Auto-Tune Book

machine-readable media, whether on-line or on archival copies.<br><br> Software License Agreement Antares Audio Technologies grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use Auto-Tune, under the terms and conditions stated in this agreement. Use of Auto-Tune indi- cates your agreement to the following terms and conditions. License Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual iii You may: 1.use Auto-Tune on only one computer at a time; 2.physically transfer the program from one computer to another, provided that the program is used on only one computer at a time.<br><br> You may not: 1. make copies of Auto-Tune or of the user manual in whole or in part except as ex- pressly provided for in this agreement. Your right to copy Auto-Tune and the user manual is limited by copyright law.<br><br> Making copies, verbal or media translations, adaptations, derivative works, or telecommunication data transmission of Auto- Tune without prior written authorization of Antares Audio Technologies, is prohib- ited by law and constitutes a punishable violation of the law. 2. make alteration or modifications to Auto-Tune (or any copy) or disassemble or de- compile Auto-Tune (or any copy), or attempt to discover the source code of Auto- Tune.<br><br> 3. sub license, lease, lend, rent, or grant other rights in all or any portion of Auto-Tune (or any copy) to others. Term of the Agreement This agreement is effective until terminated by you or Antares Audio Technologies.<br><br> You may terminate the agreement at any time by notifying Antares Audio Technologies and destroying all copies of the manual, and erasing Auto-Tune from all machine-readable 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 Audio Technologies that are reasonably necessary to enforce the agreement plus resulting damages. Limited Warranty and Disclaimer Auto-Tune AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS ARE PROVIDED cAS IS d WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FIT- NESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.<br><br> 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 is with you. Antares Audio Technologies warrants the diskettes on which the program is fur- nished to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the day of delivery to you as evidenced by a copy of your receipt.<br><br> An- tares Audio Technologies' entire liability and your exclusive remedy as to the diskettes will be the replacement of the diskettes. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IM- PLIED WARRANTY LASTS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS.<br><br> 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, CONSEQUEN- TIAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OF Auto-Tune OR AC- COMPANYING MATERIALS. THIS LIMITATION WILL APPLY EVEN IF ANTARES OR ITS AUTHORIZED AGENT HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH iv Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual DAMAGE.<br><br> YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE LICENSE FEE REFLECTS THIS ALLO- CATION OF RISK. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATION OR EX- CLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. Welcome!<br><br> On behalf of everyone at Antares Audio Technologies, weÕd like to offer both our thanks and congratulations on your decision to purchase the Antares Auto-Tune, the most powerful intonation correction tool in the world. Before you proceed any farther, weÕd like to strongly encourage you to Þll out and return the Auto-Tune registration card. To make it as easy as possi- ble, weÕve included a sticker with your serial number attached to the card.<br><br> The serial number also appears on the bottom of the box, but itÕs probably a good idea also to write it in your manual for future reference. As an Auto-Tune owner, you are entitled to receive notiÞcation of any soft- ware upgrades, technical support, and advance announcements of upcom- ing products. But we canÕt send you stuff unless we know who and where you are.<br><br> So please, send that card in. At Antares, we are committed to excellence in quality, customer service, and technological innovation. With your purchase of the Auto-Tune, you have created a relationship with Antares which we hope will be long and gratifying.<br><br> Let us know what you think. You can count on us to listen. Again, thanks.