iii
©2004 Antares Audio Technologies. All rights reserved.
Certified Isinglass-free™
All trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Antares Audio Technologies
231 Technology Circle, Scotts Valley, California 95066 USA
voice: (831) 461 7800
fax: (831) 461 7801
service: (831) 461 7800 (Option 3)
web: www.antarestech.com
Printed in USA Rev 1.1 PN 24001-0304-M01
iv
The Obligatory Legal Mumbo-Jumbo
The Antares Auto-Tune 4 software and this User’s Manual are protected by
copyright law. Making copies, adaptations, or derivative works without the
prior written authorization of Antares Audio Technologies, is prohibited by
law and constitutes a punishable violation of the law.
Antares Audio Technologies retains all ownership rights to the Auto-Tune 4
software and its documentation. Use of Auto-Tune 4 is limited by the
following license agreement.
Please carefully read all the terms and conditions of this license agreement.
At the time of installation of the Auto-Tune 4 software you will be
presented with a copy of the agreement and asked whether or not you
agree to it. Continuing with the installation process beyond that point
constitutes such agreement.
AUTO-TUNE 4 LICENSE AGREEMENT
Antares Audio Technologies grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive
license to use Auto-Tune 4 under the terms and conditions stated in this
agreement. Use of Auto-Tune 4 indicates your agreement to the following
terms and conditions.
LICENSE
You may:
1. Use Auto-Tune 4 on only one computer.
You may not:
1. Make copies of Auto-Tune 4 or of the user manual in whole or in part
except as expressly provided for in this agreement. Your right to copy
Auto-Tune 4 and the user manual is limited by copyright law. Making
copies, verbal or media translations, adaptations, derivative works, or
telecommunication data transmission of Auto-Tune 4 without prior
written authorization of Antares, is prohibited by law and constitutes a
punishable violation of the law.
2. Make alteration or modifications to Auto-Tune 4 (or any copy) or
disassemble or de-compile Auto-Tune 4 (or any copy), or attempt to
discover the source code of Auto-Tune 4.
3. Sub-license, lease, lend, rent, or grant other rights in all or any portion
of Auto-Tune 4 (or any copy) to others.
TERM OF THE AGREEMENT
This agreement is effective until terminated by you or Antares. You may
terminate the agreement at any time by notifying Antares and destroying
all copies of the manual, and erasing Auto-Tune 4 from all machinereadable media, whether on-line or on archival copies.
v
In the event of breach of any of the terms of this agreement, you shall pay
the attorney’s fees of Antares that are reasonably necessary to enforce the
agreement plus resulting damages.
LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER
AUTO-TUNE 4 AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS”
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Antares Audio Technologies does not warrant that the functions contained
in the program will meet your requirements. The entire risk as to the use,
quality, and performance of Auto-Tune 4 is with you.
SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN
IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY
TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY
ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH VARY FROM JURISDICTION TO
JURISDICTION.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
IN NO EVENT WILL ANTARES BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING
LOSS OF DATA, LOST PROFITS OR OTHER SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OF
AUTO-TUNE 4 OR ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS. THIS LIMITATION WILL
APPLY EVEN IF ANTARES OR ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT HAS BEEN ADVISED
OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE
LICENSE FEE REFLECTS THIS ALLOCATION OF RISK. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO
NOT ALLOW LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY
TO YOU.
Whew! Now that that’s over, let’s get on to the good stuff.
vi
Contents
Getting Started Chapter 1
What’s New in Auto-Tune 4 2
Installing and Authorizing 4
Technical Support 4
Introducing Auto-Tune 4 Chapter 2
Some background 5
A little bit about pitch 6
How Auto-Tune 4 detects pitch 8
How Auto-Tune 4 corrects pitch 8
Automatic Mode 9
Graphical Mode 11
Auto-Tune 4 Controls Chapter 3
Common Controls 13
Automatic Mode Controls 17
MIDI Functions 25
Graphical Mode Controls 33
Auto-Tune 4 Tutorial Chapter 4
Tutorial 1: Automatic Mode Basics 40
Tutorial 2: Improved Targeting Function 47
Tutorial 3: MIDI Functions 48
Tutorial 4: Graphical Mode Basics 49
Tutorial 5: Precision 52
Tutorial 6: Make Curve Function 53
Tutorial 7: Make Auto Function 56
vii
New Features Chapter 5 61
Creative Applications Chapter 6 69
Index 70
viii
Welcome!
