Antares AutoTune 8 Owner`s Manual

Auto-Tune 8
World Standard Professional Pitch and Time Correction
Owner’s Manual
©2014 Antares Audio Technologies. All rights reserved. Certified Isinglass-free.
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The Obligatory Legal Mumbo-Jumbo
The Antares Auto-Tune 8 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 8 software and its documentation. Use of Auto-Tune  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 8 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 8 License Agreement
Antares Audio Technologies grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use Auto-Tune 8 under the terms and conditions stated in this agreement. Use of Auto-Tune 8 indicates your agreement to the following terms and conditions.
License
You may:
1. Use Auto-Tune 8 on only one computer at a time.
You may not:
1. Make copies of Auto-Tune 8 or of the user manual in whole or in part except as expressly provided for in this agreement. Your right to copy Auto-Tune 8 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 8 without prior written authorization of Antares, is prohibited by law and constitutes a punishable violation of the law.
2. Make alteration or modifications to Auto­Tune 8 (or any copy) or disassemble or de-compile Auto-Tune 8 (or any copy), or attempt to discover the source code of Auto-Tune 8.
3. Sub-license, lease, lend, rent, or grant other rights in all or any portion of Auto­Tun e 8 (o r a ny co py ) to ot he rs .
Term of the Agreement
This agreement is eective 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 8 from all machine­readable media, whether on-line or on archival copies.
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
AUTOTUNE 8 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 Auto­Tune 8 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  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 stu.
Contents
Chapter 1 Getting Started
What’s New in Auto-Tune 8 3 Installing and Authorizing 5 Te chnical Support 5
Chapter 2 Introducing Auto-Tune 8
Some background 6 So what exactly is Auto-Tune 8? 6 A little bit about pitch 6 How Auto-Tune 8 detects pitch 7 How Auto-Tune 8 corrects pitch 8 Automatic Mode 8 Graphical Mode 11 Pitch Shifting and Formant Correction 12 Time Shifting and Correction 13
Chapter 3 Auto-Tune 8 Controls
Common Controls 15 The Options Dialog 19 Automatic Mode Controls 22 Graphical Mode Controls 34 Pitch and Envelope Graph Displays 44 Time Shifting 54
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Chapter 4 Auto-Tune 8 Tutorials Tutorial 1: Automatic Mode Basics 64 Tutorial 2: Flex-Tune 66 Tutorial 3: Targeting Ignores Vibrato Function 66 Tutorial 4: Natural Vibrato Function 67 Tutorial 5: Transpose and Formant Control 68 Tutorial 6: Graphical Mode Basics 68 Tutorial 7: Precision 70 Tutorial 8: Make Curve Function 70 Tutorial 9: Import Auto Function 72 Tutorial 10: Make Notes Function 74 Tutorial 11: Time: Error Correction 76 Tutorial 12: Time: Creative Editing 78
Chapter 5 The Auto-Tune Vocal Eect 80
Chapter 6 The Auto-Tune 8 Scales 82
Welcome!
On behalf of everyone at Antares Audio Technologies, we’d like to oer both our thanks and congratulations on your decision to purchase Auto-Tune 8, the latest (and indisputably greatest) generation of the worldwide standard in professional pitch and time correction and manipulation.
Before you proceed any farther, we’d like to strongly encourage you to register and authorize your copy of Auto-Tune 8. (You can skip ahead to the Authorization and Installation instructions on page 5. We’ll wait.) Also, if you’re planning on discarding that lovely Auto-Tune 8 box, it’s probably a good idea to write down the serial number that appears on the bottom of the box for future reference.
At Antares, we are committed to excellence in quality, customer service, and technological innovation. With your purchase of Auto-Tune 8, 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.
The Whole Antares Crew
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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 8 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 8, only better. To get up to speed quickly, just check out the new feature overview below and then refer to related sections of in Chapter 3.
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ONE BIG IMPORTANT NOTE
For those upgrading from versions of Auto­Tune prior to Auto-Tune 7, is it critical to note the following:
Auto-Tune 8 will NOT open sessions created with Auto-Tune Evo or earlier versions. The improvements made to the core technology are so extensive that it just won’t work.
For that reason, we have configured Auto­Tune 8 such that it and Auto-Tune Evo and all earlier versions of Auto-Tune can be active in your DAW simultaneously.
However, it’s important to note that Auto­Tune Evo (and earlier versions) have long been discontinued and we will not be releasing future updates to any of them. Consequently, it’s inevitable that between computer OS advancements and host updates, those earlier versions will eventually stop working (if they haven’t already).
If you have current saved sessions with instances of Auto-Tune Evo or earlier that you may need to access into the indefinite future, we oer the following suggestions:
If you are satisfied with the current Auto-
Tune settings, use whatever method your host oers (bouncing, oine editing, etc.) to permanently render the corrected tracks.
If you believe you will need to keep editing
into the future, remove the instances of the earlier versions of Auto-Tune and replace them with instances of Auto-Tune 8.
What’s New in Auto-Tune 8
The following are the key new features that have been added in Auto-Tune 8:
Automatic Mode
Flex-Tune Pitch Correction Technology
By far the most dramatic addition to Auto­Tune 8 is our new Flex-Tune pitch correction technology.
Other real-time pitch correction methods, including previous versions of Auto-Tune, are always pulling every note towards a scale note, in the process distorting any of the singer’s expressive vocal gestures. In contrast, Flex-Tune only provides correction when the vocalist approaches a scale note. At all other times, they are free to sing with whatever vocal gestures best express their emotional connection to their song, secure in the knowledge that Auto-Tune 8 will pass them through, exactly as they are sung.