<br><br> The Whole Antares Crew Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual v Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 Getting Started7 A few words from Dr. Andy7 How To Use This Manual8 The Contents Of This Manual8 Chapter 1: Getting Started 8 Chapter 2: Introducing Auto-Tune 8 Chapter 3: Auto-Tune Tutorial 8 Chapter 4: Auto-Tune Controls 8 Installing Auto-Tune9 Authorizing Auto-Tune9 Proof of Purchase:9 Challenge String:9 Technical Support10 CHAPTER 2 Introducing Auto-Tune11 What Is Pitch?11 Some Terminology12 The Purpose of Pitch Correction13 How Auto-Tune Detects Pitch14 How Auto-Tune Corrects Pitch15 Auto-Tune Modes: Automatic and Graphical16 The Automatic Mode16 The Graphical Mode18 CHAPTER 3 Auto-Tune Tutorial21 Lesson 1: Automatic Mode Controls21 Lesson 2: Graphical Mode24 Keyboard equivalents:28 Lesson 3: A Quiz29 Lesson 4: Precision30 Lesson 5: Using the Make Curve Button30 vi Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual Lesson 6: Using the Make Auto Button34 More Information and Usage Tips37 CHAPTER 4 Auto-Tune Controls39 Automatic Mode Controls39 The Scale popup39 Modern equal temperament: 39 Historical tunings: 40 Ethnic Tunings: 40 Contemporary Tunings: 41 The Key popup42 The Edit Scale button42 The Scale Detune slider44 The Retune slider45 The Tracking slider45 The Vibrato Section45 The Change meter46 Graphical Mode Controls46 The Arrow buttons46 The Graphical tools47 The Line tool 47 The Curve tool 47 The Pointer tool 47 The Zoom/Select tool 48 The Undo button48 The Cut and Copy buttons48 The Paste Button48 The Select All Button49 Keyboard equivalents:49 The Make Curve button49 The Make Auto button49 The Tracking slider50 The Retune slider51 The Playback controls51 The Track Pitch button 51 The Correct Pitch button 52 The Buffer size control 52 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 7 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started A few words from Dr. Andy I remember, as if it were yesterday, sitting in my junior high school band, happily playing away on my ßute, when I noticed that our conductor was screaming and jumping up and down on the podium.<br><br> What was this about? Suddenly, I realized she was screaming at me. And just in time too Ñ since I was able to duck and watch a baton ßy past my head, missing me by inches.<br><br> ÒWhy [expletive] canÕt you play in tune?Ó she asked. But I was in tune. Everybody else was out of tune.<br><br> It was then I began to learn about intonation. Many artists struggle with intonation. An entire concert can be spoiled by a single sour note.<br><br> Many of our most celebrated entertainers spend hours in the studio doing retake after retake, trying to sing expressively and in tune. Afterwards, their produc- ers spend yet more time trying to correct intonation problems using inadequate tools. Auto-Tune is dramatically changing all of that.<br><br> Because of Auto-Tune, sessions can focus on feeling and expression, rather than retakes. Studio hours are reduced and production costs are lowered. Even artists in live performance situations can concen- trate on interpretation, conÞdent that any pitch inaccuracies will be caught and cor- rected before they make it out to the audience.<br><br> WhatÕs more, Auto-Tune is incredibly easy to use (a fact attested to by the thinness of this manual). So Þre up Auto-Tune, invest a half hour or so in reading the following pages, and prepare to make intonation problems a thing of the past. Andy Hildebrand Ph.D.<br><br> Founder and Chief Scientist andy@antarestech.com Getting Started 8 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual How To Use This Manual Auto-Tune has a transparent user-interface and is extraordinarily easy to use. However, because Auto-Tune does things that have never been done before, some aspects of the user-interface will not be immediately obvious. You must read either Chapter 3, Auto-Tune Tutorial, or Chapter 4, Auto- Tune Controls, to learn the essential information you will need to operate Auto-Tune.<br><br> The Contents Of This Manual Chapter 1: Getting Started The chapter you are reading. Chapter 2: Introducing Auto-Tune This chapter explains basic facts about pitch and how Auto-Tune functions to correct for pitch errors. The basic functionality of Auto-Tune is discussed, and information you need to use it effectively is provided.<br><br> Chapter 3: Auto-Tune Tutorial This chapter introduces you to details of how Auto-Tune works by guiding you through several tutorials. All of the important controls are explained. Also, important hints and tips are presented that will help you use Auto- Tune effectively.<br><br> If you only r ead one chapter , r ead this one . Chapter 4: Auto-Tune Controls This chapter is reference information for all of the controls used in the Auto- Tune interface. Much of the information in this chapter is also presented in Chapter 3, however, some of the less important controls are only explained in Chapter 4.