Vocal causing Artifacts/Disortion when using Vocal Doubler/Auto-Tune

[Krystian]

So my problem is that I have strange distortions, artifacts, something like distortion in the vocals. This happens with two types of plugins: autotune and vocal doubler. The problem appears with every version of autotune from Antares, Waves, and even Reatune (since I’m working in Reaper).

It also happens with the vocal doubler on both the right and left panning. I’ve checked these plugins on sends, tested them individually, meaning I had only the autotune or only the vocal doubler in the FX chain. I’ve checked the sample rate, tried different microphones, different interfaces, and even bought a new Mac Mini M4 512GB, but the problem still occurs on this new hardware. I wouldn't blame it on the GPU; an important thing to note is that it also happens with acapella tracks from the internet or with other people's vocals from other computers.

Below, I’ll attach samples on Google Drive so you can hear what it sounds like.

I would really appreciate help because I honestly don’t know what to do. I’m recording rap vocals, my own.

My setup is: RODE NT1-A, AUDIENT ID4 MK2, ATH-M50x headphones.

it’s definitely not any phasing or anything like that because it’s abnormal to have strange distortion in one of the headphones while using Auto-Tune, or to have weird artifacts in the vocals when there are pitch/tonal changes in Auto-Tune (the closer to the Note Transition 0.1, the more artifacts appear). Speed 0.1 or 8.0 doesn’t change it, but the note transition does. It's not normal as most people would think that more extreme settings cause more artifacts, because my friend has exactly the same plugin, the same microphone, and doesn’t experience any of the artifacts I’m getting! For example, I’m using AutoTune Waves Real-time and Vocal Doubler by iZotope.
These are legal plugins, not cracked ones. I’ve also seen theories suggesting issues with cracked plugins, but these are compatible with my system (Sequoia 15.3).

I really don’t know what to do – I’ve checked different XLR cables, thinking it might be the microphone, switched microphones, and still, it’s happening. I also tried a different interface – still the same! I really don’t know what to do, please help.

(better listen in headphones, but you will catch it 100% even without)
EXAMPLE ON VOCAL DOUBLER:
CLEAR VOCAL WITHOUT VOCAL DOUBLER : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k66NWp ... sp=sharing
VOCAL ISSUE (better listen in headphones, but you will catch it 100% even without) : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jfnBX3 ... sp=sharing

EXAMPLE ON AUTOTUNE:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GsZ1wp ... sp=sharing

"I've added a few more screenshots below – maybe this will help someone find the issue. Thank you from the bottom of my heart

https:*?*?*/SDJMT2Qq
https:*?*?*/CsmMRTt7
https:*?*?*/9Hx4Z4Fr
https:*?*?*/XrRXnHw7






Edited to display images correctly. - Andy

[alexis]

Hi,

If you make the double progressively more different than the dry vocal (tuning, timing, formant) do the artifacts progressively get less and less (and vice versa)?

I couldn't open up the docs on my phone; I hope to listen to the audio soon.

[Krystian]

Hi! Regardless of editing the Doubler, I still have this problem. Best regards!

[Drew Stephenson]

Your picture links don't work I'm afraid. This forum doesn't host any content so you'll need to find somewhere else to host and then link here.

Listening to the samples there are three potential things I'd be checking first:
1) Gain staging, is the output from one plugin overdriving something further down the chain?
2) Buffer size, what's your current buffer and what happens if you make it larger?
3) CPU usage, similar to the above, check your performance meter in Reaper, what's it showing?

[zenguitar]

I've corrected the image links in the original post.

You linked to the page showing the image. You needed to right click on the image and use the copy image address option to link direct to the image.

Also, you needed to insert those links inside individual image tags.

Andy

[Krystian]

Your picture links don't work I'm afraid. This forum doesn't host any content so you'll need to find somewhere else to host and then link here.

Listening to the samples there are three potential things I'd be checking first:
1) Gain staging, is the output from one plugin overdriving something further down the chain?
2) Buffer size, what's your current buffer and what happens if you make it larger?
3) CPU usage, similar to the above, check your performance meter in Reaper, what's it showing?

1) There is no option buddy, i mean i always look for that, gain in every single situation is okay!

2) it happens on every buffer size, no matter it's 64 or 2048 :/

3) i mean its mac mini m4 from 2024 i guess, i check performance and everything looks perfect - i don't have any crazy CPU usage showing on.

[alexis]

Any chance the addition of the doubled track to the dry one is causing clipping at the master bus?

If I wanted to check that, I'd run audio statistics on the 2nd clip (i.e., the dry plus doubled one) you listed, looking for any peak dBFS levels that exceed -1.0 or definitely that exceed 0.0 dBFS; alternatively, just render the 2nd clip again but with the faders in each of the two individual channels pulled down 10 dBFS compared to where they were when you rendered the clip you sent us.

