Want to jump straight to the answer? The best Melodyne alternative for most people is definitely Waves Tune.
In a perfect world there would be no war, no attacks from vicious Karens, and vocalists would sing their parts correctly. Unfortunately, we live in no such world and that’s why pitch correction was invented. Now it has its uses for over-exaggerated effect on certain styles, like what T-Pain is known for. Or it can be used simply to clean up an almost perfect vocal pass.
Now each type of program we will be discussing has multiple versions and levels of pricing. For all purposes of this information, we will be discussing the full (and most expensive) versions of each option.
Melodyne 5 Alternatives Highlighted
- Auto Tune Pro (Try Free on Soundtrap) – best for pop and electronic applications
- Waves Tune – best for price
- Newtone – best for FL Studio users
- Flex Pitch – best for Logic Pro users
Melodyne 5 Quick Review
Melodyne 5 has made a huge name for itself especially in 2012 when they received the technical Grammy. They are one of my personal favorites and have proven their worth time and time again.
Why Users Like Melodyne:
- Note Based Audio Editing – Instead of the edits being based around a waveform, in Melodyne you work with the notes of your music.
- Multi Track Note Editing – You can edit the notes of multiple instruments at a time.
- Tools and Macros – With Melodyne, you have the ability to alter more than just the notes, you have the tools and ability to fix the dynamics, grooves, and even more.
- Sample Matching – With the Editor and Studio editions, you can transform any sample in your library to match the key of the song you are working in.
- Dynamic Range – Within chords and every other aspect, you can affect the dynamics of every note.
Compatibility:
- Mac
- Windows
- 10
Price:
- Essential – $99
- Assistant – $299
- Editor – $499
- Studio – $849
Melodyne Users:
- Scott Chesak (Weezer, All American Rejects, Panic at the Disco)
- Andrew Bolooki (Vocal Producer of “Old Town Road Remix”)
- Mick Schultz (Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson)
1. Auto-Tune Pro (Try Free on Soundtrap)
You know you have made an amazing product when people call pitch correction “Auto Tuning.” Antares has made a household name out of their product while making Auto-Tune Pro applicable to almost every genre.
Features Like Melodyne:
- Graph Mode – In this mode, you can affect every mode related to a performance from pitch correction even to timing.
- Auto-key – This is one of my favorite modes, which detects the key of your project and will input that information into every instance of Auto-Tune in said project.
- Humanize and Throat Modeling – Between these two facets, you can create and transform your vocals from extremely natural and clear to extreme opposites for a creative touch.
Compatibility:
- Mac
- 10.11 – 10.15
- Windows
- 8.1 – 10
Price:
- Access – $99
- Artist – $299
- Pro – $399
Auto-Tune Users:
- Nathaniel Alford (Kanye, Travis Scott)
- Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash, Prince)
- Rance Dopson (Sam Smith, Justin Timberlake)
2. Waves Tune
Waves Tune is from one of everyone’s favorite companies, Waves. They have become an industry standard when it comes to plugins, sales, and overall ability of their products.
Features Like Melodyne:
- Note Based Audio Editing – Just like with Melodyne, you can work on your pitch correction with a note based system.
- Tools – There are a multitude of tools for you to use that will help smooth out transitions and make all of the changes you will need.
- MIDI – Waves Tune can receive as well as export midi signal to set the desired notes for all of your parts.
Compatibility:
- Mac
- 10.12.6 – 10.15
- Windows
- 10 (64 BIT)
Price:
- Waves Tune – $249
- Waves Tune LT – $99
Always remember to watch for sales on Waves because more often than not you will find a better deal than the full price.
Waves Users:
- Chris Baseford (Nickelback, Shinedown, Avril Lavigne)
- Marcella Araica (Missy Elliot, Madonna, Usher)
- Ben Baptie (Lady Gaga, Rex Orange County)
3. Newtone
Newtone is a fully integrated part of FL Studio. It can only be used with FL Studio, but this could be the exact excuse you need to switch over to a new DAW.
Features Like Melodyne:
- Auto Correct – You can setup Newtone to correct the pitches in the track automatically or you could simply have it show suggestions for the nearest semitone.
- Drag and Drop – It is now easier than ever to import the track you wish to work on by simply dropping it into the program.
- Harmony Creation – In Newtone you can create and apply whole harmonies to your song as well as create new sound designs.
Compatibility:
- Mac
- 10.13.6 or later
- Windows
- 8.1, 10 or later
Price:
- $99
4. Flex Pitch
Flex Pitch comes with Logic Pro, but even as a stock plugin it has some great attributes that will make you use it.
Features Like Melodyne:
- Flex Mode – You can turn on flex mode and enable it or disable it for whichever tracks you would prefer.
- Note Based – When Flex Pitch is enabled, you can look at the tracks in a note mode to more easily edit the pitch.
- Quantization – You can quantize your notes in multiple ways from scale to gain level.
Compatibility:
- Mac
Price:
- Included with Logic Pro
Logic Pro Users:
- Oak Felder (Demi Lovato, Eminem, Nicki Minaj)
- Daft Punk (Electronic, EDM)
- David Guetta (EDM, House Music, Dance Pop)
A Little Help
Pitch correction has in some ways made it too easy for a singer to nail a “perfect” take. But at the same time, it has opened a whole new world of sound design and creation. Sometimes, a singer will record a pass that has all of the emotion that the song needs, but there was one flat note that they hit. You don’t want to have to try again hoping they get the same emotion while looking for that correct note. Like the song says, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”
If you are wanting to learn more about other plugins and effects, take a look into our library of reviews and insight here.
Jarrett is a hardcore Lover-Jazz Lover-Rock Lover-Blues Lover-just a music lover. He has the hair to match — Jarrett and provides in-depth insight into all things guitar and music engineering.