On behalf of everyone at Antares Audio Technologies, we’d like to offer
both our thanks and congratulations on your decision to purchase AutoTune 4, the most powerful intonation correction tool in the world. Before
you proceed any farther, we’d like to strongly encourage you to register
and authorize your copy of Auto-Tune 4. (You can skip ahead to the
Authorization and Installation instructions on page 4. We’ll wait.) Also, if
you’re planning on discarding that lovely Auto-Tune 4 box, it’s probably a
O
good idea to write down the serial number that appears on the bottom of
the box for future reference. (The inside cover of this manual would be a
good place.)
As an Auto-Tune 4 owner, you are entitled to receive notification of any
software upgrades, technical support, and advance announcements of
upcoming products. But we can’t send you stuff unless we know who and
where you are. So please, register.
At Antares, we are committed to excellence in quality, customer service,
and technological innovation. With your purchase of Auto-Tune 4, you have
created a relationship with Antares which we hope will be long and
gratifying. Let us know what you think. You can count on us to listen.
Again, thanks.
Dr. Sturgeon and The Whole Antares Crew
1
Chapter 1: Getting Started
If you are new to Auto-Tune, we encourage you to read this manual and
work through the tutorials in Chapter 4. It's the quickest way to become
familiar with what Auto-Tune 4 does and how it does it.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of Auto-Tune, you will find
that most of what you’re already doing will continue to work in Auto-Tune
4, only better. To get up to speed quickly, just check out the new feature
I
overview below and then refer to the detailed New Feature Quick Start
Guide in Chapter 5, which will tell you everything you need to know to
make use of Auto-Tune 4's new capabilities.
What’s New in Auto-Tune 4
The following are the key new features that have been added in Auto-T une 4:
GENERAL FEATURES
• Support of sampling rates up to 192kHz (assuming your host and audio
hardware support it)
•A new Options dialog that includes a variety of configuration options
• Selectable knob control
•A sleek new interface
AUTOMATIC MODE FEATURES
• The ability to specify target note behaviors (Scale Note, Remove,
Bypass) in individual octaves
•A virtual keyboard for realtime detected pitch display and
target note control
• Improved Targeting option for problem vibratos
• Enhanced Vibrato functions for more realistic (or wacky) vibratos
•A Hold function to help analyze pitch errors in Auto Mode
• Other niceties (Dual Detune display, new Scale Edit buttons)
GRAPHICAL MODE FEATURES
• Larger Pitch Edit Display
• Seriously expanded and reworked Graphical Editing Tools
• Multi-level Undo/Redo (up to 20 levels)
2
•Vibrato Scaling for modifying the depth of vibrato while maintaining
its shape and character
• Streamlined navigation controls
• Cursor Pitch Display (back again by popular demand)
• Selectable Edit Display color schemes
How To Use This Manual
If this is your first experience of Auto-Tune, you will find that Auto-Tune 4
has a very friendly user-interface and is extraordinarily easy to use. However, because Auto-Tune 4 does things that have never been done before,
a few aspects of the user-interface may not be immediately obvious. You
should at least read either Chapter 3, Auto-Tune 4 Controls, or Chapter 4,
Auto-Tune 4 Tutorial, to learn the essential information you will need to
operate Auto-Tune 4.
And as we mentioned above, if you are upgrading from Auto-Tune 3, go
straight to Chapter 5, the New Feature Quick Start Guide, to learn everything you need to know (about Auto-Tune's new features, anyway).
THE CONTENTS OF THIS MANUAL
Chapter 1: Getting Started
The chapter you are reading.
Chapter 2: Introducing Auto-Tune 4
This chapter explains basic facts about pitch and how Auto-Tune 4
functions to correct pitch errors. The basic functionality of Auto-Tune 4
is discussed, and information you need in order to use it effectively is
provided.
Chapter 3: Auto-Tune 4 Controls
This chapter is reference information for all of the controls used in the
Auto-Tune 4 interface.
Chapter 4: Auto-Tune 4 Tutorial
This chapter introduces you to details of how Auto-Tune 4 works by
guiding you through several tutorials. The tutorials will give you insight
into how and when to use each of Auto-Tune 4’s key functions.