Low Latency Mode
Auto-Tune 8’s low latency mode allows for use when tracking or during live performance, letting vocalists monitor their performance with no disorienting delay.
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Graphical Mode
Editing Tools Active During Playback
For those XIPprefer editing on the fly or with looped segments, Auto-Tune 8’s editing tools are now active during playback, so you never haWF to stop and restart just to hear the results of an edit.
Audio Feedback of Note Object Pitch
Auto-Tune’s Note mode was already the easiest way to re-pitch already recorded melodies. In Auto-Tune 8, you can choose to have any note edits provide audio feedback of the note’s pitch, so selecting new notes is just a matter of using your ears.
Hide or Show Amplitude Envelope in Main Edit Display
You can now choose to hide or show the amplitude envelope plot in the main edit window.
Hide or Show Envelope Display
You can now choose to hide or show the dedicated envelope display. Particularly useful when working on a laptop, where screen real estate is at a premium.
Increased Maximum Timeline Resolution in Bars + Beats Mode
The maximum resolution of the timeline in Bars + Beats mode has been increased to 16th notes.
Automatic Update Notification
Auto-Tune 8 will notify you whenever an update to the plug-in or an upgrade is available.
How To Use This Manual
If this is your first experience of Auto-Tune, you will find that Auto-Tune 8 has a very friendly user-interface and is extremely easy to use. However, because Auto-Tune 8 does things that have never been done before, some aspects of the user-interface may not be immediately obvious. You should at least read either Chapter 3, Auto-Tune 8 Controls, or Chapter 4, Auto-Tune 8 Tutorial, to learn the essential information you will need to operate Auto-Tune 8.
The Contents Of This Manual
Chapter 1: Getting Started
The chapter you are reading.
Chapter 2: Introducing Auto-Tune 8
This chapter presents some basic facts about pitch and how Auto-Tune 8 functions to correct pitch and timing errors. The basic functionality of Auto-Tune 8 is discussed, and information you need in order to use it eectively is provided.
Chapter 3: Auto-Tune 8 Controls
This chapter is reference information for all of the controls used in the Auto-Tune 8 interface.
Chapter 4: Auto-Tune 8 Tutorial
This chapter introduces you to details of how Auto-Tune 8 works by guiding you through several tutorials. The tutorials will give you insight into how and when to use each of Auto-Tune 8’s key functions.
Chapter 5: The Auto-Tune Vocal Eect
What it is. How to do it.
Chapter 6: The Auto-Tune 8 Scales
Brief descriptions of the various scales available in Auto-Tune 8.
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Installing Auto-Tune 8
Any unique instructions for installing Auto­Tune 8 for your specific host or plug-in format are located in the Auto-Tune 8 Read Me file that accompanies the plug-in. This file may also contain any last-minute Auto-Tune 8 information that didn’t make it into this manual.
Auto-Tune 8 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 8
Authorization is the process by which Auto­Tune 8 is allowed to permanently run on your computer. Detailed instructions covering the available authorization options will be found in the file “Authorization Read Me” which is included on the installation DVD ROM or with your software download.
NOTE: You will need to authorize
Auto-Tune 8 before you can run it in your host. If you plan to follow along
with the manual (a good idea), go do it now.
Technical Support
In the unlikely event that you experience a problem using Auto-Tune 8, try the following:
Make sure you have the latest version of the plug-in. You can download and install the latest version of Auto-Tune 8 from the following web page:
http://www.antarestech.com/download/
latest-software.php
If that doesn’t solve your problem, try the following:
1. Consult our web-based support resources at:
http://www.antarestech.com/support/
2. Submit a question directly to our Customer Support department at:
http://www.antarestech.com/support/
contact.php
3. Join the Antares online User Forum. The User Forum is a place where Antares product users can gather to exchange information, compare notes, and get to know other Antares users from around the world. Check it out at:
http://antarestech.invisionzone.com/
4. For the quickest access to new developments, follow us on Twitter and “Like” our Facebook pages:
http://twitter.com/AntaresAudio
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Antares-
Audio-Technologies/68524457680
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Auto-
Tune/81891651280
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2: Introducing Auto-Tune 8
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 the “holy grail of recording.” And went on to say, “Bottom line, Auto-Tune is amazing… Everyone with a Mac should have this program.” (In fact, we know of quite a few people back then who bought kilo-buck Pro Tools™ systems just to be able to run Auto­Tun e. )
In the intervening years, Auto-Tune has established itself as the worldwide standard in professional pitch and, as of Auto-Tune 7, time correction. Today, it’s used daily by tens of thousands of audio professionals around the world to save studio and editing time, ease the frustration of endless retakes, save that otherwise once-in-a-lifetime performance, or to create what has become the signature vocal eect of our time.
Auto-Tune is, in fact, the world’s single largest­selling audio plug-in.
Now, well over a decade and a half after its introduction, Auto-Tune 8 introduces Flex­Tune™ pitch correction technology and establishes yet another new standard in natural real-time pitch correction.
So what exactly is Auto-Tune 8?
Auto-Tune 8 is a precision tool for correcting intonation and timing errors or creatively modifying the intonation or rhythmic articulation of a performance.
For pitch correction, Auto-Tune 8 employs state-of-the-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, MIDI input, or through the use of graphical editing tools).
