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This is an AUv3 compatible effect plugin which is intended for use inside your favourite DAW such as Cubasis, Auria, Meteor, AUM or GarageBand etc. The Vocal Harmonizer plugin was specifically. FabFilter Pro-DS. FabFilter Pro-DS is easily my go-to de-esser. For a long time, I was actually. Quick reminder; you can find GarageBand’s ‘advanced’ Compressor in the SmartControl’s ‘Plugins’ menu. Variation #1 – Laid Back Compression The aim here is not to squash or really even bring the Vocals to the front of the mix – they’re designed to simply catch the.
Known for its multi-functionality, GarageBand is one of the most popular software among the audio blogger community. And it is not just GarageBand’s versatility but also the fact that this virtual audio recording studio is an easy-to-use tool. GarageBand for Mac OS comes loaded with a hefty number of plugins and effects that you can use to shape your sounds and mix your projects to a professional level. You can easily access the said plugins by clicking on the virtual GarageBand amplifier and opening up the cabinet. Each music effect has several variations to it. A simple example would be the Clean tone effect. GarageBand provides over 100 different clean tone effects. To name a few, they are A-List Clean, Ballad Clean, Clean power, Custom Studio Clean, Creamsickle Clean, Designer Tweed Clean, HeadRoom Clean, etc. Most users find the plugin that they are looking for in GarageBand itself. However, the best thing about GarageBand is that you can easily install various audio unit plugins. If you are looking for a particular plugin effect that GarageBand does not already have, you can simply import the plugin of your choice and drag and drop in onto the project that you are working on. The following list is about 10 best audio unit plugins that you can easily install and use in GarageBand.
- There you have it — our favorite VST plug-ins for vocals. With these processors in your plug-in folder, your vocal tracks are sure to sound better than ever. If you have any questions about vocal plug-ins, our knowledgeable Sales Engineers are chock-full of expert advice. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700, and we’ll be happy to help you out!
- The 16 best free GarageBand plugins. By David Biedny 28 May 2015. You can also use AU effects on any GarageBand track - recorded vocals and guitars, for example - as well as entire songs (the.
Although GarageBand is filled with several types of synths, effects, guitar amps, etc., there is no such thing as too much when it comes to making better music. Plug-ins are those bits of software programs that can be installed as add-ons and employed in supporting a specific function. Similar to many other digital audio workstations, GarageBand allows the installation of plug-ins to make the experience of audio recording better.
- iZOTOPE: First up, we have an incredibly powerful yet intuitive audio unit plugin called the iZOTOPE. This plugin can be downloaded for free from the iZOTOPE website. The team behind developing this plugin are the same guys responsible for industry-standard plugin for in the box mastering called Ozone. The audio plugin comes with a tool called the vocal doubler. It is designed to enhance your vocal recordings by giving it a significant volume and bass boost. The overall effect created from the plugin doubles the power of the vocals and goes a long way in increasing the richness of the sound. The interface only comprises a slider so it is not difficult to work your way around it either.
- FilterJam: This audio unit plugin has been designed and developed by a company called AudioThing. It works like magic when it comes to enhancing or highlighting certain sections of your song. The knobs also assist in editing and mixing. FilterJam is a multi-band resonant filter that has a big knob for adjusting frequency. The other knobs dedicated to mixing are Emphasis, Gain, and Mix. When it comes to synth sounds, these effects take up a crucial role in adjusting the brightness or depth of the tone in question. Alongside vocals, this audio unit plugin proves very effective in balancing stringed instrument sounds.
- Phazor: Developed by Adam Szabo, Phazor is a fully customisable phaser effect that emulates the effect found in the popular Virus Synthesizer. The plugin has a 6 stage all-pass filters controlled by an LFP with spread and feedback controls. When it comes to CPU usage, Phasor takes up as less memory space as possible. So, if you want to use several layers of this plugin to create a mixture of effects, you can easily do so. Some of the knobs that come with this plugin are Frequency, Pitch, and Spread. The Depth control adds richness to tones.