Apologies if you've done that already or if I've "over-explained"!

[Krystian]

Thank you, my friend, for the response. I'm not sure if you meant what I did, but let me explain what I did – I followed your instructions. I opened Reaper, added my dry vocal, lowered the master track even by -20, and it still happens! It doesn't even go above -5 on the master track, and it still occurs. Was this what you meant? I’m sending a screenshot of the master track and its indicator while listening to my vocal with the vocal doubler.

https:*?*?*/JW8HMDcv

if links dont work try ht t ps : / / i b b . co / JW8HMDcv. but delete spacebar

So sorry for taking your time..

[alexis]

Thank you, my friend, for the response. I'm not sure if you meant what I did, but let me explain what I did – I followed your instructions. I opened Reaper, added my dry vocal, lowered the master track even by -20, and it still happens! It doesn't even go above -5 on the master track, and it still occurs. Was this what you meant? I’m sending a screenshot of the master track and its indicator while listening to my vocal with the vocal doubler.

https:*?*?*/JW8HMDcv

if links dont work try ht t ps : / / i b b . co / JW8HMDcv. but delete spacebar

So sorry for taking your time..

Hi, sorry, can't get link to work, but yes, that's pretty much what I meant and what you did is probably good to rule out overloading the matter bus (you don't have any gain adding plug ins on that master bus do you?).

Some more troubleshooting questions:
1) Do you hear the artifact through headphones before rendering down to a stereo track, or only after?

2) What happens if you use Reaper to pitch shift the doubled vox by 10c or more (up or down) - do you still hear artifacts when you tender both voices down to a stereo track?

3) Does the doubled voice alone sound clear, without artifacts?

4) Have you ever gotten good results using that doubler plug in app?

Smarter people than I should be around shortly, don't despair!

[James Perrett]

You are pitching the notes almost exactly half way between two real notes so the tuning algorithm can't work out which note you actually want. As you have the attack time set fairly fast, it is flicking between the two possible notes quickly.

You need to work out which note you actually want it to be and correct things manually - or else re-sing the vocals more accurately.

[Krystian]

You are pitching the notes almost exactly half way between two real notes so the tuning algorithm can't work out which note you actually want. As you have the attack time set fairly fast, it is flicking between the two possible notes quickly.

You need to work out which note you actually want it to be and correct things manually - or else re-sing the vocals more accurately.

sir, I don't think that's the issue in my case, of course - you're right, I know how the auto-tune algorithm works, but what invalidates your theory is that people to whom I sent my vocal also had artifacts on my vocal – even though it was a DIFFERENT DEVICE, THE SAME PLUGINS, and my friends' vocals on THE SAME SETTINGS and the same plugins were free of artifacts I would also add that, for example, this happens even with Note Transition at 30.5 ms...

[Krystian]

Thank you, my friend, for the response. I'm not sure if you meant what I did, but let me explain what I did – I followed your instructions. I opened Reaper, added my dry vocal, lowered the master track even by -20, and it still happens! It doesn't even go above -5 on the master track, and it still occurs. Was this what you meant? I’m sending a screenshot of the master track and its indicator while listening to my vocal with the vocal doubler.

https:*?*?*/JW8HMDcv

if links dont work try ht t ps : / / i b b . co / JW8HMDcv. but delete spacebar

So sorry for taking your time..

Hi, sorry, can't get link to work, but yes, that's pretty much what I meant and what you did is probably good to rule out overloading the matter bus (you don't have any gain adding plug ins on that master bus do you?).

Some more troubleshooting questions:
1) Do you hear the artifact through headphones before rendering down to a stereo track, or only after?

2) What happens if you use Reaper to pitch shift the doubled vox by 10c or more (up or down) - do you still hear artifacts when you tender both voices down to a stereo track?

3) Does the doubled voice alone sound clear, without artifacts?

4) Have you ever gotten good results using that doubler plug in app?

Smarter people than I should be around shortly, don't despair!

You're right, I don't add any gain through plugins on the master bus, my friend.

I hear the artifacts live in my headphones before rendering the track as well as after rendering the track.
Yes, I still hear artifacts when I render both versions of the vocal to stereo.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "doubled vocal" — I have one vocal line, and Vocal Doubler spreads it across the panoramas, where the whole problem happens, including distortion and so on. My natural microphone signal is flawless! Seriously! I’ve listened to it hundreds of times and there’s never been a problem with it...
From the beginning, I’ve had issues with Vocal Doubler by iZotope, but also with all forms of auto-tune – it’s like there’s a problem in the sound processing somewhere? But I have no idea where – I’ve had this computer for two weeks, so it’s hard to blame it... Seriously, I have no ideas...

[James Perrett]

Seriously, I have no ideas...