To take maximum advantage of the power of Auto-Tune 8’s pitch correction functions, you should have a basic understanding of pitch and how Auto-Tune 8 functions to correct pitch errors. This chapter presents basic terminology and introduces Auto-Tune 8’s operating paradigm, giving you the background you need to use it eectively.
Later in the chapter, we’ll provide an overview of Auto-Tune 8’s time manipulation features.
A little bit about pitch
Pitch is traditionally 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 Godzilla’s enormous footsteps as he stomps his way through Tokyo) 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 8 is designed to process have a very clearly defined quality of pitch. The sound generating mechanism of these sources is a
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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 8.
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 8 would not be able to process this sound.
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 R ATIO IN
RAT IO 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
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 A4 (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 dier 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-
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.
How Auto-Tune 8 detects pitch
In order for Auto-Tune 8 to automatically correct pitch, it must first detect the pitch of the input sound. Calculating the pitch of a periodic waveform is a straightforward process. Simply measure the time between
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repetitions of the waveform. Divide this time into one, and you have the frequency in Hertz. Auto-Tune 8 does exactly this: It looks for a periodically repeating waveform and calculates the time interval between repetitions.
The pitch detection algorithm in Auto-Tune 8 is virtually instantaneous. It can recognize the repetition in a periodic sound within a few cycles. This usually occurs before the sound has sucient amplitude to be heard. Used in combination with a very slight processing delay, 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.)
Auto-Tune 8 was designed to detect and correct pitches up to the pitch C6. (If the input pitch is higher than C6, Auto-Tune 8 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 8 will detect pitches as low as 25Hz (when the Bass Input Type is selected). This range of pitches allows intonation correction to be performed on virtually all vocals and instruments.
Of course, Auto-Tune 8 will not detect pitch when the input waveform is not periodic. As demonstrated above, Auto-Tune 8 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 non­periodic, and Auto-Tune 8 will have diculty determining the pitch of the composite (voice + noise) sound. Luckily, there is a control (the Tracking control, discussed in Chapter 3) that will let Auto-Tune 8 be a bit more casual about what it considers “periodic.” Experimenting with this setting will often allow Auto-Tune 8 to track even noisy signals.
NOTE: The above description has
been in pretty much every Auto-
Tune manual since the beginning. While it is
still true in the general case, it must be noted that Auto-Tune 8 includes technology (originally introduced in Auto-Tune Evo) that does a much better job with borderline troublesome material than any prior version of Auto-Tune.
How Auto-Tune 8 corrects pitch
Auto-Tune 8 provides two separate and distinct ways to approach pitch correction: Automatic Mode and Graphical Mode. The basic functionality of each is described below.
Automatic Mode
Auto-Tune 8’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, and the amount of variation falls within the range set by the Correction Style control (described below), 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 and Humanize settings, described below and in Chapter 3.)
Scales
The heart of Automatic Mode pitch correction is the Scale. Auto-Tune 8 lets you choose from major, minor, chromatic or 26 historical, ethnic and micro-tonal 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.
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Retune Speed
Auto-Tune 8 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 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 iconic Auto-Tune Vocal eect.
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.
An Example of Classic Automatic Mode Correction
As an example, consider this before-and­after graphic representation of the pitch of a vocal phrase that contains both vibrato and expressive gestures.
D3
C#3
B2
10.0 10.5 11.0
CORREC TED BY AUTO-TUNE 8
ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE
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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 8’s Automatic Mode programmed to a D Major Scale (with C# and
DISTORTED GESTURES
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 general shape of the expressive gestures. (Setting C# and B to ”Remove” is necessary to keep Auto-Tune 8 from trying to correct the seriously flat tail of the last note to those pitches. See Chapter 3 for more details.)
Flex-Tune
New in Auto-Tune 8 is the Correction Style control. Other real-time pitch correction
This second plot shows the result of setting the Correction Style control to the Flex-Tune setting of 75. The vocal gestures are now reproduced exactly as they were sung.
methods, including previous versions of Auto­Tune, are always pulling every note towards a scale note, in the process distorting any of the singer’s expressive vocal gestures. In contrast, Flex-Tune only provides correction when the vocalist approaches a scale note. At all other times, they are free to sing with whatever vocal gestures best express their emotional connection to their song, secure in the knowledge that Auto-Tune 8 will pass them through, exactly as they are sung.
The new Correction Style control lets you choose how close to the scale pitch the singer has to be for Auto-Tune 8 to apply correction. In the Classic position, correction is always applied. This results in the same style of correction as previous versions of Auto-Tune. As you move the control into the Flex-Tune range, the correction area around the scale note gets smaller and smaller until, at the extreme clockwise position, no correction will be applied at all.
An Example of Flex-Tune Correction
In this example, we first look at the plot of a vocal line with intricate vocal gestures processed with the Correction Style control set to  (classic Auto-Tune correction). As you can see, the scale notes are in tune, but the various gestures are distorted by also being pulled to the scale notes.
Vibrato
Auto-Tune 8 allows real-time adjustment of the depth of any natural vibrato present in the input.
Auto-Tune 8 can also add a vibrato to an input that does not naturally exhibit one. 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 8’s Vibrato settings, you can even remove a performer’s own vibrato and replace it with Auto-Tune 8’s programmed vibrato, all in real time. Also, unusual combinations of Vibrato Waveform, Rate and Depth settings can be used for some interesting special eects.
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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 (called a “correction object”).
