Learn · All Quick-Starts · 4 min
HALO
quick-start.
Tune a lead vocal from invisible correction to full God Mode hard-tune in one pass.
7 steps · every control name is the real one · Vocal
Start from a preset
Open the preset menu in the header and pick MODERN VOCAL for a rap or pop lead — it sets a fast retune and a clean voice. Every step below is a tweak on top of it, and A/B lets you flip between two full setups while you work.
Set KEY and SCALE
Under CORRECT TO, choose the song's KEY and SCALE — the keyboard lane lights the notes HALO is allowed to land on; click any key to take a note out of the scale. Don't know the key? Press DETECT and HALO listens to the take and sets it, or enable FOLLOW SCOUT in the settings and it takes the key from SCOUT on the beat.
Dial RETUNE SPEED — or hit GOD MODE
RETUNE SPEED is how fast a note is pulled to pitch, from SLOW to HARD. The middle reads as natural correction; all the way to HARD snaps instantly. For the modern hard-tuned sound, press GOD MODE under the knob: it locks the instant-retune character on, and the knob follows it.
Choose NOTE TRANSITION and DETECTION
NOTE TRANSITION sets how HALO moves between notes: FAST for rap and hard-tune, BALANCED for most singing, SMOOTH for ballads and long slides. Leave DETECTION on ADVANCED unless a very low or very breathy voice is jumping octaves — then try the other modes.
Shape the VOICE
FORMANT shifts the tone of the corrected voice without changing pitch (−12 to +12) — a few steps up thins, down thickens. PITCH DRIFT lets the tuned note wander slightly like a real singer; NATURAL blends from tight to human. Keep all three low for hard-tune, raise them for a performance you want to sound untouched.
Set MIX, LATITUDE and SAFETUNE
MIX (WET) blends the corrected voice against the dry take — pull it back a touch on verses to keep some human drift. LATITUDE widens the zone around each scale note that HALO leaves alone; SAFETUNE protects deliberate bends and vibrato from being flattened. Both at 0% means every note is corrected.
Verify on the ring and the trace
The ring shows the TARGET note and how far you're being moved; the strip below shows INPUT → TARGET, the flat/sharp needle and the last eight seconds of pitch. If the trace is jumping octaves the take is too noisy — gate or clean it upstream. TRANSPOSE shifts the whole performance in semitones; DETUNE offsets it in cents. Open the EDITOR to correct individual notes by hand.
Pro moves
Once it's working.
- GOD MODE is the far end of the retune range, not a different tuner: turn it off and RETUNE SPEED picks up exactly where you set it.
- Enable LOW LATENCY in the settings while tracking so the singer hears themselves in time; switch it off for the mix pass.
- HALO reports its latency to the host for compensation. If drums flam when the vocal channel plays, check your DAW's plugin delay compensation.
- BROADCAST LINK sends the key HALO is set to across the rack — CADENCE, ROOT and VOICES follow it.
- Double-click any knob to reset it to default.
