The Best Autotune Plugin: It’s Not What You Think

You’re tracking vocals for a killer metal song. The performance is full of energy, the screams are gnarly, the cleans are soaring… but a few notes are just a little sharp. Or maybe you want to lean into that modern, ultra-processed sound. So you do what we all do: you start searching for the “best autotune plugin.”

Hold on a sec. Before you drop hundreds of dollars on the latest and greatest, let’s clear a few things up.

First, “Auto-Tune” is a brand name, like Kleenex or a Big Muff. The actual process is called pitch correction or vocal tuning. Second, and more importantly, the idea of a single “best” plugin is a total myth.

The right tool for the job depends entirely on the source material, the sound you’re chasing, and—most crucially—your own workflow. Let’s dive into what you really need to know to pick the right vocal tuning plugin for your mixes.

The Two Schools of Modern Vocal Tuning

When we talk about tuning vocals in metal, we’re usually talking about one of two distinct approaches. The “best” plugin for one is often the wrong choice for the other.

The Hard-Tuning Effect

You know the sound. It’s that robotic, step-pyramid vocal effect made famous by T-Pain and now found everywhere from pop to trap-metal (especially in artists like Travis Scott, Young Thug and Playboy Carti). It’s an intentional, audible effect where the pitch snaps unnaturally from note to note with zero slide (or “portamento”).

While you might associate this with other genres, it’s crept its way into modern metalcore and electronic-infused subgenres. Think of those perfectly quantized, almost synth-like vocal hooks in songs by bands like I Prevail or even moments in later Bring Me The Horizon.

Plugins Built for This:

• Antares Auto-Tune Pro: The OG. Its “Auto” mode with the Retune Speed cranked to zero is the fastest way to get this iconic sound.
• Waves Tune Real-Time: Designed for live use, which means it’s built for speed and simplicity. Perfect for dialing in that hard-tuned effect quickly without getting bogged down in menus.

Transparent, Surgical Pitch Correction

This is the more common goal in most metal subgenres. The aim here isn’t to sound tuned; it’s to make a great vocal performance sound flawless. You’re just nudging a few flat or sharp notes back into place, taming some wobbly vibrato, or tightening up a pitch drift at the end of a phrase.

The key here is transparency. If the listener can hear the plugin working, you’ve gone too far. This requires a much more hands-on, graphical approach where you can manipulate individual notes.

Plugins Built for This:

• Celemony Melodyne: This is the undisputed king of transparent tuning. It’s more of a surgical tool than a simple effect.
• Synchro Arts RePitch: A powerful newcomer that excels at natural-sounding results and has an incredible workflow, especially when paired with VocAlign.
• DAW Stock Plugins: Don’t sleep on these. Logic’s Flex Pitch and Cubase’s VariAudio are incredibly powerful and might be all you need.

A Head-to-Head Look at the Top Contenders

So which one should you use? Let’s break down the pros and cons from a metal mixer’s perspective.

Antares Auto-Tune Pro: The Classic

This is the one that started it all. If you want that sound, this is where you get it.

• Pros: The fastest way to achieve the hard-tuned, robotic effect. Its sound is iconic for a reason. It also includes a graphical editor for more detailed work.
• Cons: The graphical editor can feel a bit less intuitive than its competitors. If you push it for transparency, it can sometimes introduce a “warbly” or phasey artifact that just doesn’t sound right.
• Best For: Producers who need that modern, hard-tuned vocal effect on demand.

Get Antares Auto-Tune Pro here

Celemony Melodyne: The Surgeon’s Scalpel

For mixers who need invisible, natural-sounding results, Melodyne is the industry standard.

• Pros: Unmatched transparency. You can fix almost any pitch or timing issue without anyone knowing you were there. The level of control over pitch drift, vibrato, and formants is insane. It feels less like a plugin and more like a dedicated audio editor.
• Cons: It’s not a “set it and forget it” tool. It requires time and a meticulous approach. Not the right choice if you’re trying to get the robotic effect.
• Best For: Making a great vocal take perfect. It’s the go-to for 99% of professional, transparent vocal production.