<br><br> Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 9 Installing Auto-Tune Installing Auto-Tune Instructions for installing Auto-Tune for your speciÞc platform are located in the Auto-Tune Read Me Þle on the CD ROM. This Þle may also contain any last-minute Auto-Tune information that didnÕt make it into this man- ual. Authorizing Auto-Tune Authorization (the process by which the Auto-Tune software installed on your computer is allowed to run) is accomplished by a technique called "Challenge/Response." This is described in detail in the Read Me Þle, but basically, the Þrst time you launch Auto-Tune you will be presented with a string of letters (the Challenge) and will be asked to enter another string of letters (the Response).<br><br> To receive the appropriate Response, you will need to provide us with both proof of purchase and your Challenge string. Here are the options for accomplishing this: Proof of Purchase: ¥ Fill out your warranty card and fax it, with the serial number sticker attached, to (408) 399-0036. This is a preferred option in that you can be certain that it has arrived prior to your requesting your Response.<br><br> ¥ If you have access to a scanner, scan your warranty card (after Þlling it out) with the serial number sticker attached and send it as a JPEG attach- ment in the same email as your Response request (see below). ¥ Mail us your warranty card with the serial number sticker attached. You should only rely on this if you don't have access to either of the other options, as you can never predict when itÕs actually going to arrive.<br><br> (However, you should still mail the warranty card in any case, so that we can have it physically on Þle.) Challenge String: ¥ Once you have reason to believe that we have received your proof of purchase, point you web browser to: Getting Started 10 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual http://antarestech.com/authorize/ and simply follow the directions. You will receive your Response by return email, typically within one working day. ¥ If, for some reason, you do not have access to the web but do have email, copy and paste your Challenge string into an email along with your name, the product name (e.g., Auto-Tune for MAS), and your serial number and send it to: register@antarestech.com.<br><br> You will receive your Response string by return email, usually within 24 hours (unless you have sent the email over a weekend, in which case you should receive it the following Monday). ¥ If you do not have access to the web or email, fax us your Challenge string along with your proof of purchase as described above. Be sure to include your fax number.<br><br> We will fax the Response string back to you at that number. When initially installed, Auto-Tune will run for ten days without authoriza- tion, so even if your canÕt contact us right away you can still use your soft- ware in the meantime. (During this period, click the "Continue" button whenever you are presented with the Authorization dialog box.) But donÕt procrastinate too long.<br><br> After those ten days are up, you will no longer be able to launch Auto-Tune until the correct Response is entered. Technical Support In the unlikely event that you experience a problem using Auto-Tune, try the following: 1.Make another quick scan through this manual. Who knows?<br><br> You may have stumbled onto some feature that you didnÕt notice the Þrst time through. 2.Check our web page for tips, techniques, or any late-breaking information: www.antarest- ech.com 3.Call your local Antares dealer. 4.Call us at (888) 332-2636, or (408) 399-0008 Monday through Friday between 9am and 5pm USA PaciÞc Standard Time.<br><br> 5.Email us at: techsupport@antarestech.com For options 3, 4 and 5, please be prepared to provide the serial number of your copy of Auto-Tune. Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 11 CHAPTER 2 Introducing Auto-Tune Auto-Tune is a breakthrough in digital signal processing (DSP) in the music industry. It puts you in control of pitch.<br><br> Moreover, Auto-Tune is a precision instrument for controlling pitch, allowing you to apply nuances of intona- tion to any performance. These nuances were only previously available to synthesized music if the engineer involved was willing to do a lot of work. Access to this new level of control is achieved by any Auto-Tune user who has a basic understanding of pitch and how Auto-Tune functions to correct for pitch errors.<br><br> This chapter presents basic terminology and introduces Auto-TuneÕs operating paradigm, giving you information you need to use it effectively. What Is Pitch? Pitch is a quality of sound relating to the frequencies of the energy involved.