input as well as the gain of the signal that is being output can be adjusted using the input gain knob and the output gain knob, respectively. The meters to its right display your current level in each of them. The Input meter, shows the input signal strength and the Output meter shows the output signal strength

Hi Pass – The Hi Pass switch controls On/Off of the low cut filter of the plugin. It helps you just get rid of some lower end rumble and frequencies that you might not want on a raw vocal.

Here’s the Dry vocal take of this adlib.

Turning the Hi-Pass on or off did not make any noticeable difference. It could very well be because there aren’t many lows in the vocal example to begin with.So we tried it with a bass and piano sample where we could clearly hear it.

And after turning the hipass on, we can hear the difference noticeably and also see the drop in the low rumble and lows.

You can clearly see and hear the difference, the lows have been cut off and the highs are more prominent even in the EQ specter.

TUNE IN

On/Off– This is the switch in the top right corner of the Tune In module which acts as a bypass. It controls whether or not the plugin will affect the audio signal. The bypassed effect is running in the background; it just facilitates an easy comparison of the original and processed signals.

Key – The key feature regulates the signal’s tuning key. It adjusts vocal scale and harmony to fit the song key, corrects out-of-tune singing and creates purposeful pitch alterations.

Trap Tune Intensity – This knob controls the intensity of the natural tuning. It helps you adjust the effect’s impact, giving you more control over your tracks’ sound.

Speed – This knob controls the speed of the tuning feature. This impacts how quickly the voice pitch correction and harsh tuning are applied.

Style – The Style knob is a parameter that controls the level of the tuning effect. It affects how noticeable the pitch correction and hard tuning effects are on the vocals, from subtle to obvious.

Here a vocal track is in the key of C/Amin and you can hear the clarity of it. Although it is already a bit processed with a bit of reverb, we will be using this to demonstrate the Key feature along with the Intensity, Style and Speed within the TuneIn Module of Traptune.

We have kept the same key i.e.C/Amin and but you still notice the notes getting robotic, that is the result of the intentional style setting to 100%. The intensity is at 100%, so is the speed(100%)  but we’ve kept the style at 100%  to show it sounds when you hardtune it. Rest of the parameters are at 0.

Here a guitar track is in the key of F#/D#min and you can hear the clarity of it. Although it is already a bit processed with a bit of reverb, we will be using this to demonstrate the Key feature along with the Intensity, Style and Speed within the TuneIn Module of Traptune.

We have taken the key down by a whole step i.e.E/C#min and you notice the notes getting wobbly, that is the result of the intentional change in pitch. The intensity is at 100%, so is the speed(100%)  but we’ve kept the style at 60% as we don’t want to hard tune it. Rest of the parameters are at 0.

Transpose – The transpose knob regulates signal transposition by +/-12 semitones. When Transposing , the key of the vocal track changes by 1 whole tone up or down, depending on which direction you turn it in . It affects pitch shifts to the voice regardless of tuning key. 

It creates harmony effects with the second voice section.

Here, we’ve transposed it by +1 i.e. 1 whole step up. So it goes from an A min to a B min. There is a clear difference in pitch. You can hear some notes sound off but some not so much. This is because of the difference in the notes of the A min scale and B min scale. When the Transpose feature is applied, it is not affected by the Key, Intensity, or Style but is definitely affected by the Formant Shift knob and Keep Formant switch.

Formant shift – The formants shift knob in United Plugins’ Soundevice’s Traptune alters vocal timbre and perception. Adds or subtracts brightness and warmth, making vocals seem natural or fake. It can induce subtle or dramatic vocal changes. 

When the formants are also changed, it causes the voice to seem artificial or unnatural. After pitch-shifting, formants must be corrected by reshaping the pitch-shifted audio overtones, including the formants, to match the original signal’s shape. This would help it sound more natural again.

Keep Formant – The Keep Formant switch provides the option of whether or not you want to retain the formants or not. The Formants switch regulates the effect’s spectral envelope. It impacts formant preservation or alteration when transposing pitch. 

It reduces the “chipmunk” effect of pitch transposition which happens when a vocal track is pitch-corrected, the formants shift too.

Transpose DRY

We have taken the Transpose WET sample as an example to demonstrate the Formant Shift and Keep Formant Switch. Here the key is still transposed +1 than the original key.

The Formant Shift is set to +1.58 and the formant switch is turned on. See how it sounds more in key with the formant shift and the switch turned on than without.

Second Voice

On/Off – This is the switch in the top right corner of the Second Voice module and works as a Bypass. It controls whether or not the plugin will affect the audio signal.

Transpose – The transpose knob controls the transposition of the signal by +/-12 semitones. It creates harmony effects with the Tune-In section but is dependent on the key of the Tune-In key.

Octave – The additional voice’s octave is controlled by the octave slider. It can be set to lower, upper, or original octave for harmony123. The supplementary voice sings in unison with the primary vocal recording and can be transposed by semitones and turned into stereo with a doubler. 

Level – The level knob in the second voice module controls the loudness of the voice. Adjusting it can balance loudness between the main and second voices or create a more subtle or prominent harmony effect. 

