Autotune For FL Studio (The Essential Guide For Newbies)

• Does FL Studio have any Autotune tools?
• Can I use Autotune on any instrument or sound?
• Which is better for Autotune in FL Studio: Pitcher or Newtone?
• Also, check out our post on the best FL Studio courses!

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Autotune can be an exceptionally handy and fun tool to use on a wide variety of instruments and mix elements in FL Studio.

Vocalists, in particular, frequently use autotune to adjust the pitch of their vocal takes. Experienced producers know that autotune can also be used to enhance mix elements and give them character.

But how does Autotune work? And are there any reliable Autotune tools in FL Studio?

We’ve put together a brief guide to the fundamentals of autotune. We’ve also compiled some quick rundowns on how to use FL Studios’ primary autotune tools: Pitcherand Newtone. 

Autotune Explained

Auto-tune is most commonly used for vocal recordings. Recording a pitch-perfect vocal take is not only extremely difficult, but it’s also quite rare.

Producers and engineers use Auto-Tune to help adjust the pitch of a singer’s vocal recording to help it match the key of a composition. 

Autotune’s capabilities are not only limited to vocal recordings. The effect can be used to adjust any melodic instrument or mix element.

Autotune can also be used to create some unique textures over mix elements and give them a distinctly digital character. 

There is a healthy selection of Auto-Tune plugins on-hand in the modern era. Unfortunately, most third-party plugins can be quite costly.

Fortunately for FL Studio users, handy stock Autotune devices come included with the DAW. 

• Pitcher  – Pitcher adjusts and corrects the pitch of your recordings in real time. The device can be set to a specific key (major, minor, pentatonic, and chromatic) and then uses live correction to nudge any out-of-tune notes into the correct pitch. This type of live correction is also used to generate the digital Auto-Tune vocal effect made famous by producers like T-Pain and Drake. 
• Newtone –  Newtone provides users with a much more hands-on approach than Pitcher and is primarily an audio editing device. Newtone converts recorded audio into MIDI notes, which can be adjusted in various ways to treat pitch and performance dynamics. Newtone can’t be used as a live audio effect, but it gives users much more control than Pitcher. 

If your FL Studio crackling? Here’s what to do.

How To Use Pitcher In FL Studio

1. You will need to place Pitcher on the same mixer track you wish to treat. Locate the mixer track. Click on the Effects dropdown menu in this track and select Pitcher.
2. Once Pitcher opens, you should be able to hear if it affects your selected track’s audio. You will need to know the key to the composition you are working on.
3. Using the key selector on the top left-hand side of the GUI, set the respective key of your composition. Ensure you have selected the correct scale (major, minor, pentatonic, etc.).
4. You can use the note selector to the right of the Key menu to determine which notes are included in the scale of your pitch correction. Simply activate and deactivate each note by clicking their corresponding toggle beneath. 
5. Various parameter controls determine how your audio is processed in Pitcher. Use the speed dial to tweak the rate at which Auto-Tune affects your audio. The Fine Tune dial will help make your pitch corrections sharper or flatter overall. Finally, the formant control in the middle shifts the formant frequency of your audio playback for a deeper chest voice or more nasal-sounding voice.
6. There are four scaling modes in Pitcher. Automatic is the default setting and relies on the commands listed above. MIDI will control pitch adjustments using signals routed from an external MIDI device. Octaves will scale your incoming audio to the note and octave played. Harmonize will allow up to 4 MIDI notes to scale a note (this will create chords from single melodic phrases)

How to Use Newtone In FL Studio

1. There are two ways to load up Newtone in FL Studio. Open up a mixer track and click on an empty insert slot within this track. Locate the Misc tab in the dropdown menu of this track, which should have Newtone inside. Click on Newtone in this tab to open it as an insert plugin. You can drop and drag any audio into Newtone on this track for pitch correction.
2. Alternatively, click on the top left icon of the audio you wish to treat and select ‘Pitch-correct sample’ in the dropdown menu. Newtone should open with your requested audio sliced and arrange over a piano roll.
3. You can now use your mouse to move the notes of your recorded audio around within their relative key. Using your mouse, you can also make timing and dynamic adjustments with simple click-and-drag commands.
4. Three major parameters control how your audio is processed in Newtone

Center controls how tuned you want your note to sound. Higher values mean a more digital, autotuned sound with better pitching. 

Variation works similarly to Center and controls the overall variation in pitch. This control is more identifiable over sustained notes. Higher values generate a more digital-sounding effect. 

Trans determines how natural the transitions between each note sound. Higher values allow for more variations, which create a more natural-sounding voice. 

Once you have tweaked and arranged all your notes in Newtone, you must convert the MIDI information back to audio and export it for use in FL Studio.

There are four export options in Newtone: Copy Midi, Save As, Drag Selection, and Send To The Playlist. 

Final Thoughts

It’s safe to say that autotune has completely shifted how many artists, producers, and engineers approach their vocal recordings and arrangements.

The effect has been used to remedy pitch issues with vocals and create an entirely new sought-after sound in modern music production. 

The Image-Line team behind FL Studio has created two very powerful, versatile autotune plugins that can closely compete with many paid third-party plugins.

Be sure to learn and experiment with both Pitcher and Newtone, as each device has its respective applications, and both are extremely powerful autotune devices. 

FAQs

What Is The Best Autotune For FL Studio?

The best free autotune devices for FL Studio are Pitcher and Newtone. Pitcher can be used as a real-time auto-tune effect, and Newtone offers users more in-depth control over their pitch and performance adjustments. 

What Is The Difference Between Pitcher And Newtone In FL Studio?

Pitcher is primarily used to perform pitch corrections to audio in real time. Newtone can not be used as a live or real-time effect but offers users greater control than Pitcher. 

Before you go, check out our guide to the 9 Best FL Studio VST Plugins (Free & Paid Options)!