Chapter 5: New Feature Quick Start Guide
This chapter contains detailed information about each of Auto-Tune 4's
new features. All of this information is also included in Chapter 3, but is
presented here to allow experienced Auto-Tune 3 users to quickly come up
to speed on the enhancements and new capabilities in Auto-Tune 4.
Chapter 6: Creative Applications for Auto-Tune 4
Some cool, but not-so-obvious stuff you can do with Auto-Tune 4.
3
Installing Auto-Tune 4
Any unique instructions for installing Auto-Tune 4 for your specific plug-in
format are located in the Auto-Tune 4 Read Me file that accompanies the
plug-in. This file may also contain any last-minute Auto-Tune 4 information
that didn’t make it into this manual.
Auto-Tune 4 is designed to work with a wide variety of digital audio
applications. Please refer to your host application’s user manual for more
information on installing and using plug-ins.
Authorizing Auto-Tune 4
Authorization is the process by which this software is allowed to run on
your computer. Detailed instructions covering the available authorization
options will be found in the the file “Authorization Read Me” which is
included on the installation CD ROM or with your software download.
NOTE: When initially installed, this software will run for ten days
without authorization.
So even if you can‘t authorize it right away you can still use your software
in the meantime. (During this period, click the “Try It” button whenever
you are presented with the Trial Period screen at launch.) But don’t
procrastinate too long. After those ten days are up, you will no longer be
able to launch this software until it’s authorized.
Technical Support
In the unlikely event that you experience a problem using Auto-Tune 4, try
the following:
1. Make another quick scan through this manual. Who knows?
You may have stumbled onto some feature that you didn’t
notice the first time through.
2. Check our web page for tips, techniques, or any late-breaking
information:
http://www.antarestech.com
3. Call your local Antares dealer.
4. Email our tech support department by pointing your web browser to:
http://www.antarestech.com/support/etech.shtml
and filling in the form there.
5. Call us at (831) 461-7814 Monday through Friday between 9am and
5pm USA Pacific Standard Time.
For options 3, 4, or 5, please be prepared to provide the Registration Code
of your copy of Auto-Tune 4.
4
Chapter 2: Introducing Auto-Tune 4
Some background
In 1997, Antares Audio Technologies first introduced the ground-breaking
Auto-Tune Pitch Correcting Plug-In. Auto-Tune was a tool that actually
corrected the pitch of vocals and other solo instruments, in real time,
without distortion or artifacts, while preserving all of the expressive nuance
of the original performance. Recording Magazine called Auto-Tune a “holy
grail of recording.” And went on to say, “Bottom line, Auto-Tune is amaz-
S
ing... Everyone with a Mac should have this program.” (In fact, we know of
quite a few people back then who bought kilo-buck ProTools™ systems just
to be able to run Auto-Tune. )
In 2001, Auto-Tune 3 was introduced and established itself as the worldwide standard in professional pitch correction. Today, it’s used daily by
thousands of audio professionals to save studio and editing time, ease the
frustration of endless retakes, save that otherwise once-in-a-lifetime
performance, or even to create unique special effects.
Now, never content to leave a good thing alone, Antares has created
Auto-Tune 4. Preserving the great sound quality, transparent processing,
and ease of use of Auto-Tune, Auto-Tune 4 adds significant new features
as well as a sleek new user interface.
So what exactly is Auto-Tune 4?
Auto-Tune 4 is a precision tool for correcting intonation errors or creatively
modifying the intonation of a performance. Auto-Tune 4 employs state-ofthe-art digital signal processing algorithms (many, interestingly enough,
drawn from the geophysical industry) to continuously detect the pitch of a
periodic input signal (typically a solo voice or instrument) and instantly and
seamlessly change it to a desired pitch (defined by any of a number of userprogrammable scales or through the use of graphical editing tools.).
To take maximum advantage of the power of Auto-Tune 4, you should have
a basic understanding of pitch and how Auto-Tune 4 functions to correct
pitch errors. This chapter presents basic terminology and introduces AutoTune 4’s operating paradigm, giving you information you need to use it
effectively.
5
A little bit about pitch
Pitch is typically associated with our perception of the “highness” or
“lowness” of a particular sound. Our perception of pitch ranges from the
very general (the high pitch of hissing steam, the low pitch of the rumble
of an earthquake) to the very specific (the exact pitch of a solo singer or
violinist). There is, of course, a wide range of variation in the middle. A
symphony orchestra playing a scale in unison, for example, results in an
extremely complex waveform, yet you are still able to easily sense the pitch.