As in Automatic Mode, the rate of change towards the desired pitch is controlled by the Retune Speed control, but in Graphical Mode you can assign a dierent Retune Speed to each individual correction object, ensuring that any pitch change is as natural (or as wacky) as you desire.
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. Depending on your host, you can resize the Graphical Mode window up to the limit of your monitor size.
On the Pitch Graph, the red curve represents the original pitch contour of the input track, while the desired target pitch or pitch contour (as defined by one of the three possible Correction Objects described below) is indicated in blue. The green curve displays the exact output pitch based on the current setting of the Retune Speed for each correction object.
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The horizontal grid lines (or Lanes, when Show Lanes in selected) represent scale pitches. The key annotation, scale name, and scale detune value are those defined by the common area controls at the top of the interface. They do not aect the computations of the Graphical Mode in any way. They are merely a reference to guide you in setting the target pitches.
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 pitch­detected sound or 2) align with the horizontal scale and position of the Pitch Graph above it.
To define the desired pitches, Graphical Mode provides three dierent Pitch Correction Objects: Lines, Curves and Notes. You can draw desired target pitches using the Line and Curve drawing tools, selectively modify the existing pitch contours using the Make Curve function, or use Note Objects to display and modify the pitch of each individual target note. The dierent Objects can be freely intermixed on a track to accomplish dierent tasks, or just to allow you to work in whichever way feels easiest.
In addition, Auto-Tune 8 includes the ability to define target pitches using MIDI. Similar in concept to the Target Notes Via MIDI function in Automatic Mode, when tracking pitch in Graphical Mode, Auto-Tune 8 will record any MIDI note information routed to it (either from another MIDI track or live from a MIDI controller) and (optionally) display the data on the Pitch Graph Display. You can then use the Make Notes From MIDI function to convert the MIDI information into Note Correction Objects.
Complete image scaling and scrolling controls are provided, along with a selection of graphical tools which allow easy editing, including cut, copy and paste functions.
Given the power of the tools, there is a huge variety of possible Graphical Mode workflows, but the basic steps you will typically perform in Graphical Mode are:
In your host application, select some sound for processing.
Bring up Auto-Tune 8. Set the buer length to at least the number of seconds from the beginning of the track to the end of the audio you are going to process. Press the Track Pitch button, then play back the audio. The pitch will be detected and then displayed in the Pitch Graph as a red curve.
When you have tracked all the audio you want to work with, stop the transport to exit Track Pitch mode.
Define target pitches using any combination of Correction Objects (Lines, Curves or Notes) and the graphical tools and adjust each object’s Retune Speed and vibrato depth for the desired eect.
If desired, set a transposition interval, engage formant correction, or modify overall vocal character with the Throat Length control. Then use the Throat Length Adjust control to individually set the vocal timbre of each note.
Play back the track. The pitch will be corrected or shifted as specified.
Pitch Shifting, Formant Correction and Throat Modeling
Auto-Tune 8’s Pitch Shifting, Formant Correction, and master Throat Modeling functions are located in the common control area and available in both Automatic and Graphical Modes.
Pitch Shifting
In addition to any pitch correction applied by either Automatic or Graphical Mode, Auto­Tune 8 provides a Transpose function that lets you shift the overall pitch of your performance over a two octave range (+/- an octave), selectable in precise semitone increments.
In Automatic Mode, this transposition is accomplished in real time.
In Graphical Mode, this function does not aect the Pitch Edit Display. It provides overall transposition on top of any pitch shifting accomplished with the graphical editing tools.
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Although you can also accomplish overall transposition in Graphical Mode by selecting all the correction objects in your track and manually moving them up or down, in most cases, using the Transpose function will provide superior results.
Formant Correction
A sound’s ”formants” are the combined acoustic resonances that result from the physical structure of whatever is producing the sound.
In the case of a human voice, air from your lungs is forced through your vocal chords, causing them to vibrate. From there, the voice is propagated through the throat, the mouth and out through the lips. It is the shape of these structures that create the resonant characteristics that define your unique vocal identity.
When a vocal is pitch-shifted by large intervals without formant correction, not only is the pitch of sung notes shifted, but the formants are shifted as well. The resulting eect is not just of a person singing higher or lower notes, but of a person who is literally growing or shrinking (depending on the direction of the shift). While this can be useful for producing singing chipmunks, it typically does not produce realistic pitch-shifting over ranges larger than a semitone or two.
Engaging Auto-Tune 8’s Formant Correction prevents the shifting of a voice’s resonant frequencies to ensure that its vocal characteristics are preserved over the pitch shift range.
AN IMPORTANT NOTE: Over the very
small intervals usually associated
with basic pitch correction, formant shifting is essentially inaudible and Auto­Tune’s classic pitch adjustment technology still provides the optimum results. Formant Correction is designed to be used with overall transposition or on tracks where notes are shifted by large intervals.
Throat Modeling
As mentioned above, the shape of a singer’s throat is a prime contributor to their vocal character. Auto-Tune 8’s Throat Length control lets you use Antares’ unique throat modeling technology to modify a voice’s character by passing it through a precise physical model of the human vocal tract.
Auto-Tune 8 also includes the ability in Graphical Mode to individually modify the throat modeling for each note or correction object, oering an entirely new level of creative control.
Time Shifting and Correction
We’ve designed Auto-Tune 8’s time control capabilities to combine an extremely high­quality time-shifting algorithm with an exceedingly intuitive user interface designed to make it quick and easy to correct timing errors or exercise your creative imagination.
