Top 5 AI Vocal Production Tools to Elevate Your Music
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Published on
September 10, 2024
Think human singing and artificial intelligence don’t belong together? Think again.
For years, artificial intelligence and machine learning have powered some of the most widely-used vocal processing tools in music production, improving tracks and creating new sounds in so many of your favorite songs.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular and powerful AI vocal tools available today:
What is Vocal Production and Why is it Important?
Vocal production is the process of enhancing and refining vocal recordings to achieve a professional-grade sound. It involves using various techniques and tools to correct pitch, adjust timing, and add creative effects to make the vocals sound polished and engaging.
Vocal production is crucial in music production, as it can make or break the overall quality of a song. With the rise of AI-powered plugins, vocal production has become more accessible and efficient, allowing producers to achieve studio-quality vocals with ease. In this guide, we'll walk through the top tools for vocal production: from the classics to the hottest emerging platforms.
Auto-Tune by Antares: Vocal Pitch Correction
In the world of vocal processing, it doesn’t get bigger than Auto-Tune. First introduced with “Believe” by Cher and made ultra-famous by T-Pain, Auto-Tune has gone from cool gimmick to industry standard. It’s probably the only DAW plugin that’s a household name!
Now on its 11th version, Auto-Tune is the gold standard for vocal pitch correction. It uses machine learning for real-time correction and human results, capable of 4-part harmonies and note-by-note edits. Plus, you get a powerful EQ, compressor, vocoder, and more, all powered by Auto-Tune’s legendary algorithms. Achieving a great vocal is essential, and Auto-Tune’s suite of tools, including a de-esser, a breathiness modifier, a microphone simulator, and SoundSoap to rescue low-quality tracks, ensures professional-level sound. But the most mind-bending feature might be Throat: a vocal generator based on an adjustable model of a human vocal tract!
Auto-Tune Unlimited includes all of these features as a Pro Tools plugin for $25 per month.
Melodyne by Celemony
Melodyne by Celemony is one of the oldest, most unique, and most powerful vocal processing tools available. Graph mode is an advanced feature in auto-tuning plugins that allows for detailed manual editing of vocal tracks.
It all comes down to its one-of-a-kind UX: individual notes are represented as waveforms. You can then modify every single parameter of these, such as pitch, duration, intonation, dynamic, and much more. As you modify the graph, you rewrite the music in real time. Melodyne offers a ton of useful algorithms to do the work for you, or you can make surgical adjustments by hand. In addition to micro adjustments, you can work big-picture to adjust chords, keys, and rhythms for an entire song. Celemony promises that Melodyne’s macros are so intelligent, you can modify the most sensitive aspects of a vocal performance, like intonation and vibrato, without losing the human feel your music needs.
Melodyne is available as stand-alone software, ARA, or a DAW plugin. It is by far the most expensive tool on this list at $699. Learn more about the differences between Melodyne and Autotune in a quick guide below:
Achieving Studio Quality Vocals with AI-Powered Tools
AI-powered plugins and integrations have revolutionized the vocal production process, offering advanced tools and features that can help achieve studio-quality vocals. These plugins use machine learning algorithms to analyze and correct vocal pitch, timing, and tone, allowing for precise and natural-sounding results. These plugins offer a range of features, including pitch correction, vocal tuning, and creative effects, making it easier to achieve perfect vocals.
LALAL.AI
LALAL is an AI-powered track separation tool. Its stem splitter can process 20 tracks at once, isolating vocals and 8 types of instruments. You also get a lead/back splitter, which can separate lead and backing vocals. Plus, LALAL’s voice cleaner and echo/reverb remover can turn problematic recordings into usable tracks.
In addition, LALAL recently launched a vocal conversion tool. However, its voice library is filled with real artists and owned IP, which raises serious copyright concerns. It’s also lacking versatile customization features that help producers get the right sound. As a result, it’s a less functional tool for your workflow than options like Kits AI, which also offers advanced vocal pitch correction. (Plus, Kits AI also has similar stem splitter and vocal remover functions.
