UAD Topline Vocal Tune is a pitch correction plugin that uses Universal Audio's state-of-the-art vocal tuning to correct pitch for natural or creative purposes, enabling expressive, in-tune vocal performances.

Ultra-low latency lets you hear your pitched vocals with no audible delay. A simple Speed control takes you from subtle correction to hard-tuned effects with the turn of a dial, while the plugin's Natural settings preserve the nuance and character of your performance.

For more creative applications, Shift mode goes beyond normal tuning with Pitch and Formant controls. MIDI repitching lets you turn your voice into an instrument to craft melodic hooks and vocal harmonies. The included Topline Key Finder plugin can learn your song's key and scale automatically, so you spend less time on setup.

Important: Topline Vocal Tune accurately detects and corrects pitch on individual vocal tracks. The plugin is not designed for use on group vocals.

In this article

• Getting started
• Topline Vocal Tune Controls
• Setting a Key and Scale
• Repitching Audio with MIDI in your DAW

Getting started

For simple pitch correction, use these quick steps.

1. Insert Topline Vocal Tune on your vocal track.
2. Select a key and scale by clicking the key name. You can insert Topline Key Finder on your main mix to quickly identify the song's key.
3. Start the transport in your DAW.
4. Adjust the Speed control to make the pitch correction more natural or more robotic. Longer times (counter-clockwise) sound more natural. For more robotic hard-tuned effects, use a shorter speed (clockwise).

Go deeper

• See Topline Vocal Tune Controls for details on all Topline Vocal Tune pitch correction controls.
• See Setting a Key and Scale to detect key and scale when correcting notes.
• See Finding the song's key with Topline Key Finder to determine the key automatically with Topline Key Finder.
• See Repitching Audio with MIDI in your DAW to repitch audio to MIDI from a track or a MIDI controller.

Topline Vocal Tune Controls

The illustration and descriptions below detail the different controls in Topline Vocal Tune.

(1) Tuning display

The main display area shows note corrections in real time.

• The current corrected target note is displayed in the large center readout.
• The correction amount is displayed within the curve display. Flat source pitches display the amount of correction towards the right, and sharp source pitches display the amount of correction towards the left.
• Correction amount is indicated with a green line. If no correction is applied, the note name is enclosed in a green circle.
• The display also indicates the range for the Expressive or Elastic setting (see Natural controls for more information). Expressive or Elastic range is shown in blue.

(2) Key and Scale

The current key and scale is displayed here. Clicking the key name displays the Key/Scale overlay, where you can set your key options. When a key is specified, Topline Vocal Tune corrects the detected pitch to the nearest allowed note. By default, the C Chromatic scale (all notes) is selected. Custom is displayed if a custom scale is in use.

Key and Scale Controls

The following controls are available in the overlay when you click the key name.

• Key selects the root note of the scale.
• Scale specifies the allowed notes.
• Key Finder toggles receiving the key from Topline Key Finder on/off. When enabled, the key detected by Topline Key Finder is used.
• Ref Pitch allows you to offset the pitch reference that Topline Vocal Tune uses for correction. Drag up/down or left/right to adjust the tuning reference. Toggle between cents view or Hz view by clicking ct or Hz.
  • In cents view, you can adjust the tuning reference by ±100 cents.
  • In Hz view, you can adjust the tuning reference from 415 Hz to 466 Hz.
  • With no adjustment, the reference pitch is A = 440 Hz.

(3) Tuning keyboard

The interactive keyboard displays the currently selected notes in the key, any custom notes or ignored notes, the current detected pitch, and any active MIDI note.

• The currently detected note is highlighted in green.
• Hover over the plugin to see the Custom and Octaves options, and to switch between Edit and Ignore options for the Custom scale setting.
• To audition a pitch, click and hold a key on the tuning keyboard. You can only audition when Custom mode is off, because clicking a key sets the Edit or Ignore behavior for the pitch when in Custom mode.
• Enable Custom to set notes manually.
  • In Edit mode, click a key to allow (or disallow) the note. All octaves of the note are allowed/disallowed when Octaves is enabled. An allowed note is black or white. A disallowed note is shaded gray.
  • In Ignore mode, you can select notes that are ignored by pitch detection. Use this feature for notes you don't want to correct. An ignored note is shaded blue.
• Enable Octaves to select all octaves of any specified Custom or Ignored note.

(4) Speed

Speed controls how quickly the tuner corrects to the target note. The speed knob ranges from 0 ms (fully clockwise, fastest) to 400 ms (fully counter-clockwise, slowest).