Time Tracking
In order to do its time shifting magic, Auto­Tune 8 must first create a copy of the audio you wish to edit. This is accomplished with the Track Pitch and Time function. To help manage this audio data, we’ve provided a convenient Data File Management dialog that allows you to establish or move the location of the data files, rename their folder, as well as delete them if they are no longer necessary (after bouncing the final time-modified audio, for example).
The File Management System will also alert you if the data files are not where Auto­Tune 8 expects them to be and will provide information to help you find them.
Time Tools
Although allowing for an enormous amount of flexibility, Auto-Tune 8’s time shifting functions make use of two easy-to-use tools; the Move Point tool and the Move Region tool.
The Move Point tool allows you to select a range of audio and pick any point in the range and move it forward or back in time, compressing and expanding the audio around it.
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The Move Region tool is designed for moving notes, words, or phrases while preserving the timing of the moved element. As with the Move Point tool, you first select a range of audio and then select the region within that selection that you want to move and move it forward or back in time, again compressing and expanding the audio around it.
Both tools are context sensitive. That is, they change function (from selection to moving, for example) depending on what lies beneath them on the screen. As a result, the time manipulation process becomes smooth and intuitive, never breaking your creative flow with the need to switch tools or remember some command key to temporarily change function.
The time functions also have their own Undo/ Redo controls independent of the pitch correction controls and an Enable button that allows you to instantly switch between your original audio and your time shifted audio.
Enhanced Amplitude Envelope Display
To he lp yo u v is ual ize t he aects of your edits, whenever time control is enabled the Amplitude Envelope Display will display both the original audio (in the lower portion of the display) and the time-shifted audio (in the upper portion). Additionally, the display’s horizontal axis will turn red to indicate the ranges of audio that have been time-tracked, so you will always know which ranges are currently available for time editing.
Non-destructive Editing
Since Auto-Tune 8 works on a copy of your audio, time editing always leaves your original audio intact. At any point you can simply turn o the Time Control Enable button to instantly return to your track’s original timing.
3: Auto-Tune 8 Controls
This chapter is a reference for all of the controls used in the Auto-Tune 8 interface. How these controls are used together for pitch correction and time shifting is demonstrated in Chapter 4, Auto-Tune 8 Tutorial.
Continuous Controls
Auto-Tune 8’s continuous controls are represented graphically as virtual knobs. Depending on your preference, you can control knobs by vertical, horizontal or radial mouse movement. Set your preference in the Options dialog described below.
Double-clicking on a knob will return it to its default value. In some host applications, Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking on a knob will also reset it to default).
Common Controls
The following controls and displays are visible regardless of which operating mode is selected. Their settings aect both Automatic and Graphical Modes.
Input Type
As a result of Antares research into the unique
characteristics of various types of audio signals, Auto-Tune 8 oers a selection of optimized processing algorithms for the most commonly pitch­corrected 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.
able to detect pitches down to A1 (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, so be sure to select Bass Instrument only when correcting bass range tracks.
voice or solo instrument. The Tracking control determines how much variation is allowed in the incoming waveform for Auto-Tune 8 to still consider it periodic.
If you are working with a well-isolated solo signal (e.g., tracking in a studio or o of a multitrack master) you can typically set the Tr ack in g co ntr ol t o 50 an d for ge t it .
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 8 is reliably
Trac ki ng
In order to accurately identify the pitch of the input, Auto­Tune 8 requires a periodically repeating waveform, characteristic of a
15
16
If, on the other hand, your signal is noisy or not well-isolated (as might be more common in a live performance situation) or you are dealing with a particularly breathy or guttural voice, it may be necessary to allow more signal variation (higher Tracking numbers). However, under these circumstances tracking is not guaranteed and a too “relaxed” setting may introduce distortion and popping.
NOTE: The improved pitch detection
technology in Auto-Tune 8 (in
combination with the Input Type selection described above) results in noticeably more reliable pitch detection compared to Auto-Tune 5 and earlier. If you have used older versions of Auto-Tune, you may find that situations that previously required constant modifications of the Tracking control now track perfectly at the default setting.
Select Pitch Reference
Auto-Tune 8 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 8 will use as a pitch reference.
NOTE: If there is a marked dierence
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 8 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 8 is instantiated on a mono track, this control is inactive (grayed out).
Low Latency
Normally, Auto-Tune makes use of a processing delay to provide the best processing quality when executing transposition (as opposed to just pitch correction).
When you do your pitch and time correction during mixdown, your DAW’s delay compensation will account for this processing delay. However, if you want to use Auto-Tune 8 during the tracking process or to process a live performance, that delay would prove distracting. In that case, click the Low Latency button to reduce the processing delay to a virtually undectable level.
Key Selection
This control lets you select the
key of the track you plan to
process.
To select the desired key, click on the Key pop-up and then select the desired note from the pop-up list. This determines the pitch of the first note of the scale according to the standard A = 440 Hertz.
Scale Selection
This control is used in combination with the Key selection above to define the scale of the track you plan to process.
To select a scale, click on the Scale popup and then select the desired scale from the pop-up list.
NOTE: To avoid having to deal with
scales containing those annoying
double flats, double sharps and notes like Cb, E#, Fb and B#, Auto-Tune 8 will automatically choose the simpler of two enharmonically equivalent scales. For example, if you select Db Major, the Edit Scale Display will duly display the Db Major scale. However, if you then go to the Scale selection pop-up and select Minor, the Key will automatically be changed to C# and the Edit Scale Display will, in fact, display the much friendlier C# Minor scale. This will be reflected on both the Auto Mode Scale Edit display and the Pitch Graph Display in the Graphical Mode.