Key Follow – The key follow switch in the second voice determines whether the additional voice follows the main voice’s or audio signal’s key. Depending on tuning and transposition, it can create natural or artificial harmonies. 

Stereo voice – The Stereo voice switch in the second voice module controls whether the additional voice is doubled or widened. It can increase vocal volume, strength, and space or offer stereo depth and complexity to harmony. It essentially turns on/off between the stereo & doubling effect. It works independently regardless if the Second Voice is On/Off.

This is the Dry vocal adlib we will use as an example for the Second Voice.

This is the same vocal adlib with a third above the root note A. This is done by turning the transpose knob to +3 so it starts with the C. The octave slider is in the exact center which means it is in the same octave.

This is the same vocal adlib with the transpose knob turned to +3 but this time we move the Octave slider to the left of center on “deeper” which is the lower octave. We hear the notes that are the third above the root which is starting from C, only this one is in the lower octave.

This is the same vocal adlib with the transpose knob turned to +3 but this time we move the Octave slider to the right of center on “higher” which is the higher octave. We hear the notes that are the third above the root, only this one is in C starting from the higher octave.

The Key follow is turned on in the above examples so the harmony is following the original key of the track. We’re not quite happy about the quality of the sound. It isn’t very smooth and there’s a lot of disturbance in the transposition and in the changing of octaves. 

Also, you can hear the drop in sound quality with the key follow feature turned on when the notes have to be adjusted into the Key of Am minor from A major. The C# and F# have to be retuned to C and G is not as clear as it needs to be.

Distortion

On/Off – The On/ Off switch in the top right corner of the Distortion module works as a bypass. It controls whether or not the plugin will affect the audio signal with the distortion. 

Drive – The drive knob in distortion module effect gain and saturation balance of the audio signal. It adds warmth, roughness, and edge to it. It is affected by the type and amount of clipping that takes place when the signal rises above a specific threshold. 

More clipping and distortion result from higher drives, while less clipping and distortion result from lower drives.

Dry/Wet – This knob controls the ratio between the affected and dry signals of the Distortion module. The drive knob and dry/wet knob balance distorted and clean signals.

We set the Drive at 50% and the DRY/WET knob was turned to 60%. It sounds shrill and the distortion isn’t gritty enough even when we dialled it all the way up to 100%. 

However, we tried it with the guitar and here’s what we found.

We will try to use this Guitar sample as an example.

It is evident that it complements the guitar sound better. The distortion sounds good with drive at about 60% and a DR/WET mix of 50%. It sounds just rough enough to embellish the tone of the guitar.

Reverb

On/Off – 

This switch in the top right corner turns the Reverb module on or off and works as a Bypass. It controls whether or not the plugin will affect the audio signal with the reverb.

Dry/Wet – 

The Dry/Wet knob adjusts the ratio of the altered and dry signals. It can alter vocal reverb or generate more subtle or expansive effects.

Decay – 

The decay knob is a setting that controls the length of the reverb. It can be utilized to increase the number of short or lengthy effects, or to modify the length of the reverb tail. The length of the reverb tail is measured by the reverb’s decay. 

It is affected by how sound waves are absorbed and dispersed in a physical or virtual room. The reverb tail fades off more gradually with a longer decay than with a shorter decay, and vice versa. The feeling of clarity and presence of the sound source can be impacted by the reverberant decay. 

Size – 

The Size Knob is a setting that controls the reverb’s size. It can be utilized to increase the size of the reverb space or to add more little or large effects. How large the reverb space sounds is determined by the reverb’s size. It is affected by the echoes and reflections that take place in a physical or virtual room. 

More reflections and echoes result from greater sizes, while fewer reflections and echoes result from smaller sizes. The perception of depth and distance from the sound source can be impacted by the size of the reverb. 

LowPass(LP) – 

The low pass parameter switch enables a lowpass filter on the reverb signal. A lowpass filter is a sort of filter that attenuates high frequencies while letting low frequencies pass through2. Here, it enables LowPass on the reverb at around 60Hz. It can be used to alter the reverb’s tone to make it brighter, softer, or darker. 

Duck – 

Duck is a parameter that regulates how much the reverb is ducking. Ducking temporarily lowers, or “ducks,” the volume level of the reverb signal anytime a dry is present. Duck in the Reverb Module, controls the level of this effect. When the dry signal is present, the ducking technique reduces the amplitude of the reverb signal. 

In order to avoid masking or muddying the dry signal, it can be utilized to make the reverb sound more dynamic and clear.

This is the vocal adlib we will use for this example.

We applied the Reverb to the same vocal track. Although it already had a little bit of reverb on it, we observed that it sounds quite good with the DRY/WET at 70%, Decay at 5886ms , Size 58.4% and Duck 0. It sounds fuller and more spacious.

Delay

On/Off – 

This is the switch on the top right corner of the Delay module. It controls the bypass of the delay on the audio signal.

DRY/WET – 

The DRY/WET is the balance between the original (dry) signal and the processed (wet) signal in the Delay module. Wet signals are delayed and processed audio, while dry signals are unaltered audio. This controls the ratio between the affected and dry signals of the Delay module. 

