So I heard that V-Vocal is no longer shipping with X3, and I'm just starting to think about switching to Melodyne or Autotune for vocal correction/FX.
 
I've heard that Melodyne's engine is superior to AT's, but just from looking at it (e.g., watching YouTube videos, etc.), it looks a lot more painstaking to use than V-Vocal.  One of the things I really liked about V-Vocal was all of the different drawing tools (pencil, line, etc.).  It looks to me like Melodyne does not have this (?).  As for Autotune, I can't tell.
 
So my question is: coming from a background of using V-Vocal and getting used to the workflow that it enables, what would you all recommend: Melodyne, Autotune, or even perhaps something different?
 
Thanks!

I don't know Autotune that well apart from one of he earlier plugs that ONLY offered automatic tuning, but Melodyne Assistant (not Essential that you get with X3) is most comparable to V-Vocal. It has all of the tools you would expect to have if you've used V-Vocal and they work in comparable or equivalent ways.
While it does not have line or pencil tools exactly, you can freely correct pitch, pitch drift, modulation, transition and formants, as well as split notes if you need more "nodes".
I always preferred it over V-Vocal but obviously if you have a different workflow, your mileage may vary.
I assume you're mainly editing vocals?

Thanks @Sanderxpander.  Yes, I'm mostly (if not exclusively) editing vocals with this.
 
My main workflow consists of manually shifting "nodes" (as you've termed them), and tightening vibrato (to get the more electronic-voice effect).  Rarely do I use the pencil tool, but I would definitely miss the line tool (occasionally I use this to "ramp" up a pitch for effect).  Do you know if this is possible with Melodyne?
 
I'm just trying to figure out if Autotune's "graphical" mode is any better for my needs.  I'm hoping that Melodyne would work, as I know a version of it comes with X3 Studio/Producer...

So I found this video (an overview of Autotune): and around the 15m mark, it seems to demonstrate that AT would give me more of the tools that I'm used to: antarestech.com/downloads/video/Welcome_to_Auto-Tune_7.mp4
 
Unfortunately for me though, this seems the more expensive option than just sticking with Melodyne..

It would work slightly differently in Melodyne but it's possible. Basically you'd split the note around the place you'd want the ramp to end. Then pitch it up however far you want, and make the transition longer (otherwise, you'd obviously get an abrupt jump). I just tried this and it works fine for me, though of course I can't be completely certain it's exactly what you want.

EDIT: I'm using Melodyne Editor for this, not Essential which comes with Sonar. You'd need at least "Assistant" to edit the transitions, but that's a 100 bucks upgrade from Essential and a lot cheaper than an entirely new Autotune.

EDIT 2: I only just realized I only replied to what seemed to me the more tricky part of what you're used to doing, as I'd never done that before. All the other operations you mention are really simple in Melodyne and for me personally feel more logical than V-Vocal. You'd still need Assistant though.

V-vocal is king of all. Most flexible due to the pencil tool, reliable, and easy to use. melodyne is very limited with its blobs. yes you can change the curves of the lines, but your very limited on smoothing out rough notes. Also vvocal has the vibrato too, that when used subtley, its can really enhense vocals, specially background stuff. I will not be rushing into X3 solely because of not including vvocal in X3. I already own The big package of Melodyne editor, and can not find any use for it. as I try to tweak things, I would always resort back to vvocal and simply use the pencil/draw tool and fix things within seconds rather than the hours of manipulating and tilting blobs with very little control. errrg, V-vocal in King of all vocal correction tools

Agreed - V-Vocal is a great tool to have in the tool box.
 
It'd be fantastic if Roland would release it as a stand-alone program.
That way, we could port tracks out to it (- like using iZotope RX as an editor).
 
Maybe we'll get lucky and Roland will see the light...
 
...or Gibson Research will buy the rights to it...

Clearly lots of different thoughts on this.  I haven't used Melodyne in a long time.  My version was for Windows XP 32 bit, so I've not used it since I moved to Windows 7 64 bit, but I personally liked it WAY better than V-vocal and I thought it sounded way better too.  I remember it being really easy to use.  It's one of the reasons I'm updating to X3.  Really looking forward to getting it back in operation.
 
I though I read somewhere that V-vocal could be brought into X3...

If you have Sonar X2, then you still have access to vvocal through the track fx menu.

If you've never found the vibrato in Melodyne you haven't been using it right. Splitting notes manually gives you as many exact points as you need and you can repitch or curve them any way you want. I don't think Melodyne is limited at all, quite the opposite. There's a reason Melodyne is bought and used by major studios all over the world. I personally much prefer the single view of Melodyne vs V-Vocal switching when I go from pitch to dynamics. Also, I still find V-Vocal's pitch view confusing sometimes. But those last two are obviously a matter of personal preference. The point is Melodyne can do easily as much as V-Vocal, although sadly they really should've included the Assistant version instead of the Essential one.