Tuning Vocals in Melodyne: The Natural and Quick Methods

[@jamieztar]

Thank you for this video. I especially appreciated your approach to working with Melodyne from a practical perspective.

[@spinlightstudios]

No worries man! Thanks for watching 😊

[@JensDavidsenDK]

A way to drasticly speed up the workflow in melodyne is to go in to melodyne's settings and assign keyboard shortcuts to the different edit tools. I use a, s, d, f, g and h keys to switch between the 3 pitch tools, the timing tool and the volume tool. That way you don't have to rightclick every time you want to use another tool. You just prees the appropriate key. I have four fingers placed on asdf and I can switch to any tool without looking at the keyboard. I can work almost double tempo after I started using this!

[@spinlightstudios]

Cool tip!

[@davejohnsonmusic]

Tool shortcuts are a must. I've got mine on the top row number keys. A,S,D,F would be cool, but they conflict in Pro Tools.

[@tealsweatersounds]

How is this different than F1 f2 exc... function keys?

[@JensDavidsenDK]

@ the 2,3,4,5 keys don’t select a specific took. They switch between the tools in a category. So if you want the drift tool, you have to hit the 2 key three times. It’s much faster when you assign a specific key to each specific tool.

[@melvinbrinson]

I quite literally just asked for this video just days ago lol. YOU ARE THE MAN!

[@spinlightstudios]

Haha yeah man! I’ve had a few requests for a melodyne run down - so here we go!

[@psychologygallery]

Super GREAT video!!! I loved how you are RUTHLESS with the harmonies... Gonna start using your methods with Melodyne, and thanks for this amazing tutorial!!!

[@spinlightstudios]

Haha thanks man - harmonies cop it👊🏻

[@DrProgNerd]

Very cool. When I got Melodyne, I watched a couple vids and just started experimenting. That left lots of gaps in what I knew about it. I've just been snapping to the key. Some notes definitely sound tuned that way. I like the fine-tuning option - not having it sit exactly centered to the key. Love that gliss option. That's new to me. Definitely using that. Another great video, Rhys. Thank you.

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks man! Glad you got something out of it!

[@paydirt_music]

Cheers for this Rhys. Handy tip, Re. seperating the notes prior to auto shifting the pitch. Following your Melodyne vs Flex Pitch video, I trialled it and was really impressed. Its much more natural sounding and efficient to use. It also did a great job at correcting a very pitchy slide guitar track. I can't go back to Flex Pitch now

[@anomolyproducer]

I love that in Studio One its integrated really well. You can click edit in melodyne and it maps it out without the need to play sections. Then when you're done you just bounce it back. No need to put it in the track effects. Nice video mate

[@lvilliankriss]

Sounds great . Thanks for the video.

[@spinlightstudios]

You’re welcome!

[@finch_untamed]

I've had melodyne for ages, but I've never really used it much. I used it a bit in a track or two before, but it felt kind of overwhelming because I basically just dove in and tried to figure it out (which I kinda did, of course using the "natural" method which took forever😅) but it wasn't until I watched your essential plugins video that I really gave it a chance (after realizing that you can jump between instances without having to switch the mixer channels)....after this, I think it's definitely going on my essentials list.

[@spinlightstudios]

Definitely a learning curve involved - but you do get fast at it!

[@brownsnakestudios277]

Natural Way, I like the option to increase volume of certain notes/words that feel less to others. Generally it’s a couple of db, instead of the actual channel volume adjusting, just bounce it into place once the volume is adjusted in Melodyne.

[@spinlightstudios]

Yeah that can be helpful for sure, tracking with a compressor I find the vocal performance is usually pretty balanced and doesn’t need the amplitude tool. But can be very performance dependent too, it’s a great tool.

[@studio42.thelivesessions38]

Thanks a lot for the 2 videos about Vocal tuning and aligning... I am quite happy in Cubase with Vari Audio and the Align feature... a little bit more basic than the two you describe here but I know the tools and to be honest I am most of the time faster doing manual pitching than doing it all at once and then go into the details where it went off.... of course displaying all vocals in one window would be nice to have for arrangement but then I prefer to use my ears :) Anyway, always happy when you put out a video. Greets!

[@Simeon_Harris]

learned a lot from this. i'm a melodyne newbie, so it was super helpful!

[@spinlightstudios]

Glad it was helpful mate!

[@auratune1]

Awesome as per usual.

[@spinlightstudios]

Thanks mate!

[@GeorgeAmodei21]

Great little Trick on Clicking on top on Channel Strip to bump PLUG-INS down ( I always leave a space like you do on Trks that are going to be Tuned. Yeah I sometimes will See How it will Sound Highlighting ALL and adjusting % of Pitch & Drift... I find myself rather tweak Manually as I Playback and hear/listen what needs to change ( Pitch/Mod, Drift, Timing, Fade, Sib... ) SO cool....I never used Melodyne to Align Hamonies the way you just showed us. So much easier! ( I also use the PLug-In Voc Align BUT seemed to Like Celemony/Melodyne Better! I/m Glad I watched this one as well as all your other Vids! Thank You, George Amodei

[@Simeon_Harris]

yeah, i just learned that insert plugin as well. 25 years, i've been dragging plugins down to make room at the top of the strip! that's why it's worth watching these tutorials, you never know what little nugget of info you might pick up, even if you think it might not be so relevant.