17
Auto-Tune 8 comes with 29 preprogrammed scales. The first three equal-tempered scales, chromatic, major, and minor, are the ubiquitous scales typically found in Western tonal music. The other scales are historical, ethnic, and micro-tonal scales. An in-depth discussion of these scales and their history is beyond the scope of this manual. The interested reader will find more information in Tuning In — Micro-tonality In Electronic Music by Scott R. Wilkinson, published by Hal Leonard Books.
A brief description of each scale can be found in Chapter 8, The Auto-Tune 8 Scales
Scale Detune
The Detune parameter allows you to change the pitch standard of Auto-Tune 8 from the default A = 440Hz. The
value is set in cents (100 cents = 1 semitone). The range of adjustment is from -100 to +100 cents. For convenience, the detune amount is also displayed in Hertz relative to A440.
The Detune function can be used to tune a vocal performance to some irreparably out­of-tune instrument (a piano or organ, for example), or to allow correction to other than the conventional 440Hz standard.
It should be noted that this control functions dierently in Automatic and Graphical modes:
AUTOMATIC MODE In Automatic Mode, the Scale Detune control shifts the pitch reference by the set amount.
GRAPHICAL MODE In Graphical Mode, the Scale Detune control shifts the position of the horizontal graph pitch reference lines (or lanes, if Show Lanes is selected), such that any correction objects created or adjusted relative to those reference lines will reflect the Scale Detune setting.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: If you create
any pitch correction objects and
subsequently adjust the Scale Detune setting, this will NOT change the output pitches of the existing objects. If you will be working in Graphical Mode on a track that requires scale detuning, set the proper detune amount BEFORE beginning pitch correction.
A TIP: If you have a tone that you
want to use as the pitch standard,
select that tone and play it in a loop. Adjust Scale Detune until the Change meter reads zero. (You may be required to use the Edit Scale Display to remove adjacent notes so that Auto-Tune 8 doesn’t tune to the wrong note.)
The default Scale Detune setting is 0 cents. Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Scale Detune knob will reset it to that value.
Tran sp os e
In addition to any pitch correction applied by either Automatic or Graphical Mode, the Transpose control lets you shift the overall pitch of your performance over a two octave range (+/- one octave), selectable in precise semitone increments.
In Automatic Mode, this transposition is accomplished in real time.
In Graphical Mode, this function does not aect the Pitch Edit Display. It provides overall transposition on top of any pitch shifting accomplished with the graphical editing tools.
As noted above, although you can also accomplish overall transposition in Graphical Mode by selecting all the correction objects in your track and manually moving them up or down, in most cases, using the Transpose function will provide superior results.
NOTE: If you are transposing
more than a semitone or two
and your intent is to preserve the performer’s vocal character, be sure to engage the Formant Correction function described below. Transposing large intervals (especially transposing higher) without formant
18
correction will result in the “munchkinization” eect familiar from tape speed changing and early digital sampling. (Of course, if singing chipmunks are what you’re going for, leave Formant Correction o.)
The default Transpose setting is  semitones (i.e., no transposition). Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Transpose knob will reset it to that value.
Throat Length
As mentioned above, the shape of a singer’s throat is a prime contributor to their vocal character. Auto­Tune 8 lets you modify the vocal quality of a performance by actually
varying the geometry of a physical model of the human vocal tract and processing the original performance through that model.
The Throat Length control lets you modify the length of the modeled throat. The range of the control is 50 to 180. Values above 100 represent a lengthening of the throat while values below 100 represent a shortening of the throat.
The actual values represent the percentage change in the throat length. For example, a value of 120 represents a 20% increase in throat length, while a value of 70 represents a 30% decrease in throat length.
NOTE: This control is only active when
Formant Correction is engaged. When Formant Correction is not
engaged, this control is disabled (grayed out).
In addition to simply changing vocal timbre, increasing throat length is useful when the original performance is female and you want to transpose it down and have it sound more male. Conversely, decreasing throat length
is useful when the original input is male and you want to transpose it up and have it sound female or childlike.
NOTE: While this control gives you
the ability to radically change the
throat length, keep in mind that the variation in the length of human vocal tracts is rarely more than about 20% in either direction. If you are looking for a “realistic” vocal characteristic, start with modest settings of this control. More extreme settings can produce dramatic results, but probably not what anyone would call “realistic.”
Command (Mac)/Control (PC) click the control to reset it to its default value of 100.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This function is
specifically for changing the existing
quality of a voice, not for manual formant compensation for pitch shifting. Auto-Tune 8 automatically applies appropriate formant correction when it shifts pitch with Formant Correction Enabled.
ANOTHER NOTE: This control sets the
overall Throat Length for your entire
track. Additionally, Throat Length can be adjusted on a note-by-note basis in Graphical Mode using the Throat Length Adjust function described in the Graphical Mode section below.
Formant Correction
Click the Formant button to toggle Auto-Tune 8’s formant correction function on and o.
The button will turn blue when formant correction is active and will be pale gray when it is inactive.
Engaging Auto-Tune 8’s Formant Correction prevents the shifting of a voice’s resonant frequencies to ensure that its vocal characteristics are preserved over the pitch shift range. (For a more complete explanation of formant correction, refer to the Pitch Shifting and Formant Correction section in Chapter 2.)
