Waves Tune Real-Time

Name: Waves Tune Real-Time
Price: 39.99 USD
Author: Waves

by Waves · Pitch & Tuning · Real-time, low latency

vst3s Score 8.4/10 · rated #8 of 10 pitch & tuning

Ultra-low-latency automatic tuning that singers can track and perform through, in the studio or on stage.

It is the budget alternative to Auto-Tune for the hard-tuned sound.

Best for: Vocals. Genres: Hip-Hop & Trap, Pop, R&B & Soul.

Keywords: low latency, vocals, live performance, tracking, mixing, subscription, transparent.

What it does

Waves Tune Real-Time is an automatic pitch corrector built for very low latency, so singers can track and perform through it in the studio or on stage.

Low latency: 0-4 ms of processing delay, suitable for live monitoring.
Speed and Note Transition: set how quickly correction kicks in (fast for the hard-tuned effect, slower for transparent correction) and how notes behave between phrases.
Scales: pick a key and scale, including custom and non-Western scales, or send target notes over MIDI.
Formant and vibrato: formant correction keeps the voice natural when shifting, and vibrato can be damped or exaggerated.
Live use: runs on Waves' live platforms.

It's also included in Waves' Essential and Ultimate subscriptions.

Source: Waves product page

When to use it

Tune Real-Time is the budget route to Auto-Tune-style automatic correction with almost no delay. It covers the same ground as Auto-Tune Pro 11's Auto Mode and MetaTune, without a graphical editor or harmony player, and costs far less, especially in Waves' frequent sales. Like Graillon 3's free edition, it is a low-cost option.

Best for: tracking and live vocals through tuning, quick hard-tune, and light monitoring chains.
Genres: hip-hop, trap, pop and R&B, plus live shows.
Look elsewhere if: you need detailed note-by-note editing (Melodyne 5, RePitch 2) or a more modern feature set for vocal stacks (MetaTune).
Tip: the plugin is only as low-latency as your system, so drop the DAW buffer size when tracking through it.

What producers say

Well reviewed at launch and very popular with Waves users.

Sound On Sound (John Walden, 2017) found it competitive with Auto-Tune Live on quality, with latency low enough for live use if the rest of the system is set up for it.
Music Connection (Barry Rudolph, 2016) liked the instantly understandable interface and support for non-Western scales, in the studio and for live mixing.
Waves' store shows around 1,880 user reviews averaging 4.7 stars.
Gripes: SOS noted it needs a low-latency setup and "will not rescue someone who really can't sing".

Where to buy

Sweetwater: $39.99 (regular $49.99)
PluginFox: $39.99
Best Service: $45.13
Plugin Boutique: $49.99 (regular $199)
AudioDeluxe: $49.99 (regular $199)
Waves: see store (Price changes with Waves' weekly sales)

Tutorials and reviews

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