VELCANTO is a vocal plugin that turns a streamer’s singing voice into a voice made for singing, with knobs free of technical terms. A sister product of VELVOX (for the speaking voice). There is a free edition, VELCANTO, and an upgraded edition with more features, VELCANTO Pro. This manual covers both. Features available only in the Pro edition are marked “Pro only”.

Free vs. Pro

In the free edition, the TUNE section and the SING button are shown on screen with a PRO badge and cannot be operated (hovering over them shows a description of the Pro feature).

1. Overview

VELCANTO is a vocal plugin designed for streamers who sing during streams. No audio knowledge is required. With knobs free of technical terms, it turns your voice into a voice made for singing.

• Simple controls with no technical terms: Free of complicated audio jargon, you can intuitively shape your singing voice using knobs such as SHINE (“Cuts through”), SPACE (“Hall”), and ECHO (“Echo”).
• TUNE (Pitch correction, Pro only): Automatically pulls off-pitch notes toward the nearest note, helping you sing with confidence.
• AUTO “Listen” (Pro only): Sing along with your song for about one chorus, and it automatically listens to the notes used in the song and chooses KEY for you.
• SING button (Pro only): Turn on when singing, and turn off to return to your natural voice for talk between songs. Ambience and echo fade out naturally without cutting off abruptly.
• Zero latency (free edition): The free edition adds no delay, so your voice stays in sync with your lips on stream.
• Lightweight: Low CPU usage ensures smooth operation on the same PC used for streaming software.
• Reliable distortion prevention: It automatically controls levels at the output so sound will not clip no matter how far you turn the knobs.

2. Requirements

3. Installation

Installation (Windows)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy the VELCANTO.vst3 folder (Pro: VELCANTO Pro.vst3) to the following location:
   C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
3. Launch your DAW and run a plugin rescan (if you copy while the DAW is open, it may not detect the plugin).

Installation (Mac)

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
2. Copy VELCANTO.vst3 to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/, and copy VELCANTO.component to ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ (~ represents your home folder. In Finder, open the “Go” menu, choose “Go to Folder…”, and paste the path. If the destination folder does not exist, create a new one). In the Pro edition, the files are named VELCANTO Pro.vst3 and VELCANTO Pro.component.
3. Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal), then copy and paste the following three lines one by one, pressing the Return key after each line:

   Free edition:

   cd ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine VST3/"VELCANTO.vst3"
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine Components/"VELCANTO.component"

   Pro edition:

   cd ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine VST3/"VELCANTO Pro.vst3"
   xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine Components/"VELCANTO Pro.component"

4. Launch your DAW and run a plugin rescan (if you copy while the DAW is open, it may not detect the plugin. If AU does not appear in Logic Pro or other DAWs, restart your Mac).

Uninstall

[Windows] Delete the copied VELCANTO.vst3 folder (Pro: VELCANTO Pro.vst3).
[Mac] Delete the copied VELCANTO.vst3 and VELCANTO.component (Pro: VELCANTO Pro.vst3 and VELCANTO Pro.component).

4. Using with OBS

OBS cannot load VST3 plugins directly, so install the free OBS plugin “atkAudio Plugin” and host VELCANTO inside it. OBS Studio 31.1.1 or later (64-bit) is required.

1. Download and run the installer for your OS from the atkAudio Plugin download page.
2. Open OBS and click “Filters” on your microphone audio source.
3. Click “+” and add “atkAudio Plugin Host”.
4. Click “Open Plugin Settings”, then choose “Scan for new or updated VST3 plugins” from “Options” to detect plugins (first time only).
5. Select VELCANTO (or VELCANTO Pro) from the list and click “Load Plugin” to load it, then open the UI and turn the knobs.

* In DAWs (such as Ableton Live), insert it as a standard audio effect on your vocal track.

5. The screen

Header bar (top)

• Logo & version: Shows the logo and version in the top-left corner of the window.
• Preset bar: Located to the right of the logo. Select presets tailored for different situations. In the Pro version, you can save and delete your own presets, and export or import preset files (.velcanto). KEY and SING do not change when switching presets.
• PRO badge & SING “Vocal” button (Pro only): Located on the right side of the header. Turn on when singing (on by default). Turn off to return to your natural voice (for talk between songs). Ambience and echo fade out naturally without cutting off abruptly. Turning it off does not change audio latency. Listening for pitch (AUTO) does not stop even while turned off.

InfoBar

• Located right below the header. Hovering over a knob displays what it improves (shown in Japanese or English depending on your OS).

VOICE “Shape your vocal”

• SHINE “Cuts through”: Turn this up if your voice gets buried in the backing track. Adds brilliance and firmness to your singing voice. While the dot beneath the knob lights up (“Taming S sounds”), it automatically softens harsh S sounds so they do not sound harsh. Keep moderate when using together with VELVOX.
• SPACE “Hall”: Adds ambience like singing in a hall. Turning it up makes the ambience wider and longer.
• ECHO “Echo”: Karaoke-style echo. Turning it up makes repetitions louder and repeat longer. Repetitions also have ambience applied.