Speed, Natural (Elastic/Expressive), and Sustain work together to control how pitch correction sounds, from transparent to heavily processed. Higher Elastic/Expressive values on the Natural knob allow for wider pitch variance before the Speed control starts correcting. Higher Sustain values allow longer notes to be corrected more slowly than short notes, for more natural pitch correction, even at high Speed settings.

• Slower speeds change the incoming pitch more gradually, resulting in a more natural response.
• Faster speeds shift the incoming pitch towards the target note more quickly, resulting in tighter, more perfect tuning.
• For a robotic, modern, hard-tuned sound, rotate Speed clockwise.
• For a more natural tuning response, rotate Speed counterclockwise.

(5) Natural controls

The Natural controls allow you to adjust the vocal tune settings for more pitch expressiveness. Higher Natural knob values (clockwise) result in more subtle pitch correction, and lower values (counter-clockwise) result in more obvious pitch correction.

Expressive / Elastic

The Expressive / Elastic controls adjust the naturalism and response of the pitch correction character.

Tip: To toggle between Expressive or Elastic, click the Expressive/Elastic switch. The label below the knob changes depending on the selection.

• Expressive sets a threshold within which pitches are not corrected, and the amount that notes are corrected in relation to the center pitch. Use Expressive to allow minor pitch imperfections within the range, and only correct notes that are outside of the range. At 0% all pitches are corrected unless they are exactly in tune. Increase the values to apply less correction and allow more pitch variation.
• Elastic sets a pitch range outside of which notes are not corrected. This allows for intentional vocal gestures, such as slides, scoops, and expressive portamento, and only corrects notes near the pitch center. At 0% all pitches are corrected. Increase the setting to increase the window of allowed ornamentation, so more pitch transitions and stylistic slides remain untuned. Pitches outside the Elastic range are not corrected.

Sustain

The Sustain control allows for more natural response, by applying slower tuning speeds to held notes. At the minimum value, Sustain has no effect, and both short and long notes are tuned to the pitch center at the same speed.

Increase Sustain to tune longer pitches more slowly relative to the Speed setting, while shorter notes are tuned according to the Speed value.

(6) Shift

The Shift section allows you to pitch shift the vocal by as much as one octave up or down, with control over the formant (timbre) and the mix amount.

Use Shift to add a harmony or octave to your vocal by setting Shift Mix below 100%, or to fully replace your vocal with a higher or lower pitched version at 100%.

Tip: For a more natural-sounding harmony, unlink Formant and Pitch so the shifted voice retains the original character.

Toggle pitch shift on/off with the button next to the label (enabled when lit).

Shift controls

• Formant allows you to shift the timbre of the shifted vocal independently of the pitch. Rotate this control to adjust the formant. Formants are resonances that result from the length and shape of the vocal cords and nasal cavities. Adjusting Formant can change the character of a voice to sound like it comes from a much smaller or much bigger source than the original vocalist. Use the default setting to retain the original vocal character of the shifted vocal.
• Pitch allows you to adjust the pitch by ±12 semitones (up to one octave). Because pitch shifting is applied after pitch correction, shifting by an interval other than a full octave can produce notes that fall outside the allowed key and scale.
• Link adjusts the Formant and Pitch knobs together. Click the chain icon between the Formant and Pitch knobs to toggle Link. When linked, the chain icon is lit, and both knobs are set and adjusted to the same value. Unlink to retain the voice's original character.
• Shift Mix allows you to control the amount of pitch-shifted signal mixed with the dry signal. At 100% (fully clockwise) you only hear the shifted audio.

(7) Settings

Click Settings to configure MIDI and performance options.

Low Latency

Toggle Low Latency on or off with this button. Low Latency mode is enabled when the button is lit.

• For the fastest response on live vocals or while recording, enable Low Latency mode. Reduce your DAW's buffer when tracking for the lowest possible latency.
• When mixing pre-recorded vocals, you can disable Low Latency mode. This mode introduces a small amount of plugin latency (which is automatically compensated by the DAW), but can be more accurate. Disable Low Latency for more precise tuning when applying large pitch corrections or shifts, such as shifting to incoming MIDI or pitch shifting an octave up or down.

MIDI Settings

MIDI Settings define how Topline Vocal Tune uses incoming MIDI notes to repitch audio.

