Vocal harmony versus doubling: pitch and thickness
Separate octave/fifth harmony from doubling and check preview, Pro rendering, and fit with the backing.
Harmony adds a different pitch; doubling thickens the same melody. Duplicating an identical recording does not by itself create the differences of a second performance.
Harmony in LA Studio
Autotune offers octave, fifth, and combined harmony settings. Distinguish the free preview from Pro requirements for a full render. A free tutorial does not imply that every step of the feature is free.
Try it in order
- Correct detection and tuning problems in the lead first.
- Preview harmony on a short phrase at a lower level than the lead.
- Check chord changes: a fixed fifth shift does not suit every melody and chord.
- Listen for extreme registers, overlapping consonants, and phrase endings before rendering.
When to double instead
For a natural double, record a separate take and mix it below the lead. A slightly delayed copy can also create thickness, but may thin out when summed to mono. Check the centered mix as well as stereo width.
Before export
Listen to lead alone, harmony alone, and the full arrangement. Additional voices can also overload the master. See the autotune guide for the basic correction workflow.
Start with a tuned lead
Open Autotune and check the lead in Natural with Harmony off first. Compare the original and corrected lead example before adding another voice. Then preview a harmony setting on a short phrase. Harmony full renders require Pro; lead-only Apply and AI HQ have separate daily allowances shown in the tool. For a second recorded take, follow the recording guide.