Adjusting the DRY/WET switch controls the delay effect blended with the original sound. 

Feedback – 

The feedback knob determines how much delayed signal is given back into the delay effect input. It creates vocal echoes of various degrees. Feedback in the delay effect is the amount of delayed signal supplied back into the delay processor. It repeats or echoes the original sound. 

Feedback indicates how often the signal is repeated and how apparent the delayed repeats are in the sound. Higher feedback levels provide louder, longer-lasting echoes, whereas lower values are more subtle.

Length – 

The length option controls how long the delayed sound will last. It is set in notes such as, for example, 1/8,1/4 etc… It establishes the interval between the delayed sound and the original sound. This parameter can be changed to produce various rhythmic patterns or to give your audio signals more depth and space. 

Type – 

The Type parameter lets you choose delay kinds with distinct sound qualities and behaviors. You can choose from straight, triplets, and dotted. Analog emulations, tape delay simulations, digital delays, and various delay algorithms are available. 

Selecting a Type lets you customize the delay effect to meet sound aesthetics or replicate historical delay devices. 

Duck – 

When the dry signal is present, the duck-in delay technique reduces the volume of the delay signal. Here, it regulates the degree of the delay’s ducking. Anytime a dry signal is present, ducking briefly reduces, or “ducks,” the loudness level of the delay signal. The strength of this impact is managed by Duck. 

In order to avoid masking or muddying the dry signal, it can be employed to make the delay sound more dynamic and clear.

This is the vocal adlib we will use for this example.

This is keeping the TunIn turned on rather than bypass and it didn’t affect the quality of the sound which is good. We also turned off the Stereo Voice feature. So you can hear how the exported track sounds in Mono. There is a clear drop in the overall sound quality. It sounds more boxy and muffled when you compare it to the original.

Going Down The Rabbit Hole!

Main Power button:

There is a main power button on the top right corner to activate or deactivate the Traptune plugin all together.

Presets:

We also noticed the presence of arrows oriented towards the left and right, in addition to the inclusion of presets.

The plugin is equipped with a variety of preconfigured settings, which are generally suitable for most scenarios and offer a reliable starting point for personalizing your audio output requirements.

Accessing and Saving Presets:

Access to the presets can be obtained either by utilizing the appropriate directional arrows or by directly clicking on the Preset field.

Furthermore, users have the capability to save and manage their own presets within this preset field.

Switch A/B

The various configurations may be quickly and readily compared to determine which one performs best. It is simple to test out how various adjustments to the A version’s parameters impact the B version’s audio quality thanks to the “Copy ” tool. By doing this, we avoid losing two settings that may have taken some effort to setup.

What About The Technical Stuff?

How Hard is The United Plugins Traptune on The CPU?

We stress-tested the Soundevice’s Traptune by United Plugins on a Windows i3 computer with 8 GB of RAM, and there were no installation issues at all, it performed faultlessly and without any problems at all.

Any Other Technical Information I Need To Know?

One technical point that they pride themselves on is their Intelligent Sleep feature where the plugin intelligently decides whether to process or not. It temporarily enters sleep mode if not used for long. It uses almost no CPU to save computer resources for other activities.

Another one they mention on their website is Internal 64-bit audio processing lets the plugin work with any sample rate up to 192 kHz. Another thing 

What Does My System Need To Run It?

Mac:

• Mac OS X 10.10 and newer (64-bit only)
• Intel or M1 Apple Silicon Processor
• VST2, VST3, AAX and AU

Windows:

• Windows 8 – Windows 11 (64-bit only)
• Intel or AMD processor with SSE2 support
• VST2, VST3 and AAX

 

What About UI & Utility? How Easy is It To Use & Any Stand-out Features?

The Traptune’s GUI is strikingly attractive. It has a nice and sleek color pallette. The designers have clearly spent time on this and it shows because, despite all the features being on the same page , the functionality of each of the knobs and buttons is user friendly and intuitive.

Each of the modules have been sized and shaped keeping in mind their importance in the process of audio processing and music production.

What Are Others Saying About The United Plugins Traptune?

While countless reviews across the internet praise Traptune’s unique approach to the automatic tuner field of the plugin world, a lot of users can’t find enough uses for it. Their many added features are widely appreciated by everyone but many say that it is not worth the money as there are other free plugins that do the same thing.

We’ve listed some of the user reviews below (click to enlarge):

How Does The United Plugins Traptune Stand Up To The Competition? 

Other than the multi-faceted paid plugins/softwares like Melodyne, we have Autotune and Waves Tune which offer rich sounds and are easy to use. But, none that we know has added effects as Traptune does. Having said that, you can get the same quality of sound out of free plugin softwares like Grallion 2 and M-Autopitch as well.

Utility-wise, Traptune as a paid version is cheaper than more popular Automatic Tuners but the sound quality is the same as the free plugins.

United Plugins Traptune (Quick Review)

FAQ

Additionally, if you’d like to dive deeper into the world of Output Arcade, check out this comprehensive guide exploring its value and for those seeking a powerful looper plugin with creative possibilities, our review of Audioblast Instalooper 3 offers valuable insights.

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