Get Melodyne here

Synchro Arts RePitch: The Workflow King

RePitch is a newer player, but it’s a game-changer for producers dealing with tons of vocal layers.

• Pros: Its killer feature is its integration with VocAlign. You can tune a lead vocal and have all the doubles and harmonies automatically match its pitch and timing. This workflow can save you hours. The pitch editing tools are also top-notch and very intuitive.
• Cons: Doesn’t have the long-standing legacy of Melodyne or Antares, but its power is undeniable.
• Best For: Mixers who work with complex vocal stacks, massive choirs, and layered harmonies. The time savings alone are worth the price of admission.

Get RePitch here

Your DAW’s Stock Tuner (Flex Pitch, VariAudio)

Before you open your wallet, open your DAW.

• Pros: It’s free! And it’s already integrated into your workflow. Tools like Flex Pitch are shockingly powerful and can get you 95% of the way to a professional result.
• Cons: They might lack some of the most advanced algorithms or the super-fast workflow features of the dedicated third-party options.
• The Point: Plugin Acquisition Syndrome is real. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need a $500 plugin to get good results. Master the tool you already own first. If you know what a good vocal should sound like, you can get there with a stock plugin.

It’s Not the Plugin, It’s the Mixer

Here’s the hard truth: a great mixer can get a killer vocal sound with a stock plugin, while a beginner can make a vocal sound like a glitchy mess with Melodyne. The tool doesn’t make the decisions—you do.

Your Taste and Ears Are the Real Tools

Your unique sound comes from the thousands of small choices you make during a mix, not from the plugins you use. Give a hundred chefs the same ingredients, and you’ll get a hundred different dishes. It’s the same with mixing. The best in the world can make a mix sound incredible with a minimal set of tools because their skills and taste are what matter.

Don’t Forget the Fundamentals: EQ and Compression

A perfectly tuned vocal is useless if it’s fighting with the guitars or getting buried in the mix. Pitch correction is just one piece of the puzzle.

You still need to use EQ strategies to carve out a dedicated space for that vocal so it can cut through without sounding harsh. And you absolutely need to use metal compression techniques to control its dynamics and give it a consistent, powerful presence. Get these right, and the vocal tuning becomes the icing on the cake.

The Hidden Dangers: Latency and Phase

Here’s a more advanced tip: be mindful of latency. Powerful plugins like pitch correctors take time to process audio. While most DAWs have automatic delay compensation, it’s not always flawless (especially in older versions of Pro Tools).

If you’re running a tuned vocal parallel to an un-tuned copy (like for parallel distortion on an aux track), the latency difference between the two paths can create nasty phasing issues or a “comb filtering” sound. Keep your signal chains clean and be aware of how much processing you’re adding, especially on parallel busses.

So, What’s the Verdict?

There is no single “best autotune plugin.” The best one is the one that helps you achieve your sonic goal efficiently.

• For the robotic, hard-tuned effect: Start with Antares Auto-Tune or Waves Tune Real-Time.
• For transparent, surgical correction: Melodyne is the gold standard, but don’t ignore RePitch or your DAW’s stock tools.
• For massive vocal stacks and harmonies: The RePitch/VocAlign combo will change your life.

Ultimately, the most important thing is to pick one tool and learn it inside and out. Knowing its strengths, weaknesses, and quirks will serve you far better than having a folder full of plugins you barely understand.

Knowing which plugin to use is one thing. Seeing how a world-class producer actually uses it to make a vocal sit perfectly in a dense, aggressive metal mix is a whole other level of education. Nail The Mix gives you the multitracks from massive metal songs so you can watch the original producer mix them from scratch, explaining every single decision they make.

If you’re ready to move beyond just tweaking plugins and want to learn the mindset and techniques that create professional metal mixes, it’s time to unlock your sound.