The vocalists and the solo instruments that Auto-Tune 4 is designed to
process have a very clearly defined quality of pitch. The sound-generating
mechanism of these sources is a vibrating element (vocal chords, a string,
an air column, etc.). The sound that is thus generated can be graphically
represented as a waveform (a graph of the sound’s pressure over time) that
is periodic. This means that each cycle of waveform repeats itself fairly
exactly, as in the periodic waveform shown in the diagram below:
Because of its periodic nature, this sound’s pitch can be easily identified
and processed by Auto-Tune 4.
Other sounds are more complex. This waveform:
is of a violin section playing a single note in unison. Our ears still sense a
specific pitch, but the waveform does not repeat itself. This waveform is a
summation of a number of individually periodic violins. The summation is
non-periodic because the individual violins are slightly out of tune with
respect to one another. Because of this lack of periodicity, Auto-Tune 4
would not be able to process this sound.
6
Some pitch terminology
The pitch of a periodic waveform is defined as the number of times the
periodic element repeats in one second. This is measured in Hertz (abbreviated Hz.). For example, the pitch of A3 (the A above middle C on a piano) is
traditionally 440Hz (although that standard varies by a few Hz. in various
parts of the world).
Pitches are often described relative to one another as intervals, or ratios of
frequency. For example, two pitches are said to be one octave apart if their
frequencies differ by a factor of two. Pitch ratios are measured in units
called cents. There are 1200 cents per octave. For example, two tones that
are 2400 cents apart are two octaves apart. The traditional twelve-tone
Equal Tempered Scale that is used (or rather approximated) in 99.9% of all
Western tonal music consists of tones that are, by definition, 100 cents
apart. This interval of 100 cents is called a semitone.
The twelve equally-spaced tones of the Equal Tempered Scale happen to
contain a number of intervals that approximate integer ratios in pitch.
The following table shows these approximations:
INTERVAL CENTS NEARBY RATIO IN
RATIO CENTS
minor second 100 16/15 111.75
major second 200 9/8 203.91
minor third 300 6/5 315.64
major third 400 5/4 386.31
perfect fourth 500 4/3 498.04
tritone 600
perfect fifth 700 3/2 701.65
minor sixth 800 8/5 813.69
major sixth 900 5/3 884.36
minor seventh 1000 16/9 996.09
major seventh 1100 15/8 1088.27
octave 1200 2 1200.00
As you can see, the intervals in the Equal Tempered Scale are NOT equal to
the harmonious integer ratios. Rather, the Equal Tempered Scale is a
compromise. It became widely used because once a harpsichord or piano is
tuned to that scale, any composition in any key could be played and no one
chord would sound better or worse than that same chord in another key.
7
How Auto-Tune 4 detects pitch
In order for Auto-Tune 4 to automatically correct pitch, it must first detect
the pitch of the input sound. Calculating the pitch of a periodic waveform
is a straighforward process. Simply measure the time between repetitions
of the waveform. Divide this time into one, and you have the frequency in
Hertz. Auto-Tune 4 does exactly this: It looks for a periodically repeating
waveform and calculates the time interval between repetitions.
The pitch detection algorithm in Auto-Tune 4 is virtually instantaneous. It
can recognize the repetition in a periodic sound within a few cycles. This
usually occurs before the sound has sufficient amplitude to be heard. Used
in combination with a slight processing delay (typically about 1 to 10
milliseconds), the output pitch can be detected and corrected without
artifacts in a seamless and continuous fashion. (Although it must be kept in
mind that some plug-in protocols introduce a certain amount of inherent
and unpredictable delay that depends largely on what else your CPU is
doing at the time.)
Auto-Tune 4 was designed to detect and correct pitches up to the pitch C6.
(If the input pitch is higher than C6, Auto-Tune 4 will occasionally interpret
the pitch an octave lower. This is because it interprets a two cycle repetition
as a one cycle repetition.) On the low end, Auto-Tune 4 will detect pitches
as low as 25Hz (when the Bass Instrument Input Type is selected). This range
of pitches allows intonation correction to be performed on virtually all
vocals and instruments.
Of course, Auto-Tune 4 will not detect pitch when the input waveform is
not periodic. As demonstrated above, Auto-Tune 4 will fail to tune up even
a unison violin section. But this can also occasionally be a problem with solo
voice and solo instruments as well. Consider, for example, an exceptionally
breathy voice, or a voice recorded in an unavoidably noisy environment.