• MIDI Off disables MIDI response from an external source.
• MIDI Repitch repitches audio to a received MIDI note. Notes are repitched as long as the MIDI note is held or latched. Note that when Octaves is enabled, incoming audio is repitched to the nearest octave of the received MIDI note. The result of enabling Octaves can be more natural (less stretched) correction, while disabling octaves can result in more processed or creative vocal textures.
• Latch holds the last received MIDI note. A note remains latched until you press another note (to latch the new note), or press the same note again (to unlatch the note).
• Define Scale uses received MIDI notes to define the Topline Vocal Tune scale. You can use this to play a chord or scale and have incoming audio conform only to notes you've triggered. Use this if you want to define multiple notes to which the vocal can be corrected, or if you want to change the notes available for repitching over time.
• Pitch Wheel Depth sets the depth in semitones that you can bend or repitch incoming MIDI with the pitch wheel MIDI message. Using your MIDI keyboard's pitch bend wheel is an easy way to add subtle note bends and flourishes to an existing vocal performance. Up to 12 semitones are available.

(8) UA logo (bypass)

Toggle plugin bypass with the UA logo. When bypassed, controls and the UA logo are dimmed.

Setting a Key and Scale

By default, Topline Vocal Tune is set to the C Chromatic key. In this mode, every incoming pitch is corrected to the nearest note. However, you may want to correct pitches to the exact notes in the key of the song.

Topline Vocal Tune allows you to set a key and scale for the song, and to add or remove notes from that scale with a Custom key. In addition, you can have Topline Vocal Tune ignore notes that should never be corrected.

There are two ways to set the key in Topline Vocal Tune: you can manually set the key (for precise control over scale and key), or you can use Topline Key Finder to detect the key automatically.

Set Topline Vocal Tune key manually

Manually set the key in Topline Vocal Tune if you know the specific key you want to correct to, or you are using an exotic scale (not simply Minor or Major).

1. Click the Key. The Key and Scale values are displayed.
2. Choose the Key and Scale.
3. To change the reference pitch (for example, if you recorded at a different pitch like A = 442 Hz), drag the Ref Pitch up/down or left/right.

Finding the song's key with Topline Key Finder

You can identify keys automatically with Topline Key Finder, and send the key to one or more instances of Topline Vocal Tune.

Note: Topline Key Finder is a separate plugin included with Topline Vocal Tune.

1. Insert Topline Vocal Tune on your vocal track, and insert Topline Key Finder on the master output.
2. Click the key at the upper left in Topline Vocal Tune (C Chromatic is set by default), and toggle Key Finder on (button is lit). Key Finder is enabled by default.
3. Press play in your DAW. Topline Key Finder listens to the song, and presents several candidate keys marked with green, yellow, or red squares depending on the degree of confidence.
4. The highest confidence key is automatically selected. Alternatively, you can choose another key or customize the scale. Click a detected key to select it.
5. Click Send in Topline Key Finder to pass the identified key to Topline Vocal Tune.

Key Finder Notes

• The key is loaded into all Topline Vocal Tune instances that have their Key Finder options enabled, including new instances that are added to the session.
• Topline Key Finder only suggests Major or Minor scales. Click the arrow icon below the suggested key to swap it with its relative major/minor key.

Specifying a key manually in Topline Key Finder

You can manually specify a key to use in multiple Topline Vocal Tune instances.

1. Insert Topline Key Finder on a track, bus, or output.
2. Set the Listen / Manual switch to Manual.
3. Select a key and scale, or click the Custom button and specify the scale.
4. Click Send to pass the key to Topline Vocal Tune.

The key is loaded into all Topline Vocal Tune instances that have the Key Finder option enabled, including new instances that are added to the session.

Repitching Audio with MIDI in your DAW

One of the most creative uses of Topline Vocal Tune is repitching a live or recorded vocal to notes from a MIDI track or MIDI controller. For extreme robotic effects, a monotone recorded or sung vocal can be very useful, but any vocal performance can be repitched with MIDI notes and pitch bend. Subtle to dramatic pitch shifting effects are possible with MIDI control. Extreme pitch changes can result in a more processed sound.

This section describes the steps to repitch audio in some common DAWs. Refer to your DAW documentation for more details.

Repitching tips

• Notes are repitched when a MIDI note is held on the controller, played from a MIDI track, or latched in Topline Vocal Tune settings.
• When Octaves is enabled on the Topline Vocal Tune keyboard, all octaves of the held note are activated when a MIDI note is received, and incoming audio is repitched to the closest octave. Repitching with Octaves enabled can result in more natural repitching, as smaller pitch intervals might be used.
• Pitch correction is monophonic. If multiple notes are played on the MIDI controller or on the MIDI track, the last played MIDI note is used. If MIDI notes begin at the same time, the higher pitch note is used.
• Pitch bends with the MIDI pitch wheel can be used to add natural sounding scoops and bends at low Pitch Wheel Depth settings. At higher MIDI Pitch Wheel settings, more creative pitch bend effects can be applied.
• The Speed control can act like glide or portamento on a synth. At slower speeds, the repitched audio glides between received MIDI notes.
• When Latch is enabled, the last MIDI note is held until another note, or the same note, is played. This allows you to press keys on your controller only when changing notes.
• Pitch and Formant shifting is applied after all repitching or pitch correction.

