pitchcorrected

Pitchcorrected is a term used to describe audio content in which the pitch of notes has been altered to align with a target pitch, scale, or melody. This can be done to fix intonation errors in a performance or to achieve a deliberate stylistic effect, ranging from transparent correction to a pronounced, synthetic timbre.

Pitch correction is typically accomplished with software or hardware that detects the input pitch and maps it to the nearest desired pitch. Techniques include automatic retuning, where notes are continuously adjusted to stay in tune, and manual or graph-based editing, where a user places control points over a performance. Modern tools often offer formant preservation to maintain vocal character, along with controls for retune speed, naturalness, and transition timing to influence how obvious or subtle the correction sounds.

Applications of pitch correction span many genres. It is widely used in pop and hip-hop to achieve a polished vocal track, but it can also be applied to live instruments or synthesized sounds. In some cases, the effect is intended to be audible and characteristic, such as the “Auto-Tune effect,” while in other cases the goal is to be virtually inaudible, preserving natural phrasing and articulation.

History and notable tools: pitch correction concepts emerged in early digital audio workstations, but public awareness surged after the release of Auto-Tune in 1997 and its subsequent use in Cher’s 1998 hit Believe. Other influential tools include Melodyne and various DAW-native pitch-correction features, which have made pitch correction a standard option in modern music production.

See also: auto-tune, melodyne, pitch shifting, vocal processing.