The added signal is non-periodic, and Auto-Tune 4 will have difficulty
determining the pitch of the composite (voice + noise) sound. Luckily, there
is a control (the Tracking control, discussed in Chapter 3) that will let AutoTune 4 be a bit more casual about what it considers “periodic.” Experimenting with this setting will often allow Auto-Tune 4 to track even noisy
signals.
How Auto-Tune 4 corrects pitch
Auto-Tune 4 provides two separate and distinct ways to approach pitch
correction: Automatic Mode and Graphical Mode. The basic functionality of
each is described below.
8
Automatic Mode
Auto-Tune 4’s Automatic Mode works by continuously tracking the pitch of
an input sound and comparing it to a user-defined scale. The scale tone
closest to the input is continuously identified. If the input pitch exactly
matches the scale tone, no correction is applied. If the input pitch varies
from the desired scale tone, an output pitch is generated which is closer to
the scale tone than the input pitch. (The exact amount of correction is
controlled by the Retune Speed parameter, described below and in Chapter 3.)
SCALES
The heart of Automatic Mode pitch correction is the Scale. Auto-Tune 4 lets
you choose from major, minor, chromatic or 26 historical, ethnic and
microtonal scales. Individual scale notes can be bypassed, resulting in no
pitch correction when the input is near those notes. Individual scale notes
can also be removed, allowing a wider range of pitch correction for
neighboring pitches. The scale can be detuned, allowing pitch correction to
any pitch center.
For added flexibility, you can also select the target pitches in real time via
MIDI from a MIDI keyboard or a pre-recorded sequencer track.
9
RETUNE SPEED
Auto-Tune 4 also gives you control over how rapidly, in time, the pitch
adjustment is made toward the scale tone. This is set with the Retune
Speed control (see Chapter 3 for more details).
• Fast Speed settings are appropriate for short duration notes and for
mechanical instruments, like an oboe or clarinet, whose pitch typically
changes almost instantly. A fast enough setting will also minimize or
completely remove a vibrato, as well as produce the infamous “Cher
effect.”
• Slow Speed settings, on the other hand, are appropriate for longer
notes where you want expressive pitch gestures (like vibrato) to come
through at the output and for vocal and instrumental styles that are
typified by gradual slides (portamento) between pitches. An appropriately selected slow setting can leave expressive gestures intact while
moving the average pitch to the correct tonal center.
VIBRATO
Auto-Tune 4 can also apply a vibrato to the input sound. You can program
the vibrato rate along with individual vibrato depths for pitch, amplitude
(loudness) and formant (resonant frequencies). You can also specify delayed
vibrato with independently programmable onset delay and onset rate.
By combining a fast Retune Speed setting with Auto-Tune 4’s Vibrato
settings, you can even remove a performer’s own vibrato and replace it
with Auto-Tune 4’s programmed vibrato, all in real time. Also, unusual
combinations of Vibrato Waveform, Rate and Depth settings can be used
for some interesting special effects.
10
AN EXAMPLE OF AUTOMATIC MODE CORRECTION
As an example, consider this before-and-after graphic representation of the
pitch of a vocal phrase that contains both vibrato and expressive gestures.
CORRECTED BY
AUTO-TUNE 4
D3
C#3
ORIGINAL
PERFORMANCE
B2
10.0 10.5 11.0
In the original performance, we can see that although the final note should
be centered around D, the vocalist allowed the tail of the note to fall
nearly three semitones flat. The “after” plot is the result of passing this
phrase through Auto-Tune 4’s Automatic Mode programmed to a D Major
Scale (with C # and B set to ”Remove”) and a Retune Speed setting of 25.
That Retune Speed causes the pitch center to be moved to D, while still
retaining the vibrato and expressive gestures. (Setting C # and B to ”Remove” is necessary to keep Auto-Tune 4 from trying to correct the seriously
flat tail of the last note to those pitches. See Chapter 3 for more details.)
Graphical Mode
The Graphical Mode is similar to the Automatic Mode in that it also continuously tracks the pitch of the incoming sound and modifies the output
pitch to be closer to a desired pitch. But in the Graphical Mode, the desired
pitch is not a predefined scale tone, but rather is a graphical representation
of your desired pitch.