Learn to sing just slightly more in tune and your problems will disappear - I know you dismissed my previous answer but I did actually go to the trouble of loading your file into Reaper and checking the tuning before I wrote it.

[Krystian]

Seriously, I have no ideas...

Learn to sing just slightly more in tune and your problems will disappear - I know you dismissed my previous answer but I did actually go to the trouble of loading your file into Reaper and checking the tuning before I wrote it.

Okay, thank you for your time – I don't know what to respond because in the examples in the topic, I only provided my vocal with the vocal doubler plugin – and for the example of the autotune problem, I downloaded an acapella from Adele's studio. I don’t sing well, but the distortion and artifacts appear even on professional studio vocals from singers with the key properly set. Oh well – sorry for wasting your time – have a nice evening Thank you for dedicating your time to me.

[alexis]

Seriously, I have no ideas...

Learn to sing just slightly more in tune and your problems will disappear - I know you dismissed my previous answer but I did actually go to the trouble of loading your file into Reaper and checking the tuning before I wrote it.

Above and beyond, as usual for the Esteemed Gentleman from Hampshire

[alexis]

...

Okay, thank you for your time – I don't know what to respond because in the examples in the topic, I only provided my vocal with the vocal doubler plugin – and for the example of the autotune problem, I downloaded an acapella from Adele's studio. I don’t sing well, but the distortion and artifacts appear even on professional studio vocals from singers with the key properly set. Oh well – sorry for wasting your time – have a nice evening Thank you for dedicating your time to me.

Don't fret, I'd be surprised if this thread ended before you got "Satisfaction" (though sometimes "You Know Sometimes, You Get What You Need"), sorry, couldn't help that.

Could you upload some more examples of the distortion for us to listen to, this time the Adele samples (holy cow dude, how do you get those?)?

[Krystian]

...

Okay, thank you for your time – I don't know what to respond because in the examples in the topic, I only provided my vocal with the vocal doubler plugin – and for the example of the autotune problem, I downloaded an acapella from Adele's studio. I don’t sing well, but the distortion and artifacts appear even on professional studio vocals from singers with the key properly set. Oh well – sorry for wasting your time – have a nice evening Thank you for dedicating your time to me.

Don't fret, I'd be surprised if this thread ended before you got "Satisfaction" (though sometimes "You Know Sometimes, You Get What You Need"), sorry, couldn't help that.

Could you upload some more examples of the distortion for us to listen to, this time the Adele samples (holy cow dude, how do you get those?)?

Any acapella that I don't download from the internet, any vocal that I can't get, when I transfer it to my DAW and set Auto-Tune to the typical T-Pain sound, artifacts and glitches appear – I think the person upstairs misunderstood me, just like many others (maybe that's why I've been looking for a solution for 3 months!). What I mean is that I know how extreme transitions between pitches sound on extreme Auto-Tune settings, You can hear the difference with your own ear between my problem – distortions, some kind of artifact affecting the signal, glitches – and the pitch transitions in Auto-Tune. How could the problem be that I sing badly, when my friends, who also sing poorly on extreme Auto-Tune settings (on the same DAW, settings, plugin, microphone, XLR cable, interface) don’t have glitches? It's known that transitions between pitches have something like vibration, but they don’t have the clipping and problems on the vocals like I do – that’s the whole problem…

"Soon, I’ll send any vocals from the internet/friends with Auto-Tune plugins and show you that I have this issue with EVERY vocal – even if the Auto-Tune key is set to the CORRECT key. I’ll also send screenshots (this time I’ll make sure they display) – maybe this will help you, my friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your involvement.

EDIT:I also need to add that this happens on every DAW for me.

[Krystian]

...

Okay, thank you for your time – I don't know what to respond because in the examples in the topic, I only provided my vocal with the vocal doubler plugin – and for the example of the autotune problem, I downloaded an acapella from Adele's studio. I don’t sing well, but the distortion and artifacts appear even on professional studio vocals from singers with the key properly set. Oh well – sorry for wasting your time – have a nice evening Thank you for dedicating your time to me.

Don't fret, I'd be surprised if this thread ended before you got "Satisfaction" (though sometimes "You Know Sometimes, You Get What You Need"), sorry, couldn't help that.

Could you upload some more examples of the distortion for us to listen to, this time the Adele samples (holy cow dude, how do you get those?)?

"I don’t know if it’s a clue, but for example, with the acapella of Ed Sheeran’s 'Shape of You' – with the exact Auto-Tune key set to C# minor – this doesn’t happen. I have the speed set to 0.1 and note transition set to 0.1, so extreme settings. I don’t know why, but in some songs, I have this issue – even if I set the correct Auto-Tune key :/ Also, the distortion on the vocal doubler is a mess too...