<br><br> Some sounds are very complex and donÕt involve energy of speciÞc fre- quencies. Even then, there is pitch. Compare, for example the pitch of hiss- ing steam with the rumble of an earthquake.<br><br> Other sounds, although still complex, have more speciÞc pitch. A symphony orchestra playing a scale in unison is an example of this. The waveforms involved are very complex; nonetheless, you are able to easily sense the pitch.<br><br> Vocalist and the majority of individual instruments have the most clearly deÞned 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 generated consists of energy at a frequency (called the fundamental) and energy at frequencies that are integer multiples of the fundamental fre- quency (called harmonics).<br><br> These sounds have a waveform (pressure as a Introducing Auto-Tune 12 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual function of time) that is periodic. This means that the waveform repeats itself, such as the periodic waveform shown in the diagram, below. Other sounds are more complex.<br><br> The non-periodic waveform, above, is from a violin section playing a single tone. Our ears still sense a pitch, but the waveform does not repeat itself This non-periodic violin section is a summation of a number of individually periodic violins. The summation is non-periodic because the individual vio- lins are slightly out of tune with respect to one another.<br><br> Some Terminology The pitch of periodic waveforms is deÞned as the number of cycles per sec- ond of the waveform. This unit is named Hertz (abbreviated Hz.). The stan- dard instrumental tuning is A3 = 440 Hz.<br><br> 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. Pitches which are integer multiples of one-another sound more ÒharmoniousÓ when played together, whereas pitches that are not are said to be ÒdissonantÓ.<br><br> Pitch ratios are measured in units called ÒcentsÓ. There are 1200 cents per octave. For example, two tones that are 2400 cents apart are two octaves apart and have a pitch ratio of 4 (or 1/4).<br><br> Periodic Waveform: Digiwave Non-periodic Waveform: Violin Section Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 13 The Purpose of Pitch Correction The twelve-tone Equal Tempered Scale consists of tones that are, by deÞni- tion, 100 cents apart. These are called semi-tones. This scale is the ubiqui- tous scale used (or rather approximated) in 99.9% of all Western tonal music.<br><br> The twelve equally-spaced tones of the Equal Tempered Scale hap- pen to contain a number of intervals that approximate integer ratios in pitch. The following table shows these approximations: 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 com- promise.<br><br> 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. In modern times, synthesizers can generate any intonation at any moment, allowing the use of ideal pitch ratios when ever they are desired. The Purpose of Pitch Correction When voices or instruments are out of tune, the emotional qualities of the performance are lost.<br><br> Correcting intonation solves this problem and IntervalCents Nearby Ratio Ratio Cents minor second10016/15111.73 major second2009/8203.91 minor third3006/5315.64 major third4005/4386.31 perfect fourth5004/3498.04 tritone600 perfect Þfth7003/2701.95 minor sixth8008/5813.69 major sixth9005/3884.36 minor seventh100016/9996.09 major seventh110015/81088.27 octave120021200 TABLE 1. The Equal Tempered Scale Introducing Auto-Tune 14 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual restores the performance. Auto-Tune is mostly used to solve these gross intonation problems.<br><br> However, as you shall see, Auto-Tune is also a preci- sion instrument, allowing intonation to be controlled to extraordinary degrees of accuracy. This allows the tonal aspects of music to be controlled accurately and easily to achieve any desired consonance or dissonance in harmonies. Don't try to raise the pitch more than an octave.<br><br> Auto-Tune has a built-in limitation of not being able to raise a pitch more that one octave (1200 cents). This is not considered a problem since most pitch corrections will be +/- 20 cents. How Auto-Tune Detects Pitch In order for Auto-Tune to automatically correct pitch, it must also detect the pitch of the input sound.<br><br> ItÕs easy for you to calculate the pitch of a periodic waveform: Simply measure the time between repetitions of the waveform. Divide this time into one, and you have the frequency in Hertz. Auto-Tune does the same thing: It looks for a periodically repeating wave- form and calculates the time interval between repetitions.<br><br> The pitch detection algorithm in Auto-Tune is virtually instantaneous. Like your eye-ball, it can see the repetition in a periodic sound within a few cycles. This usually occurs before the sound has sufÞcient amplitude to be heard.