LALAL is available for web, mobile, and desktop, starting at an $18 one-time fee for 90 minutes of music.
Vocaloid by Yamaha
Have you ever heard of Hatsune Miku, the completely computer-generated anime singer? She’s played in Coachella 2024, and her voice is made with Vocaloid!
Developed by Yamaha, Vocaloid is a voice synthesis software that generates voices from scratch. (Similar to the Kits AI Voice Designer) Yamaha pioneered this technology, and now they’ve integrated even more powerful artificial intelligence for its Vocaloid6 update. As a result, Yamaha promises the most expressive, natural results yet. New editing tools let you control the accents, vibrato, rhythm, and more for fine-tuned results. The doubling feature automatically creates backing harmonies, and there’s improved support for English and Chinese lyrics (in addition to Japanese).
A crucial aspect of achieving high-quality vocal production is the vocal chain, which includes various plugins to enhance clarity, warmth, and overall vocal presence.
Plus, you can use the Vocalo Changer to convert an existing singer into one of the bundled AI voices. However, the range is limited compared to Kits AI, with 14 voices and a strong emphasis on Japanese language and music genres. You can purchase more, but they cost $60 to $150 per voice to download.
Vocaloid costs $225 and is available for Mac and Windows, with VST3, AU, and ARA2 plugin support, making it compatible with various vocal plugins to enhance your recordings.
Kits AI for Vocal Production
Kits AI is the leading AI-powered voice conversion tool, which changes an existing singer or vocal part into a completely new voice. Kits AI’s Voice Library contains 60+ high-quality, royalty-free voices across a huge range of genres, personalities, and languages – even instruments. And the results sound so good, you’d never know it’s AI.
But that’s just the beginning of Kits AI’s vocal processing power. You can clone voices into new voice models to use for conversions. Or, create a completely new voice from scratch with the Voice Designer. You can customize your conversions with pro features like pitch shift, pitch correction, accent strength, pre- and post-processing effects, and more.
Plus, you get other crucial tools for your vocal production workflow: a best-in-class stem splitter for separating instrumentals, a vocal remover capable of splicing lead and backing vocals, ensuring the lead vocal stands out, and AI-powered track mastering. Another big plus is Kits AI’s rigorous approach to AI ethics and Kits Earn, which compensates artists who create voice models for the platform.
Kits AI is available for web or a free desktop application with monthly subscriptions starting at just $11.99.
Tips for Effective Vocal Production with AI Tools
When using AI-powered plugins for vocal production, it’s essential to follow some best practices to achieve the best results. Here are some tips for effective vocal production with AI tools:
Start with a good recording: Before applying any vocal plugins, make sure you have a good quality vocal recording. This will ensure that the processing effects have a solid foundation to work with.
Use the right plugin for the job: Different plugins are designed for specific tasks, so make sure you’re using the right one for the job. For example, Auto-Tune Pro is great for pitch correction, while Melodyne is ideal for vocal tuning.
Adjust settings carefully: These plugins often have a range of settings and parameters that can be adjusted. Take the time to experiment and find the right settings for your vocal track.
Use creative effects judiciously: AI-powered plugins offer a range of creative effects, such as vocal bending and pitch modulation. Use these effects sparingly to add interest and depth to your vocal track.
Reference, reference, reference: Always reference your vocal track against the original recording and other tracks in your mix. This will help you ensure that your vocal production is balanced and polished.
By following these tips and using AI-powered plugins effectively, you can achieve studio-quality vocals that will elevate your music production to the next level.
Conclusion: Achieving Studio Quality Vocals
While AI-powered vocal processing tools might sound newfangled, tools like Auto-Tune, Vocaloid, and Melodyne are some of the most trusted products in music production. For decades, producers, singers, and musicians have trusted artificial intelligence and machine learning to clean up recordings, improve performances, and generate entirely new voices.
Today, tools like Kits AI let you do even wilder things, like clone voices or change a singer’s voice into someone else’s. And there’s no need for expensive downloads or complicated plugins. Kits AI is available as a simple web app for a low monthly subscription, letting even the most beginner producers experiment with the cutting edge of vocal processing.