- AbleTunes Drive Knob: The AbleTunes Drive Knob is a simple music effect that adds heavy distortion to the track it is applied to. It is mainly used to add a great deal of bite to percussion loops as well as drummer tracks. Especially the drum kicks can be heavily ramped up by increasing the drive. The throbbing effect that it produces is commonly used in the rock and metal genres. Designed by AbleTunes, the Drive knob is one of the three free audio unit plugins that are widely used by composers and music producers around the world.
- AbleTune Attack Knob: Another one of the three Attack AbleTunes audio unit plugins that can be downloaded and installed into GarageBand for free is the Attack knob. It works as a stereo transient shaper that affects the attack section of a waveform. Suggestive from the name, this effect mainly caters to the highest points of a sound wave by adding some punch. This effect can be best noticed when used on stringed instruments but is conventionally used on drum loops. If you want to experiment with this plugin, try using it on stringed instruments to give them an extra push to the front of your mix.
- AbleTune Space Knob: The Space knob is the last of the three AbleTunes audio unit plugins. It is not as complicated as the other two knobs and simply adds room reverb when the knob is twisted clockwise and vice versa. As the knob controls reverb settings, it can be used with tracks and audio recordings of all kinds. If you want to understand the dynamics of the plugin, you can try twisting and turning the knob on a simple acoustic guitar track. The Space Knob, when used together with the Attack and Drive Knobs, creates a unique effect that is much needed for your song to stand out of the box. There is no perfect combination that you can refer to. You need to cater to the requirements of the song to create that symmetric balance.
- LABS: LABS is recognized as one of the best plugin software for any digital audio workstation including GarageBand. It started as an experiment with sound waves to generate unique effects by Spitfire Audio. What started out with just one synthesizer and produced sleighbell sounds has been transformed into 23 virtual instruments. Some of them include modular piano, synth pads, dulcimer, pedal pads, etc. LABS has been used by Hans Zimmer, one of the greatest music composers alive, in several of his projects. The richness and depth of sound are incomparable.
- Synth- PG-8X: If you are looking for a classical synthesizer that has all of the retro tunes and styles in it, this is your audio plugin to go to. The PG – 8X was essentially developed to simulate Roland keyboards and music style. The 80s and 90s funk, rock, and blues tones are the most used ones of this plugin. Along with tones comes a huge virtual mixer that allows you to transform the music you are making. Right from pitch correction to reverb to treble and audio gain, the PG – 8X synth has it all and much more. It also focuses a great deal on the richness of the tone to make sure it is thick and deep enough.
- Clap Machine: The Clap Machine lets you create a live audience within a few seconds literally by turning a few knobs. This audio unit plugin finds a lot of use outside of the music industry as well. American sitcoms in the 90s extensively used this feature to input audience claps after every punchline. The clap machine is also used sometimes when editing recordings of live shows by top artists to give the audience a volume boost. The four knobs attached to the plugin’s interface are Attack, release, volume, and reverb. You can also produce finger snap sounds that are extensively used in acoustic numbers.
- PitchProof: Pitch proof is a Digital Whammy Pedal used by guitarists (both lead and bassists). Suggestive from the name, the main function of this pedal is to control the pitch of the audio. Developed by Aegean Music, this audio-plugin can be downloaded for free from the Aegean Music website and imported onto GarageBand. A simple correlation to understand this effect is the pitch bend slider of a keyboard. You can create extremely funky beats and sounds by pulling up and stretching out the pitch of an audio track. The two knobs present on the interface are Blend and Detune. While the Blend option mellows down the tone, the Detune knob completely distorts the pitch. It might seem bizarre to put in effect in practice but accidental notes are essentially a culmination of intentionally playing off-tune notes in a song.
Plugins can be easily installed in GarageBand from several websites. Here are the steps to install a plugin:
- Click on the MAC AU file and download the zip version.
Keep the downloaded file on the desktop to be able to drop it into the library later. - Once the download is complete, double click on the Zip file.