As in Automatic Mode, the rate of change towards the desired pitch is
controlled by the Retune control.
11
The key feature of Graphical Mode is the Pitch Graph display. On this
display, the vertical axis represents pitch (with higher notes towards the
top) while the horizontal axis represents time.
The red curve represents the original pitch contour of the input track, while
the desired target pitch or pitch contour is indicated in yellow.
The horizontal grid lines represent scale pitches. The key annotation, scale
name, scale pitches and Scale Detune value are those defined in the
Automatic Mode. They do not affect the computations of the Graphical
Mode in any way. They are merely a reference to guide you in setting the
target pitches. If you wish to change them, you can select the Automatic
Mode and change the Key pop-up, Scale pop-up, or the Scale Detune
setting, respectively. (Changing the Scale Detune setting will also result in
the scale pitch graph lines moving up or down relative to the tracked
pitch.) Then, return to Graphical Mode.
The Graphical Mode also includes the Envelope Graph, which displays the
amplitude (loudness) envelope of the sound whose pitch is shown in the
Pitch Graph. The horizontal scale of this graph will either 1) show the
envelope of the entire extent of the pitch-detected sound or 2) align with
the horizontal scale and position of the Pitch Graph above it.
In Graphical Mode, you can draw the desired target pitches using line and
curve drawing tools. Complete image scaling and scrolling controls are
provided. A graphical editor allows easy editing, including cut, copy and
paste functions.
The basic steps you will perform in Graphical Mode are:
• In your host application, select some sound for processing.
12
• Bring up Auto-Tune 4. Set the buffer length for at least the number of
seconds from the beginning of the track to the end of the audio you
are going to tune. Press the Track Pitch button, then play back the
sound. The pitch will be detected and then displayed in the Pitch Graph
as a red curve.
• Create a target pitch function using the graphical tools and adjust the
Retune Speed for the desired effect.
• Press Correct Pitch and play back the sound. The pitch will be corrected
as specified.
Chapter 3: Auto-Tune 4 Controls
This chapter is a reference for all of the controls used in the Auto-Tune 4
interface. How these controls are used together for intonation correction is
demonstrated in Chapter 4, Auto-Tune 4 Tutorial.
If you are upgrading from Auto-Tune 3, you can probably skip ahead to
Chapter 5, New Feature Quick Start Guide.
T
Common Controls
The following controls and displays are visible regardless of which
operating mode is selected. Their settings affect both Automatic and
Graphical Modes.
SAMPLE RATE DISPLAY
This display indicates the sample rate of the current
audio file as reported to Auto-Tune 4 by the host
application.
NOTE: Auto-Tune 4 is high sample rate compatible. If your host application and audio hardware are capable of dealing with up to 192 kHz
files, Auto-Tune 4 will process them correctly. However, it’s important
to remember that high sample rate files require substantially more DSP
power than 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz files, so the number of possible
simultaneous Auto-Tune 4 instantiations will be decreased.
ANOTHER NOTE: If you are using external A/D converters with independently selectable sample rates, it can be possible to establish a mismatch between the actual conversion sample rate and what the host
application thinks is the sample rate. If this happens, Auto-Tune 4 will
appear to be correcting pitch to the “wrong” key. If this seems to be
happening, check to be sure that your converter sample rate and your
host application sample rate (as displayed by Auto-Tune 4) match.
13
INPUT TYPE
As a result of Antares research into the unique
characteristics of various types of audio
signals, Auto-Tune 4 offers a selection of
optimized processing algorithms for the most
commonly pitch-corrected inputs. Choices
include Soprano Voice, Alto/Tenor Voice, Low Male Voice, Instrument, and
Bass Instrument. Matching the appropriate algorithm to the input results in
even faster and more accurate pitch detection and correction.
To select the desired Input Type, click on the Input Type pop-up and then
select the desired type from the pop-up list.
NOTE: Choosing the wrong Input Type (or just forgetting to set it at all)
can result in compromised performance. Pay attention.
ANOTHER NOTE: When any Input Type other than Bass Instrument is
selected, Auto-Tune 4 is reliably able to detect pitches down to A0
(55Hz). Selecting Bass Instrument lowers the lowest detectable frequency by about one octave to 25Hz. Since the lowest E string on a
bass guitar is approximately 41Hz, Bass Instrument (as its name so ably
implies) allows you to apply pitch correction to those pesky fretless bass
lines as well as other low bass range instruments. However, when Bass
Instrument is selected, pitches above A4 may be incorrectly tuned by a
perfect fifth, so be sure to select Bass Instrument only when correcting
bass range tracks.