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE:
small intervals usually associated
with basic pitch correction, formant shifting is essentially inaudible and Auto­Tune’s classic pitch adjustment technology still provides the optimum results. Formant Correction is designed to be used with overall transposition or on tracks where notes are shifted by large intervals.
Over the very
Correction Mode
Click the appropriate button to select either Automatic or Graphical Mode.
The Options Dialog
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 buer space that are permanently reserved for pitch tracking and pitch correction data in Graphical Mode. (There is a separate buer for each plug-in occurrence.) To change the buer allocation, click in the data field and enter the required number of seconds.
e maximum buer length is 14,400 seconds
Th (i.e., 4 hours).
NOTE: For hosts that provide valid
time information, Auto-Tune 8 will
at its correct time within the track. If your host supports this capability, setting the buer 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.
NUMBER OF UNDOS Auto-Tune 8 provides multiple Undo/Redo capability in Graphical Mode. Select the maximum allowable number here (up to 20). Choosing a higher number allocates more memory for saving intermediate states.
control Undo/Redos. For example, if you set this value to 15, you will have 15 levels of undo for pitch correction actions and an additional 15 levels for time control actions.
KNOB CONTROL Lets you select how you want to control the “knobs” in the Auto-Tune 8 interface.
LINEAR: Position the cursor over a knob, press and hold the left mouse button (or the only mouse button, if you’re using a one-button mouse) and move the cursor up or to the right to turn the knob clockwise or down or to the left to turn the knob counterclockwise. The current value of the knob’s parameter appears in its associated numeric display.
display all tracked pitch information
NOTE: The value selected here
applies independently to both pitch correction Undo/Redos and time
20
CIRCULAR: Click any where 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.
FOLLOW HOST: Some hosts also allow you to select a knob control method and pass that selection on to plug-ins. If yours does, selecting Follow Host will automatically set Auto-Tune 8’s Knob Control to the method selected in your host. If you select Follow Host, but your host doesn’t supply that information to Auto­Tun e 8, k no b c on tr ol wi ll de fa ul t to Li ne ar.
USE CUSTOM CURSORS IN GRAPHICAL MODE Click the check box to use Custom
Cursors in Graphical Mode. Normally, Auto­Tune 8 displays dierent cursor shapes in the Pitch Graph Display to help you select ranges and 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 8 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 Auto-Tune 8’s custom cursors.
DISPLAY VERTICAL LINE AT CURSOR TIME POSITION Click the check box to cause
a vertical line to be displayed at the cursor position in Graphical Mode. This is most useful when you are comparing the various pitch values (tracked pitch, correction object pitch, and output pitch) at one or more time locations in your track.
A TIP: Since the line indicator can be
somewhat annoying during normal
editing tasks, you can, if you prefer, uncheck this box in the Options dialog and then assign Toggle Time Indicator to one of the number keys as described below. That way, you can turn it on only when you need it, without having to call up the Options dialog every time.
SHOW OUTPUT PITCH CURVES Click the check box to cause the green output curve to be visible. When not checked, only the red tracked pitch curve and the various correction objects (Line, Curve or Note) will be visible.
SHOW ENVELOPE IN MAIN GRAPH Click the check box to cause the amplitude envelope to be visible in the main editing window. This is particularly useful when selecting edit points during time editing.
PLAY AUDIO FOR SELECTED NOTE OBJECT When this box is checked, clicking
and holding on a Note object will result in a tone sounding at the current pitch of the Note object. Continuing to hold the mouse down and moving the Note object up or down will result in the tone changing to match the position of the Note. Releasing the mouse button will end the tone.
NOTE: If you have selected “Snap
to Note,” the tone will be limited to exact semitones.
SHOW ENVELOPE GRAPH Click the check box to cause the dedicated Envelope Graph to be displayed under the main editing window. If you are working on a laptop with limited screen real estate, unchecking this box to cause the Envelope Graph to disappear will give you more screen space for the main editing window.
AUTO-SCROLL MODE Click to select the auto-scrolling method.
With screen-by-screen scrolling, the display remains stationary until the play position reaches the right-hand edge of the window, at which time the display jumps to the next screen of data.
With smooth scrolling, Auto-Tune 8 will automatically scroll the Pitch Graph Display to ensure that the current play position is always visible in the display.
21
SMOOTH SCROLLING DELAY We have found that some hosts result in smoother smooth scrolling than others. If you have selected Smooth Scrolling and the display does not scroll smoothly (I.e., it jerks or jumps), changing the Smooth Scrolling Delay value can often help.
DEFAULT RETUNE SPEEDS Since Auto-Tune 8 allows independent Retune Speeds for each correction object, we’ve provided the ability to set custom default Retune Speeds for each of the three object types: Lines, Curves and Notes. These are the initial Retune Speed values that are assigned to each newly created object. (You may, of course, modify each individual object’s setting as needed.)
To choose your own values, just pay attention to what values you most commonly use for the various objects and set those as defaults. Update as necessary.
A TIP: Your choice of default
values will depend greatly on your
particular workflow and your typical use of the various correction objects. If, for example, you usually use Make Curve or Import Auto to tweak pitch while preserving all pitch gestures, usually use Lines for quick correction of individual out-of-tune notes, and usually use Note Objects for precise programming of the Auto-Tune Vocal Eect, you might set the Curves default to 0, the Lines default to 20 and the Notes default to .
KEY BINDINGS The Key Bindings section allows you to assign your most commonly used Graphical Mode tools and controls to the 10 number keys that appear above the letter keys on the QWERTY portion of your keyboard.