Repitching in Ableton Live

You can use MIDI notes on a MIDI track to trigger Topline Vocal Tune, or you can play notes live with your MIDI controller.

1. Create an audio track and a MIDI track.
2. On your audio track, insert Topline Vocal Tune.
3. On the MIDI track, select a specific MIDI controller input or All Ins.
4. On the MIDI track, select your audio track as the output, and select a Topline Vocal Tune MIDI channel as the output.

Start playback. To repitch audio live, press a key on your MIDI controller. Topline Vocal Tune repitches the audio to the played note, using the plugin's Speed and Natural values.

To repitch audio from the MIDI track, play back MIDI notes from the track.

Repitching in FL Studio

In FL Studio, you must use the FL Studio MIDI Out generator to send MIDI from your controller, the piano roll, or the playlist to Topline Vocal Tune.

1. Assign Topline Vocal Tune to a mixer track. Note that on macOS, you must use the VST3 version of the plugin.
2. Add the MIDI Out generator. From the Add menu, select MIDI Out (in the MIDI section).
3. On the MIDI Out generator, select the MIDI output channel (for example, Channel 1) and the output Port to send to the plugin (for example, Port 2).
4. In Topline Vocal Tune, click the gear icon at the upper left of FL Studio's plugin header, then click the gear and plug icon to show the FL Studio plugin wrapper settings.
5. Under MIDI, set the Input Port to the same port that you selected for the MIDI Out generator (for example, port 2).

Start playback. To repitch audio live, press a key on your MIDI controller. Topline Vocal Tune repitches the audio to the played note, using the plugin's Speed and Natural values.

To repitch audio from the generator track, create MIDI on the piano roll or in the playlist.

Tip: Select the MIDI Out generator channel before you press keys. If the audio channel is selected, FL Studio plays the audio clip at the pitch you have pressed, while also triggering the key in Topline Vocal Tune.

Repitching in LUNA

You can use MIDI notes on an instrument track to trigger Topline Vocal Tune, or you can play notes live with your MIDI controller.

Note: This procedure requires Apollo Mode in LUNA. You need an Apollo with a free Virtual input in UAD Console for each instrument track you want to use.

1. Create an instrument track. Do not assign an instrument plug-in to the instrument track.
2. Create an audio track.
3. Assign Topline Vocal Tune to the instrument track.
4. In Topline Vocal Tune, click Settings, and enable Repitch (this setting is enabled by default).
5. Enable input on the Instrument track.
6. Route the Audio Input on the Instrument track to a Virtual In.
7. Create an audio file on the audio track.
8. Route the output of the audio track to the same Virtual In as the Audio Input on the Instrument track.

Play your audio. To repitch audio live, press a key on your MIDI controller. Topline Vocal Tune repitches the audio to the played note, using the plugin's Speed and Natural values.

To repitch audio from a MIDI track, play back MIDI notes from the instrument track.

Repitching in Logic Pro

You can use MIDI notes on an instrument track to trigger Topline Vocal Tune, or you can play notes live with your MIDI controller.

1. Create an audio track and an instrument track.
2. On your audio track, set the output to No Output.
3. Click the Instrument input slot, then choose Topline Vocal Tune from the AU MIDI-controlled effects submenu.
4. At the top right corner of the Topline Vocal Tune plugin header, click Logic's Side Chain drop menu and choose the audio track you want to tune.
5. Select the software instrument track containing Topline Vocal Tune to enable incoming MIDI on the track.

Play your audio. To repitch audio live, press a key on your MIDI controller. Topline Vocal Tune repitches the audio to that note, using the plugin's Speed and Natural values.

To repitch audio from an instrument track, play back MIDI notes from the instrument track.

Repitching in Pro Tools

You can use MIDI notes on a MIDI track to trigger Topline Vocal Tune, or you can play notes live with your MIDI controller.

1. Create an audio track and a MIDI track.
2. Add Topline Vocal Tune on your audio track.
3. Set the MIDI track input to your MIDI Controller and "all channels" or a specific channel.
4. Click the output of your MIDI track, and choose the audio track on which Topline Vocal Tune is inserted, then from the submenu, choose UADx Topline Vocal Tune, and the MIDI channel (for example, "channel-1").

Play your audio. To repitch audio live, press a key on your MIDI controller. Topline Vocal Tune repitches the audio to the played note, using the plugin's Speed and Natural values.

To repitch audio from the MIDI track, play back MIDI notes from the track.