How to Autotune in Logic Pro X

Using the stock Pitch Correction plugin or a third-party option, you can autotune vocals or other instruments in Logic Pro X. You can also use the Flex Pitch feature to adjust and correct individual notes, but that isn’t exactly autotuning. 

I’m Donovan, a longtime musician with years of experience writing, recording, and producing. I use Logic Pro X as my main DAW and am very familiar with all of the tools and functions that the app provides, including its autotune features. 

This post will show you how to autotune in Logic Pro X. I’ll provide you with some instructions to put the stock plugin that functions as an autotune on your tracks and provide you with some other information to keep in mind along the way. 

Let’s get rolling. 

Key Takeaways

  • The stock autotune plugin in Logic Pro X is called Pitch Correction. You can install this plugin onto a track’s channel strip and use it to autotune vocals. 
  • You can also purchase third-party autotune plugins which give you more control and precision over autotuning. 
  • There is also a feature in Logic Pro X called Flex Pitch, which enables you to fine-tune the pitch of individual notes. This isn’t quite autotuning, but it’s still good to know about.

How to Autotune in Logic Pro X

The most common way to autotune in Logic Pro X is to use the stock Pitch Correction plugin that comes with the app. It’s a very easy-to-use plugin that will allow you to autotune vocals and other recorded audio. 

To use Pitch Correction, you must install the Pitch Correction plugin onto the channel strip of the track you want autotune effects on. This is simple to do, and you can check out my other post on how to use pitch correction in Logic Pro X for detailed directions.

But here is a breakdown of the steps to help you open autotune in Logic Pro X. If you have experience using Logic, this will get you pointed in the right direction. If you are unfamiliar with it, check out the link above for an in-depth look. 

1. Open the Logic Pro X project to which you want to add autotune. 

2. Press the X key to open up the mixer view to see the channel strip. 

3. Click on an open plugin slot in the Audio FX channel strip. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac) 

4. Select Pitch > Pitch Correction

5. Select Stereo. You also have the option of choosing Dual Mono which might be a preference you have – it just depends on the type of recording you are doing. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac)

The Pitch Correction plugin will now be installed on the track. The controls for the plugin should appear when you install it onto the channel strip, but if not, you can double-click on its channel slot to make it show up. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac)

You can make adjustments to the autotune settings from the Pitch Correction window. The main thing you need to know is to set the root and scale so the plugin knows what key the song you are correcting is in. This will lead to better-sounding autotune vocals. 

Again, check out my more in-depth breakdown of how to control autotune using the Pitch Correction plugin here. 

Flex Pitch Logic Pro X

Flex Pitch is another way you can fine-tune vocals or other instruments in Logic Pro X. It’s not exactly autotuning because it isn’t automatic – you need to turn this feature on and then go through each not you want to adjust. 

But even though it’s not technically autotuning, I still wanted to include a section on how to use it here because it’s a tool that can be used similarly to Pitch Correction to help you make vocals or any other parts of your tracks sound more in tune. 

If you don’t want the autotune effect on an entire track, using Flex Pitch is a great way to touch up vocals without making them seem heavily processed. 

Follow these steps to use Flex Pitch in Logic Pro X. 

1. Open a new or existing Logic Pro X project on which you want to use Flex Pitch. 

2. Click the Flex icon to display the flex settings on the track. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac)

3. Click on the Flex drop-down menu and select Flex Pitch from the available options. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac)

4. Click on the Flex icon in the track window as well. Logic will scan the vocal track and display the notes rather than a waveform like in the image below. 

(Screenshot taken in Logic Pro X on my Mac)

5. You can now go through the song note-by-not and make any adjustments to the pitch that you want. All you need to do is click on the note and drag it up to raise the tone or drag it down to lower it. This is similar to the Piano Roll feature if you are familiar with that.   

Best Autotune for Logic Pro X 

The Pitch Correction plugin works pretty well, but you might want to explore other options if you use autotune often or are a serious producer who just wants more tools at your disposal. 

Two of the best third-party autotune plugins are Antares Autotune Pro and Melodyne. These plugins will give you tremendous power over pitch correction and autotuning, and they are solid options all around. 

Once you download and install these third-party plugins, you follow the same process mentioned above for installing them onto a track. Logic will recognize them as any other plugin you have installed. 

The downside is that you’ll need to buy them if you want full access. That’s usually no big deal for working producers, but dishing out extra cash for plugins might not be ideal if you are a struggling musician. 

But if you only need to use pitch correction and autotune every once in a while, stick with the stock plugins in Logic Pro X because they are more than capable of most basic autotuning needs.    

FAQs 

Here are a few quick answers to some of the most commonly asked questions relating to how to autotune in Logic Pro X. 

How do you autotune while recording with Logic?

You can use the autotune feature while recording if you have the Pitch Correction plugin or other autotune plugin installed on the vocal channel. Just make sure that the plugin is turned on before you hit record. 

Should I record with autotune or add it after?

In most situations, you should add autotune after you record. You don’t want to rely on autotune or pitch correction when you are making a vocal track because this can lead to poor performance. You can record with autotune if you are going for that autotune effect. 

How do you open Autotune Pro in Logic Pro X? 

If you have the Autotune Pro plugin installed on your Mac, then Logic should recognize it as a plugin. To open it, install the plugin on a track and make sure it’s turned on. You can double-click the plugin in the channel strip to access its controls.  

Final Thoughts

Autotune is a good plugin to use in Logic Pro X when you want to increase the tuning of vocals or any other track that isn’t entirely on pitch. And the Pitch Correction plugin in Logic helps you accomplish this quickly and easily. 

The third-party plugins mentioned here are also worth exploring if you want to increase your autotuning capabilities. Just make sure you really need for them before spending your money on extra plugins!

Have you ever used Pitch Correction or Flex Pitch in a Logic Pro X project? How did the project turn out? Let me know in the comments below.

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