Performative Ear
Performative Ear is a paid pitch-correction plug-in designed for low-latency singing.
What Performative Ear is
Performative Ear is a paid pitch-correction plug-in designed for low-latency singing. Its companion Performative Ear listens to a song and sends the detected key to the correction plug-in automatically, while passing audio through unchanged without files or network use. Correction modes are Live at 1.3 ms, Crisp at 18 ms, Voice at 25 ms, and Full at 40 ms. Users can select chromatic, major, or minor scales and toggle notes to create a custom scale. Formats include VST3 and CLAP on Windows x64 and macOS Universal, plus Audio Unit on macOS. The maker lists support for Ableton Live, Cubase, FL Studio, Fender Studio Pro, Bitwig Studio, REAPER, Audacity, and GarageBand. The product costs $199, paid once, includes version 1 updates and a 14-day refund, and allows one license on three machines.
Good
- Low-latency correction modes
- Automatic song-key detection
- Custom scale note toggles
- VST3, CLAP, and Audio Unit
- Three active machines per license
Watch out
- $199, paid once
- No free plan
- Internet required for activation and renewal
- Demo has playback and editing limits
Who it suits
Performative Ear suits singers and audio users needing real-time pitch correction with scale, key, and formant controls. It is intended for Windows or macOS plug-in hosts.
Verdict
Performative Ear combines several correction latencies with automatic key detection and customizable scales. Its paid license supports three active machines, while activation requires periodic internet connectivity.
Plans and prices
From Performative Ear's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Performative | $199, paid once | Version 1; three active machines; VST3, CLAP and Audio Unit; Windows and macOS |
The facts
Each one read from Performative Ear's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audio handling
- Performative Ear passes audio through unchanged and states that it uses no files or network.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Benchmark results
- The maker reports exact key detection on 71.2% of 476 GiantSteps+ tracks and 58.5% of 837 GTZAN tracks.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Compatibility
- The maker says other VST3 and CLAP hosts should work, and says Logic uses the Audio Unit also used by GarageBand.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Connectivity
- Internet is required for activation and periodic license renewal, but the maker says the plug-in can go at least 10 days without connecting.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Correction modes
- The plug-in offers Live at 1.3 ms, Crisp at 18 ms, Voice at 25 ms, and Full at 40 ms.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Demo limits
- The free Windows demo can have occasional dry playback, locks presets and per-note editing, and does not include licensed Performative Ear.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Editing
- Users can choose chromatic, major, or minor scales and toggle notes to build a custom scale.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Formats
- It supports VST3 and CLAP on Windows x64 and macOS Universal, plus Audio Unit on macOS.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The maker lists tested support for Ableton Live 11 and 12, Cubase, FL Studio, Fender Studio Pro, Bitwig Studio, REAPER, Audacity, and GarageBand.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License limit
- One license can be active on three machines at a time, and a machine can be deactivated to free its slot.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License privacy
- The maker says the plug-in never asks a server whether it is licensed, update checks can be disabled, and network requests do not touch the audio thread.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Performative Ear
- Performative Ear listens to the song and sends its detected key to the pitch correction plug-in automatically.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Performative is a pitch correction plug-in designed for low-latency singing.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker says Jarod Castillo answers support email and links to a Discord community.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Updates and refunds
- The purchase includes all version 1 updates and a 14-day refund, described as no questions asked.checked 8 Oct 2026
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