Autotune has become a household name in the music industry today. Gone are the good old days when artists had to rely only on their natural ability in music production. With the competitiveness of the music industry today, it is no surprise that autotune has become a popular effect in all music genres.
Garageband is Apple’s digital audio workstation (DAW). Apple’s exclusive software is used to compose music from scratch to sound natural and in tune. The software comes with incredible features, one of which is autotune. Autotune for Garageband provides songwriters and artists the ability to enhance their vocal performance.
Autotune or Pitch Correction on GarageBand
GarageBand is a favorite DAW among beginners and professionals because of its various audio editing options. Autotune, which is known as pitch correction on Garageband, provides pitch correction in a track.
The free autotune for Garageband tool adjusts the pitch of an otherwise imprecise vocal to sound just right or to taste. The editing tool improves the quality of vocal recordings through adjustments in the pitch. It is astounding to note that pitch correction isn’t limited to vocal tracks only but also to different musical instruments that are audio tracks.
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How to add Autotune for Garageband
The steps to adding autotune in Garageband are covered in these seven steps. Autotune for GarageBand can be initiated by following these steps:
- Find the key signature of your vocal track in the Key Signature Display
- Create a vocal track
- Ensure your project is in the correct key
- Select the vocal recording
- Select “Track” in the Smart Controls
- Check the “Limit to Key” Box
- Adjust the pitch correction to taste.
Identifying the Key Signature
The first step in using autotune is identifying the key signature of your vocal. Before recording vocals, you need to determine the key in which your vocals will tune. This is the tonal center of the vocal track, around which the melody and vocal progression revolve. If the wrong key signature is selected, autotuning will sound off. As a result, it is important to select the right key signature for the vocal.
After knowing the key to your vocal recording, the next step is to change the project key. To do this, you will click on the LCD dashboard, which is at the top-center of the Garageband software.
You can see the different key signature options in the image below. After knowing the key to your vocal, all you have to do is select the key from the Key Signature Display.
Create a vocal track
After choosing a key signature for the vocals, the next step is creating a vocal track and recording your vocals. To create a vocal track, you need to click on the “Track” drop-down menu and choose a new track. This selection will display different types which you can choose from.
Since you want to record vocals, you will click on “Audio” and select “Create.” After creating the vocal track, you will also want to choose a vocal track pre-set. There are different options to choose from, with “Classic Vocal” being a popular option.
After choosing the desired vocal track pre-set, you can start recording your vocals or add an existing vocal track from your files.
Ensure your Project is in the Right Key
Before autotuning, it is important to ensure that your vocal track project is in the correct key. This is a double check to ensure the right edit. The key can be found in the navigation panel at the top-center of the project and can be changed.
The next step is selecting the audio track that the pitch correction adjustment will be made on. To select the audio track, you will click on the track panel on the left side of the track. Clicking on the panel will select the audio track.
Select the Vocal Recording
After selecting the vocal recording, you will proceed to open the editor window. You will see a scissors icon at the top-left of the workstation and will click on it.
Select “Track” in the Smart Controls
After clicking on the scissors icon, you will find the control section on the bottom-left for the selected audio track. There are two options you can choose from: “Track” or “Region.” Since pitch correction is intended for just one audio track, you should choose “Track.” However, if autotuning is to multiple tracks, “Region” will suffice. Since the edit is to a single audio track, the correct option to choose is “Track” on the left side.
Check the “Limit to Key” Box
You need to make sure to tick the “Limit to Key” box if you want your vocal recording to sound great and professional. Checking this box means that an adjustment will be made to the pitch of your vocal sound while taking the key signature of the track into consideration.
The rule of thumb is to leave the pitch correction slider between 50 and 70. This will ensure that the natural voice in the vocal recording is maintained. Exceeding this mark can drastically change the pitch, with the natural voice distorted. Nevertheless, the pitch correction adjustment is at your discretion, so play with it until you get the desired result.
Adjust the pitch correction to taste
Autotune for Garageband is complete by sliding the pitch correction slider. The Control Section contains the pitch correction slider, which can be adjusted from 0 to 100. There are various factors that will determine how far you move the slider. This depends on the song genre or the sound you want.
You can tinker with the pitch correction slider to get the desired effect on your vocal recording.
Garageband autotune for podcasting
As noted before, GarageBand does not have a built-in Autotune option for podcasting. Users are able, however, to apply Autotune to their voices by installing a third-party plugin or utilizing GarageBand’s “Pitch Correction” tool.
Thanks to this option, using GarageBand for podcasting can benefit from autotune by addressing pitch errors in vocals and making them sound smoother and more professional. It can also assist in repairing minor flaws or mistakes in the audio that were missed throughout the recording process.
Final Words
Autotune for Garageband is an interesting audio editing feature in Apple’s digital audio workstation. Songwriters and artists now have a tool at their disposal to enhance their vocal performances by correcting pitch and imprecise vocals.
The steps to follow to use autotune for Garageband have been highlighted and explained in this article. The steps can be summarized to include finding the key signature of a vocal track, creating a vocal track, selecting the recording, and adjusting the pitch correction.
However, to maintain a natural voice, the pitch correction slider is recommended to be between 50 and 70, although your preference matters.