But even "When I'm recording with autotune and I even have the note transition set to 10.0 (which should be enough to avoid artifacts on a 2024 computer), I hear distortions and artifacts live, while my friends don't have such problems during live recording.

[alexis]

I definitely hear you, my friend!

If you could send an example of the artifact your hearing with a capella pros that could be helpful.

In the meantime, does slowing down the attack of the pitch correct, or setting the correction to (say) 50% instead of 100%, help?

[Sam Spoons]

As others have said the problem is almost certainly with your extreme settings combined with your dodgy pitching causing the effects you are getting. I'm sure if you back off the settings a bit it will solve the problem.

[Krystian]

I definitely hear you, my friend!

If you could send an example of the artifact your hearing with a capella pros that could be helpful.

In the meantime, does slowing down the attack of the pitch correct, or setting the correction to (say) 50% instead of 100%, help?

gotch u - i record my own voice on hiphop instrumental ( cause i make hiphop music in genereal my friend) and i've caught artifacts on my vocal again, correction from 100% to 50% doesn't change anything, it's still happening – just quieter – but it still has the same impact on the vocal. I'm using Waves Tune Real Time – and the Speed knob doesn't change anything either (I changed it from 0.1 to even 10.0! and still nothing). The Note Transition knob changed from 0.1ms to 15ms does change it – but I don’t think that's a solution, because I’ve seen a lot of videos on YouTube (even on friends' computers) where people simply set the T-Pain effect, i.e. 0.1 Speed, 0.1 Note Transition and they rap/sing off the top of their head on the spot, having fun with it and don’t get artifacts... How come when people reply that the problem is with my vocal and skills, I just can’t understand it – why is it only my vocal that’s the issue, since I’ve described in my post and responses that it happens to me on most recordings, even with other people's voices?

''If you could send an example of the artifact your hearing with a capella pros that could be helpful. ''

Buddy, i have a better idea maybe :
I asked my friend if he could send me his vocal without effects, but if he could also apply Waves Tune Real Time to his vocal, set the extreme settings (0.1ms speed, 0.1 note transition), and the autotune key that I will provide. I'll do this experiment, and when I get his dry vocal without effects, I'll apply the same key settings as him , so then I might be able to prove my point.
I'll share his vocal with autotune from his computer and with autotune from my computer.

Please just give me some time, I know this is crazy – but I can’t find the answer anywhere – and I’m convinced the problem lies somewhere on my end...

[Wonks]

I have a feeling that the Real Time version of Autotune may not be the best version for you if you aren't singing close to the correct pitch (I suffer from wobbly vocal pitching too). It's really designed for live performances, with low latency being the aim, so the standard version (or another program) may perform better on a pre-recorded voice where the program doesn't have to optimise the processing for quick response.

Have you tried setting the vibrato to a low %? 100% passes the vocal without doing anything, but 0% should (in theory) even out any pitch wobbles.

Also, you seem to have Melodyne in the insert slot before Autotune. Have you tried using that to correct the pitch first offline, then using that effected wave to run through Autotune to add the Autotune effect?

[Sam Spoons]

The way I would approach this is by gradually increasing the various parameters until you discover at what point the dodgy artefacts reveal themselves. The problem must be either with the way you sing or the way you set up the ADT or pitch correction plug-in 'cos others seem to manage to avoid your issues when using the same plug-ins.

I understand this is what you are trying to resolve but sticking everything up to 11 is not going to find the problem.

[Krystian]

Guys, I think I learned something important from you, thank you for explaining it to me – I spent the whole day comparing the auto-tune plugin settings with my buddies (same auto-tune key, speed, note transition settings, and I used the same ones) and the results were identical – the same amount of glitches on the vocals. I watched YouTube videos like this one: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qqegi0-4Luk and didn’t hear any glitches even with extreme settings, so I thought I’d get the same results. Turns out you were right, and companies like Antares and Waves are just competing to get closer to a natural transition between notes with extreme settings, but it seems they’re still not able to do it, and maybe they never will. I’ll start learning Melodyne, then use some light settings in Auto-Tune, and I think that will work. I’m curious how people on YouTube do it – how they avoid artifacts even with extreme settings – it's just something that interests me. Thank you to each and every one of you, from the bottom of my heart – you’re really cool for spending your personal time helping me, I really appreciate each of you. And as for Vocal Doubler, I think it’s just a bug in the plugin – which makes no sense because even with a very low mic gain on my interface (I even set it half lower), it still happens. It doesn’t matter whether I record the input track very quietly or loudly, it just happens, but I’ll try alternatives instead of Vocal Doubler.

[Krystian]

The Doubler 2 Stereo from Waves doesn't cause this, so it must be a bug in the plugin. As for Vocal Doubler from iZotope, it's a mediocre solution!