Live auto-tune on your computer: how to connect mic, headphones and mixer
Live pitch correction no longer needs a hardware rack: your computer is enough. But if the mic, headphones or mixer are wired wrong you get delay, feedback or two voices. Here is how to connect everything, for every setup.
In short: to correct your voice live with a computer you need three things: the mic must reach the software, the singer must hear themselves on headphones, and the unprocessed voice must never reach the speakers. Use wired headphones, never Bluetooth, turn off your audio interface's "direct monitor" and, with a USB mixer, don't let its return go back into the computer. A vocal processor like MicTune, free on Mac, Windows and Linux, does the rest.
The three rules
- The mic reaches the computer. It can be the built-in one, a USB mic, an audio interface or a USB mixer.
- The singer hears themselves on headphones, already corrected. If the dry voice also reaches the headphones, it covers the tuned one.
- The unprocessed voice never reaches the speakers. Otherwise the audience hears two voices, one out of tune.
Pick your setup
Just the computer (laptop or iMac)
Built-in mic (or a webcam or USB mic) and wired headphones on the computer's jack. Never the speakers: the mic picks up voice and backing track and you get feedback.
USB mic (Shure MV7, Rode NT-USB, Blue Yeti…)
Plug the mic in via USB and the headphones into the computer's jack, or the mic's own jack if it has one. In the software pick the USB mic as input and the headphones as output.
Audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett, Audient, MOTU, Universal Audio…)
- Mic in input 1. Turn on +48V phantom power only for condenser mics.
- Turn off "Direct monitor": otherwise you also hear your dry, uncorrected voice.
- Headphones and speakers on the interface. In the software: input = the interface, channel 1; outputs = the interface.
USB mixer (Yamaha MG-XU, Behringer XENYX USB, Soundcraft Notepad…)
These mixers send their whole stereo mix to the computer, so the return from the computer must not go back in:
| On the mixer | Setting |
|---|---|
| Mic channel | sent to the ST mix, so it reaches the computer |
| USB return channel (e.g. 11/12 "USB") | ST off, sent to GROUP 1-2, so it doesn't go back into the computer |
| Speakers / PA | connected to GROUP OUT, not the ST master |
| ST master | at 0 dB: it feeds USB to the computer |
| Singer's headphones | on the computer's jack: the mixer PHONES carry the dry voice |
What to avoid
- Bluetooth headphones or speakers (AirPods and the like): they add 100–200 ms of delay and, if you use their mic, quality drops.
- Hearing your own voice "live" in the room or from the mixer's headphones: it covers the corrected one.
Recommended levels
- Mic input: when you sing loud it should reach about ¾, never stay at the top. Set the gain on the interface or mixer.
- Low cut at 100–150 Hz: removes the bass and the 808 leaking into the mic.
- Buffer at 64 samples for the lowest latency; 128 if you hear clicks.
Natural or effect?
Natural correction brings your voice to the centre of the note and keeps vibrato and slides, like today's records: with correction at 70–85% more of your own voice remains. The effect is the deliberate robotic snap of trap. Speed decides how audible it is: 0–8 ms is obvious, 20–40 ms is almost invisible.
Correction moves each note to the nearest note of the scale, so the key must match the song. If you want the melody's exact notes, send it as MIDI notes: Vocalis, for example, sends it by itself from karaoke files.
With MicTune
MicTune does all of this in one app: it takes the backing track from YouTube, Spotify or VLC with no cables, Auto-configure (Settings › Audio & Mixer) picks the best combination of the connected devices, and CALIBRATE removes the correction from the backing track leaking into the mic. Then pick a preset, such as Melodic Rap, and sing.
MicTune is an independent project, not affiliated with Antares Audio Technologies, owner of the Auto-Tune® trademark.
Frequently asked questions
Can I correct my voice live without hardware?
Yes. A computer with a vocal processor like MicTune, a mic and wired headphones is enough. Audio interfaces and USB mixers are only needed for higher quality or a PA.
Why do I hear my voice late?
Almost always because of Bluetooth headphones or speakers, which add 100–200 ms. Use wired headphones and keep the buffer at 64 or 128 samples.
Why do I hear two voices, one corrected and one not?
The dry voice also reaches your headphones: turn off the interface's "direct monitor" or, with a mixer, listen from the computer's jack instead of the mixer PHONES.
I hear the correction on the backing track: why?
The mic is picking up the speakers. Lower them, use headphones and, in MicTune, press CALIBRATE and stay silent for 3 seconds.