CORRECTION MODE
Click the appropriate button to
select either Automatic or Graphical
Mode.
14
SELECT PITCH REFERENCE
Auto-Tune 4 provides the ability to pitch correct
stereo tracks while maintaining the tracks’
phase coherence. (Refer to your host
application’s manual for instructions on assigning a plug-in to a stereo track.) Click the appropriate button to select which of the two stereo
tracks (left or right) Auto-Tune 4 will use as a pitch reference.
NOTE: If there is a marked difference in the two tracks, pick the
cleanest, most isolated track. For example, if one track is a close mic’d
vocal while the other is mic’d from farther away for ambience, or is
heavily processed, select the close mic’d track.
ANOTHER NOTE: Auto-Tune 4 will only pitch correct true stereo tracks.
If the second track (i.e., the track not selected as a pitch reference) is
simply an independent unrelated track, unpredictable (and potentially
unpleasant) sounds may result. On the other hand, something interesting might happen. You never know.
When Auto-Tune 4 is instantiated on a mono track, this control is inactive
(grayed out).
BYPASS
Auto-Tune 4 does not include a dedicated Bypass control as that function is
typically provided by the host application’s plug-in interface. However, it is
worth noting that Auto-Tune 4 is designed such that switching the bypass
state will not cause any audio artifacts. It can safely be used in performance
or in the middle of a recorded track.
OPTIONS
Clicking the Options button will bring up a window
containing a number of settings that fall into the “set
and forget” category. They are:
BUFFER SIZE This controls
the number of seconds of
memory buffer space that
are permanently reserved
for pitch tracking and
pitch correction data in
Graphical Mode. (There is
a separate buffer for each
plug-in occurrence.) To
change the buffer allocation, click in the data field
and enter the required
number of seconds.
NOTE: As buffer memory
is typically allocated from
within your host application, for large buffers, it
may be necessary to
increase the memory
allocation of your host.
15
ANOTHER NOTE: Some host applications allow Auto-Tune 4 to display
all tracked pitch information at their correct times within the track. If
your application supports this capability, setting the buffer to the
length of the entire song and tracking the pitch in one pass will allow
you to quickly and easily move to each section of audio to be corrected
as necessary.
GRAPHICAL MODE COLOR SCHEME This setting lets you select one of
three color scheme options for the Graphical Mode Pitch and Envelope
Display:
CLASSIC: Just like Auto-Tune 3. A dark green background with red
detected pitch curves and yellow target pitch curves.
ALTERNATE: The same background color as Classic, but with blue
detected pitch curves and bright green target pitch curves (selected
for readability by people with the most common types of Red/Green
color blindness).
BLACK AND WHITE: A white background with red detected pitch
curves and black target pitch curves. Not too pretty, but the ultimate
high contrast display (as in the original Auto-Tune)
KNOB CONTROL Lets you select how you want to control the “knobs”
in the Auto-Tune 4 interface:
VERTICAL: Position the cursor over a knob, press and hold the left
mouse button (or the only mouse button, if you’re using a onebutton mouse) and move the cursor up to turn the knob clockwise
or down to turn the knob counterclockwise. The current value of the
knob’s parameter appears in its associated numeric display.
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HORIZONTAL: Position the cursor over a knob, press and hold the
left mouse button and move the cursor to the right to turn the knob
clockwise or to the left to turn the knob counterclockwise. The
current value of the knob’s parameter appears in its associated
numeric display.
RADIAL: Click anywhere around the circumference of the knob,
press and hold the left mouse button and “rotate” the knob in the
desired direction. The current value of the knob’s parameter appears
in its associated numeric display.
CUSTOM CURSORS Click the check box to use Custom Cursors in
Graphical Mode.
Normally, Auto-Tune 4 displays different cursor shapes in the Pitch
Graph Display to help you grab and drag objects (e.g., the object
cursor, the anchor point cursor, etc.). However, some host applications
mistakenly think that they own the cursor when it is in a plug-in
window. This may cause the cursor to flash as the host and Auto-Tune 4
alternately try to set the cursor shape. If this annoys you, unclick this
check box. It will stop the flashing, but you will no longer see AutoTune 4’s custom cursors.
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