NOTE: Since some hosts reserve the
numeric keypad for host keyboard
shortcuts even when a plug-in window is active, the Key Bindings apply only to the number keys on the QWERTY portion of your keyboard.
The following functions are available for assignment:
Graphic Tools
Line Curve Note Arrow Scissors Zoom I-Beam Hand Scroll Move Point Move Region
Edit Functions
Clear All Undo Redo Select All Cut Copy Paste
Time Control
Undo Time Change Redo Time Change Clear All Time Changes
Control Toggles
Snap To Note Auto-Scroll Show Lanes Tr ack P it ch Cursor Time Indicator Show Output Curve Show MIDI Tr ack P it ch + Ti me Enable Time Control
Correction Objects
Make Curves Import Auto Make Notes Make Notes from MIDI
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Other Controls
Reset Internal Cock Nudge Up Nudge Down Zoom In Horizontal Zoom Out Horizontal Zoom In Vertical Zoom Out Vertical Adjust Retune Speed Faster Adjust Retune Speed Slower Adjust Vibrato Depth More Adjust Vibrato Depth Less Adjust Throat Length Longer Adjust Throat Length Shorter
WINDOW SIZE Since some hosts and/or plug-in formats do not support real-time plug­in window resizing (i.e., dragging on the corner of the window), the Window Size controls allow you to select among three preset sizes or specify a custom size of your choice.
The preset sizes (measured in pixels) are:
Normal: 850 wide by 630 high Medium: 1000 wide by 600 high Large: 1600 wide by 900 high
Clicking any of the Preset buttons will enter those dimensions in the Width and Height data entry fields. To enter a custom size, simply click in the desired field and enter the value of your choice.
The new size will take aect when you click the Save button.
NOTE: Some hosts do not support
immediate resizing of an open plug-
in window. If yours in one of those, after clicking Save, you will have to close the Auto-Tune 8 window and reopen it to have the size change take aect.
SAVE AS DEFAULT When the “Save as default” box is checked, any changes you make to the various Options settings are saved as defaults for all future instances of Auto-Tune 8.
If you want to make a temporary change to an Option setting for a particular track, but want to retain the previous default for future instances, uncheck the “Save as default” box before clicking the Save button. Your modified value will take eect in the current instance of Auto-Tune 8, but future instances will revert to the previously saved value.
Bypass
Auto-Tune 8 does not include a dedicated Bypass control as that function is typically provided by the host application’s plug-in interface.
Automatic Mode Controls
Pitch Correction Functions
Retune Speed
Retune Speed controls how rapidly the pitch correction is applied to the incoming sound. The units are milliseconds. A value of zero will cause instantaneous
changes from one tone to another and will completely suppress a vibrato (note that any related volume changes will remain). Values from 10 to 50 are typical for vocals (unless you’re going for the Auto­Tun e Voc al E ect, in which case use ). Larger values let through more vibrato and other interpretative pitch gestures but also slow down how rapidly pitch corrections are made.
Although the above suggestions can be used as starting points, finding the correct Retune Speed setting for a particular performance is largely a matter of trial-and-error and depends on such attributes as song tempo, note duration and vocal style, among others. As always, let your ears be your guide.
23
The default Retune Speed value is 20. Double­clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Retune Speed knob will reset it to that value.
Correction Style
The Correction Style control lets you select either the classic Auto-Tune­style pitch correction or our new Flex-Tune pitch correction technology, which is
designed to provide pitch correction while also preserving a singer’s expressive vocal gestures intact.
Other real-time pitch correction methods, including previous versions of Auto-Tune, are always pulling every note towards a target scale note, in the process distorting any of the singer’s expressive vocal gestures. In contrast, Flex-Tune only provides correction when the vocalist approaches a scale note. At all other times, they are free to sing with whatever vocal gestures best express their emotional connection to their song.
The Correction Style control lets you choose how close to the scale pitch the singer has to be for Auto-Tune 8 to apply correction. In the Classic position, correction is always applied. This results in the same style of correction as previous versions of Auto-Tune. As you move the control into the Flex-Tune range, the correction area around the scale note gets smaller and smaller until, at the extreme clockwise position, no correction will be applied at all.
The default Correction Style value is . Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Correction Style knob will reset it to that value.
Humanize
One situation that can be problematic in Automatic Mode is a performance that includes both very short notes and longer sustained notes. The
problem is that in order to get the short notes in tune, you’d have to set a fast Retune Speed, which would then make any sustained notes sound unnaturally static. Luckily, the Humanize function easily solves this problem.
The Humanize function dierentiates between short and sustained notes and lets you apply a slower Retune Speed just to the sustained notes. Thus, the short notes are in tune and the sustained notes still allow the natural variations of the original performance.
Here’s how it works:
Start by setting Humanize to  and adjusting the Retune Speed until the shortest problem notes in the performance are in tune. At this point, any sustained notes may sound unnaturally static. If so, start advancing the Humanize control. The higher the Humanize setting, the more the Retune Speed is slowed for sustained notes. The goal is to find the point where the sustained notes are also in tune and just enough of the natural variation in the performance is present in the sustained notes to sound natural and realistic. (If you set Humanize too high, any problem sustained notes may not be fully corrected.)
This is another of those settings where you have to let your ears be your guide. The optimum Humanize setting for any particular performance will depend on the performance style, the other Automatic Mode settings and the specific eect you desire.
The default Humanize setting is . Double­clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Humanize knob will reset it to that value.
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