[@edisonguerra88]

Nice video Rhys! 🤘

[@Duffrey]

excellent tutorial! thanks for the tips

[@spinlightstudios]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ShiningHourPop]

That was very helpful, thanks.

[@spinlightstudios]

Awesome :)

[@Valsi876]

Thanks for mentioning about the glitch when you use ara in Melodyne where your blobs disappear after a while sometimes. I was wondering what happened to one of my projects where all the blobs were gone. I must have used ara when I originally recorded it.

[@spinlightstudios]

There is nothing worse than losing hours of edits in melodyne!

[@Valsi876]

@@spinlightstudios Glad it was already released. :)

[@MrTynanDraper]

I'm just a hobbyist. . but this is still very useful tutorial!

[@russgenders7550]

such a badass

[@spinlightstudios]

Haha thanks man

[@jaikwillis]

I have the most recent Melodyne Editor and I don't see the button he clicks at @7:16 for the "Quick Method" on my program. How do I get that to appear?

[@asymmetrymedia9838]

Great vid! Now personally nowadays, if i'm tracking the vocals i tend to tune them on the go as the session goes on. By the time the recording session is over. My vocals are usually done and edited and just need some adjustments here or there maybe. Has been working great for me.

[@spinlightstudios]

For sure, I usually do that when tracking my own vocals!

[@anomolyproducer]

The thing about the double track and loading that up, that looks useful for timing too. Not sure if I can do that in my version! I must check!

[@spinlightstudios]

Yeah definitely, you can match pitch and timing which is super helpful if you don’t use something like vocalign

[@AhrenField]

Hey big fan of your vids!!! just trying to be helpful: when you tried to figure out the interval- the number of half steps is not the same as the interval. It’s a bit confusing but: 1 half step= minor second 2 half steps = major second 3 half steps = minor third 4 half steps = major third 5 half steps = perfect fourth 6 half steps =augmented fourth/diminished fifth 7 half steps = perfect fifth 8 half steps = minor sixth 9 half steps = major sixth 10 half steps = minor seventh 11 half steps = major seventh 12 half steps = octave

[@spinlightstudios]

Haha thanks, I only really had lessons in drums so my music theory is not the strongest with that stuff

[@AhrenField]

@@spinlightstudios all good! You’re a fantastic mixer and educator!

[@spinlightstudios]

@@AhrenField thanks mate!

[@komobabo]

I have always been a Melodyne person tbh. Even before producing I just felt like it’s more flexible that AT. I have the basic one and I’ve definitely been thinking of upgrading.

[@spinlightstudios]

Studio is so helpful for making sure everything is tight!

[@Jason-Taylor]

Thanks for this video! How do you determine if a note needs to be split? You went through and split several notes but what were you seeing that told you a particular note should be split? Thanks!

[@spinlightstudios]

You can see a big jump in the modulation of the notes - that squiggly line that moves through all the notes.

[@gcpagliari]

This sound and the vocalist's timbre reminded me of a band called Vertical Horizon. Great band. From what I understand, during tracking you already compress focusing on adjusting the dynamics, not needing to process as much in the box. Correct?

[@spinlightstudios]

Yeah I always track vocals through a compressor, makes post processing way easier, less compression itb needed

[@constantinranis]

Awesome tutorial, 2 questions how do you decide, or how do you know where to split the word, I saw you did it by just looking at those words, and 2 what about key/modal changes or not common scales like harmonic minor for example,will they work in melodyne?

[@spinlightstudios]

I think there are options for modal scales. And with splitting the notes - it’s probably something you get better at discerning over time of using melodyne - but you can see the squiggly modulation line breaks away from the audio blob - usually that’s a good indication the note/blob could be split.

[@williamgallant9814]

You need the studio version to have all your audio on the left hand side, eh? I have assistant, and I need to go one by one. Cheers!

[@spinlightstudios]

Yep! Studio is the best if you’re working on loads of vocals at once

[@earledaniels4539]

How do you intuitively know where to split the vocal pitches? I always use Melodyne for vocal edits. The more you use it, the quicker you get.

[@spinlightstudios]

If you look at the modulation line that runs through the vocals you can see when it moves out of the main blob - usually meaning the note could be split. After doing it for a while you just start to spot it easily.

[@earledaniels4539]

@spinlightstudios Thanks for that. I'll watch the video again now I know what your method is.

[@nuhjunjuhnodehdeh]

at 7:50 i don't see how both you and the macro at 7: 20 when you adjust pitch center, it moves the notes to the grey areas, isn't this out of tune? the whole pt. of melodyne is to get everything in tune

[@spinlightstudios]

The grey areas are not out of key - it’s a piano roll. The grey representing the black keys in a piano

[@jimtrake]

ARA seems to remove the edits if you change the audio wave form in the edit window i.e cutting silence after doing all the tuning because it reanalyses the audio.. super annoying but its easy to bare in mind until they fix it.. maybe..😤

[@spinlightstudios]

Yeah I avoid it for melodyne unless I’m tuning something and instantly bounce in place.

[@clintyoung9902]

“Keep it natural people” -Rhys (2024)

[@MatthewBarelick]

There's a cure for that, GET SINGERS WHO CAN SING! LOL

[@gartgreenside3657]

There is no natural way of tuning vocals, and the quick method for a great vocal performance is to employ a singer who is capable of giving the performance you want. HTH

[@spinlightstudios]

This video is about melodyne - not about hiring pitch perfect singers. HTH