TUNE “Pitch” (Pro only)

• PITCH “Tunes notes”: Pulls off-pitch notes toward the nearest note. Around 40 sounds natural; higher settings pull more distinctly.
  • Below 100, it corrects only sustained notes that are clearly off-pitch and have a clear intended note. In-tune notes, short notes, and vocal inflections are left intact. It begins correcting shortly after a note is sustained (to avoid introducing latency, note onsets are not corrected).
  • Notes that are midway between adjacent notes are not corrected because the intended note cannot be determined.
  • Turning it up widens the correction range; at 100, all notes are pulled. Above 70, it also begins flattening vibrato, giving a distinctly “corrected” sound.
  • Guideline: 20–40 for skilled singers, recommended 40–60.
• ROBOT button (beneath PITCH): When turned on, notes switch stepped-like for a robotic, stepped vocal sound (for creative effect use). When turned off (default), it naturally pulls pitch while preserving pitch transitions and vibrato. No difference appears at PITCH 40 or below; the difference emerges above 40.
• Pitch needle (above PITCH, “Flat” / “Sharp”): Indicates whether the output voice heard by listeners is lower or higher than the nearest note. Pulls toward center as PITCH is increased. Disappears when there is no voice.
• KEY: Restricts the target notes to the notes of the song. Options are ALL (all notes, default) and C / Am, C# / A#m, D / Bm, D# / Cm, E / C#m, F / Dm, F# / D#m, G / Em, G# / Fm, A / F#m, A# / Gm, B / G#m. Can also be selected manually.
• AUTO “Listen”: Press and sing about one chorus; it listens to the notes used in the song and automatically selects KEY (see “7. Using AUTO” below).

OUT “Voice level” meter

• If the meter bar stays within the colored band while you sing, your volume is at a good level for streaming.
• It automatically controls levels at the output so sound will not clip no matter how far you turn the knobs.

Presets

Select presets tailored for different situations. You can adjust the knobs freely after selecting a preset. KEY and SING do not change when switching presets.

* In the Pro version, you can save and delete your own presets (SAVE / DEL), as well as export and import preset files (.velcanto).

6. How to use

1. Play your favorite song and sing along; if your voice gets buried in the backing track, turn up SHINE.
2. Turn up SPACE if you want ambience, or ECHO if you want karaoke-style echo. If unsure, choose from the presets.
3. (Pro) At the beginning of a song, press AUTO and sing. If you are concerned about pitch, set PITCH to 40–60.
4. (Pro) Turn off SING during talk between songs.
5. Check the OUT meter to see if the bar stays within the band while singing. If it does not reach the band, adjust the input level on your microphone side (the volume slider in the OBS mixer is placed after the plugin in the signal flow, so adjusting it will not change the meter here).

* Default values are 40 for SHINE, 30 for SPACE, and 20 for ECHO. The Pro edition also uses 40 for PITCH, ALL for KEY, ROBOT off, and SING on.

7. Using AUTO (Pro only)

1. Press AUTO.
2. Sing along with your song (about one chorus).
3. Once 20 seconds of singing have accumulated, it finishes automatically and switches KEY to the notes of the song (displays DONE).

Status display

To the right of the AUTO button, the current status is displayed on a single line.

8. Tips

• If you also want to enhance your speaking voice, combine it with VELVOX. The recommended filter order in OBS is: built-in OBS filters (such as Noise Suppression) → VELVOX → VELCANTO. When using together with VELVOX, keep SHINE moderate.
• If background noise bothers you, combine it with Tonecraft Tokyo’s AI noise suppressor SILENTIQ (trial version) or the built-in OBS Noise Suppression.
• In a DAW, insert it as a standard audio effect on your vocal track.

9. Notes

Free edition (VELCANTO)

• This product is freeware, provided free of charge with no support and as is. We cannot promise individual support. Feedback and comments are welcome at info@tonecraft.blue-x.tokyo.
• The source code is proprietary and not public.
• Copyright for this product belongs to Tonecraft Tokyo.
• Modification, reverse engineering, redistribution, and resale of this product are prohibited (please download it only from the Tonecraft Tokyo official website, Gumroad or itch.io).
• Free to use for both commercial and non-commercial purposes.

Pro edition (VELCANTO Pro)

• This product comes with no support and is provided as is. We cannot promise individual support. Feedback and comments are welcome at info@tonecraft.blue-x.tokyo.
• No refunds are provided.
• The source code is proprietary and not public.
• Copyright for this product belongs to Tonecraft Tokyo.
• Redistribution, resale, modification, and reverse engineering of this product are prohibited.
• Only the purchaser may use this product. Transferring or sharing it with third parties is prohibited.

10. Disclaimer

• This product is provided “AS IS”, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement of third-party rights.
• Tonecraft Tokyo is not liable for any damages arising from the use of, or inability to use, this product, including but not limited to loss or corruption of project files or audio data, equipment malfunction, lost working time, or lost profits.
• Operation is not guaranteed for every combination of DAW, operating system, and hardware.
• Specifications may change, and the product may be discontinued, without notice.
• Use this product at your own risk. Back up your projects before important work.

11. Licenses

• VST is a trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
• This product uses JUCE.
• Noto Sans JP / JetBrains Mono — SIL Open Font License 1.1