- Now go to ‘settings’ on the top left-hand side, and click on “GO” on your computer’s home screen.
- During this part, press-hold the “options” key on your keyboard to bring up “library” in the drop-down menu.
- Next, find the “audio” folder in the “library”. Open up the “Plug-ins” folder within and double click on the “Components” file.
- This way the downloaded plugin is on your home screen, and you can simply drag and drop the component into the “Components” file.
- The new plug-in can be found in the Smart Control’s plug-in settings in GarageBand. However, before that, restart your computer, to ensure the downloaded file opens up easily.
- Once the computer restarts, open up GarageBand.
- Go to the Smart Controls to see the installed plug-ins.
- Click on the Available plugins, to see all the newly-installed plugins.
Plug-IN Conclusion:
GarageBand plays a very significant part in the making of a musician. Using all these plugins provides help to accelerate the artists in their goals. Best of all, most of these plugins are available online, free-of-cost, with few exceptions. Where beginners can use the free versions to learn the skills, professional podcasters and musicians use paid plugins on creating some of the most excellent work with the Mac apps curated to significantly extend the possibilities of your Mac. The app is also now available for users to get on their pc, check the guide here.
With so many options readily available, you can create a place for yourself in the audio blogging or music industry.
With so many options readily available, you can create a place for yourself in the audio blogging or music industry.
When recording, mixing, and producing vocals, there are a lot of things that can be done to drastically change the nature of the vocal track, some of which I’ve explored in my guide. For example, you could apply a compressor, an EQ, a limiter, delay, or just reverb.
You could even set-up a phaser or comb-filtering effect for something a bit out of the ordinary. Other users like to “pitch” their vocals, which is another way of saying increasing the pitch like what can be heard in “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” but not everyone knows how to do it.
To pitch vocals in Garageband, select the vocal track that you want to change, and then go down into its plug-ins in the Smart Control section. Select “Pitch” from the drop-down menu, and then “Pitch Shifter.” You can adjust by how many semi-tones the vocals have been increased from 0 to 12.
There are other ways to pitch your vocals in Garageband, however, there is no question that this is the easiest way of going about it. In this tutorial, I’m going to walk you through a step-by-step process for how to pitch your vocals using the Pitch Shifter, the Vocal Transformer, in addition to an external plug-in like Melodyne 5 from Celemony which you can get for a great price on Plug-in Boutique.
3 Methods For Pitching Vocals in Garageband – A Step-By-Step Guide
1) Using the Pitch Shifter to Pitch Vocals in Garageband
Pitching your vocals means to increase or decrease the pitch of the vocal track by a certain amount of semi-tones or tones, and it can be done with the default plug-ins available in Garageband, notably, the Pitch Shifter which can be found in the “Pitch” sub-heading within Garageband’s plug-ins in the Smart Controls.
A) Select or Highlight Your Vocal Track
This is the same process for adjusting nearly any other plug-in in Garageband. What you want to do is select the software instrument or audio track region by simply clicking on it. When it has been selected, the track region will turn a light grey color, similar to what can be seen in the image below:
B) Go Down into the Plugins in the Smart Controls
To do this, you can either hit “B” on your keyboard to bring up the Smart Control with your track region selected, or you can simply click on the region in question. Either one will bring up the Smart Controls where the plug-ins can be found.
C) Click on the Plugin Slot and Choose the Category, “Pitch”
Once you’ve brought up the plug-ins in the Smart Control section, click on the right-hand side of the empty slot or a slot that has a plugin in it already and bring up the menu which is going to show all of the different types available, including “Dynamics,” “Amps and Pedals,” “Distortion,” “EQ,” and many others.
D) Select “Pitch Shifter”
Select the category, “Pitch,” and then you’ll be given two different options, “Pitch Shifter,” and “Vocal Transformer.” Truthfully, either one will work for getting the effect that you want, however, using the “Pitch Shifter” is the easiest one.
