Updated: May 24, 2026
Pitch shift is what gives slowed songs that deep, masculine vocal tone. But too much sounds demonic. Too little sounds like you did nothing. Here is the cheat sheet.
Pitch is measured in semitones. -1 pitch is one note lower. -12 pitch is one full octave lower. Human voices start sounding unnatural past -6 for most songs.
Pop / Female Vocals: -2 to -3 pitch. Keeps vocals clear but deeper. Speed: 0.88x. Reverb: 55%
Hip-Hop / Male Vocals: -3 to -4 pitch. Makes rap vocals hit harder. Speed: 0.85x. Reverb: 60%
Phonk / Trap: -4 to -6 pitch. Classic "phonk" sound. Speed: 0.80x. Reverb: 65%
Rock / Emotional: -2 pitch. Preserve guitar tone. Speed: 0.90x. Reverb: 50%
EDM / Already Low: -1 to -2 pitch. Bass gets muddy if you go lower. Speed: 0.92x. Reverb: 40%
1. Using -8 or -12: Sounds like a demon. Only for memes.
2. Not matching speed: If speed is 0.70x, do not use 0 pitch. Vocals will sound stretched. Use at least -3.
3. Ignoring the original key: Some songs are already in a low key. Test with -1 first.
For 90% of songs, this works: Speed 0.85x, Reverb 60%, Pitch -3. This is the "Sad Night" preset in ReverbTown. Start here, then adjust by 1 semitone up or down.
After exporting, listen on headphones. If the "S" sounds turn into "Sh" sounds, your pitch is too low. If vocals sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks, pitch is too high.
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