E) Set Up The Pitch Shifter
After you’ve chosen the Pitch Shifter, there are a couple of different parameters to play with, including “Semi-Tones,” and “Mix.” How you want your vocals to sound is up to you, but the one rule of thumb that I would use for increasing the pitch in this regard is to have the “Mix” set to 100% because this will ensure that none of the original signals will shine through.
Go ahead and set the “Semi-Tones” parameter to around 12 semi-tones, and then set the Mix to “100%,” and you can see how it sounds a lot like Alvin and the Chipmunks.
This is the first way of pitching your vocals using Garageband, however, there are other ways of going about it as well, in fact, I think the following tactic might even be the best one in terms of the way the audio actually sounds when it’s all said and done.
2) Using the Vocal Transformer to Pitch Your Vocals
To set up the Vocal Transformer, you just have to follow the same process shown above, but choose the Vocal Transformer instead of the Pitch Shifter, and you can see that this plug-in is a bit different.
There are two different parameters on this plug-in, the “Pitch,” and the “Formant.” The first one is self-explanatory, in that it merely adjusts the pitch by what I believe are tones. The “Formant,” on the other hand, is actually how you get that “Alvin and the Chipmunks” sound which can sound really cute and cool at the same time.
Adjust the “Pitch” to around +1, and then set the “Formant to around +12, and you can see how it sounds. Conversely, you can set the “Pitch” to the same amount and then drop the “Formant” down to +0, and you can see how it merely pushes the pitch up by one tone but doesn’t add the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” style sound.
Play around with this to find the sound that you want, but to get that high-pitched cute sound you may be looking for, I would recommend setting up the Vocal Transformer’s “Pitch” to +12 and then the “Formant,” to around +12 as well. And this is the second way of changing the pitch of your vocals in Garageband. There is one final way of doing it.
3) Using Melodyne to Pitch Your Vocals in Garageband
Using Melodyne is the best way of changing the pitch of a note in Garageband, however, if you’re looking for the pitch-change to come along with that cutesy Chipmunk vibe, then don’t use it.
Melodyne is more for adjusting the pitch of notes while retaining the natural human quality, rather than as an effect like what can be heard from using the Pitch Shifter or the Vocal Transformer.
Using Melodyne is very easy to do, but if you haven’t done so already, don’t fret because I’ll make sure to walk you through it. The first step is to download the plug-in using my guide and then simply hit the transfer button in Melodyne after you’ve set it up in the plug-ins of the vocal track’s Smart Controls.
A) Hit the Transfer Button to Record Your Vocals
With the vocal track selected and ready to go, open up Melodyne in the plugins of the Smart Controls, and then hit the red “Transfer” button to begin recording your vocals into Melodyne so it can work its magic. Once you’ve done that, you just have to select all of the notes.
B) Select All the Notes and Then Drag Them Up One or Two Octaves
After you’ve selected every single note in Melodyne, you just want to drag them up as many notes as you want. It’s important to pay attention to the first note of the vocal recording. For example, in the image, you can see below, the first note is a “Bb.”
To move them up one octave, grab the notes and then drag them all so the first note is the Bb above the first one. This means you’ve moved everything up exactly one octave. As I already mentioned above, this is a great way to change the pitch, but it’s not the best if you want the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” vibe.
Other Ways to Pitch Shift Vocals in Garageband
The three tactics above are just a few ways of going about this process, however, there are others too, including Pitch Shifter from Devious Machines which you can find on Plugin Boutique.
YouTube Video Tutorial
Garageband Vocal Plugins
Conclusion
Garageband Plug In
And that’s all for this tutorial. It’s really not that difficult to pitch shift your vocal recordings, in fact, it just takes a few seconds, regardless if you choose the Pitch Shifter or the Vocal Transformer. How you go about it changes only slightly if you’ve used one or the other.
Garageband Vocal Plug-ins
To pitch vocals in Garageband, you just have to use the “Pitch Shifter” or the “Vocal Transformer” within the Smart Control’s plugins, and then adjust either the “Pitch” and the “Mix,” if you’re using the Pitch Shifter, or the “Pitch” and the “Formant” if you’re using the Vocal Transformer.