<br><br> Used in combination with a slight delay (about 1 to 10 milliseconds), the output pitch can be detected and corrected without artifacts in a seam- less and continuous fashion. Auto-T une will not detect pitch when the input waveform is not periodic . Hence, Auto-Tune will fail to tune up a violin section.<br><br> (It is possible to tune up an out of tune violin section, either tuning the sound as is, or by tuning up the individual players within the sound. This is done on samples for synthesizers using the Antares Audio Technologies InÞnity software. Using InÞnity, you can actually made a community orchestra sound like the New York Philharmonic.<br><br> But InÞnity processes samples, whereas Auto-Tune is used on performances.) Back to Auto-Tune, if the input waveform is not periodic, Auto-Tune will fail. At times, this can be a problem. Consider, for example, a breathy voice, or a voice recorded with a wind sound.<br><br> The added noise is non-periodic, Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 15 How Auto-Tune Corrects Pitch and Auto-Tune will have difÞculty determining the pitch of this sound. There is a slider (the Tracking slider, discussed in Chapter 4) that will allow Auto-Tune to be more casual about what it calls ÒperiodicÓ, which will help in these cases. If you have problems processing a particular sound, zoom it up and look at it.<br><br> If it is non-periodic, Auto-Tune will not work. If you can correct that problem, by using EQ or re-recording, then those are options available to you. The precision by which Auto-Tune detects pitch is extraordinary.<br><br> At a fre- quency of 400 Hz and a sample rate of 44100, the Auto-Tune DSP algorithm computes the pitch to an accuracy of .0001 samples per cycle, or .0004 Hz. At this resolution, the very question ÒWhat is pitch?Ó becomes relevant. That is, as the pitch of typical performances continuously change, the amount of variation in pitch, even over the time of a few cycles, changes greatly in comparison to the accuracy by which Auto-Tune computes pitch.<br><br> The pitch computed by Auto-Tune is a mathematical estimate of the cycle period repetition rate over the last two (or sometimes the last four) cycles. Auto-Tune was designed to detect and correct pitches up to C6. In reality, if a pitch goes higher than C6, Auto-Tune will often interpret the pitch an octave lower.<br><br> This is because it interprets a two cycle repetition as a one cycle repetition. These pitches can be corrected by the usual means. On the low end, Auto-Tune will detect pitches as low as A0 (55Hz).<br><br> This range of pitches allows intonation correction to be performed on all vocals and almost all instruments. How Auto-Tune Corrects Pitch Auto-Tune changes the instantaneous pitch and introduces no distortion in the output. It does this using the same basic computations used in samplers to re-tuned samples.<br><br> This is different from other pitch-shifting algorithms which put noise in sounds as a result of FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) overlap-and-save algo- rithm phase errors. The Auto-Tune algorithm is very clean and transparent. It isnÕt possible to tell that a sound has been processed by Auto-Tune - except that it is in-tune.<br><br> Introducing Auto-Tune 16 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual The accuracy of pitch correction in Auto-Tune is exceptional. In the worst case, a continuously varying tone can be corrected (at the discretion of the user) to within an error of at most one cycle in 80 seconds (assuming the Retune slider is set to zero). These accuracies are equivalent to the .01 cent accuracies by which the various scales of the Automatic Mode (discussed below) are internally speciÞed.<br><br> These accuracies are also equivalent to the accuracies of the clocks which control music studio functions. Chapter three will step you through a demonstration where two badly out of tune C2Õs are independently tuned to the same standard with no beat cycles. (Beat cycles are the perceptual result of hearing two tones that are close in frequency.<br><br> As the relative phase of the fundamental and harmonics change from in phase to out of phase, constructive and destructive rein- forcement occurs which alternately makes the composite sound loud and soft.) Auto-Tune Modes: Automatic and Graphical Auto-Tune has two separate and distinct ways to operate, almost as if there were actually two separate programs in one package. These are called modes, and are named the Automatic Mode and the Graphical Mode. The Automatic Mode and Graphical Mode function separately; when one is active, pitch corrections of the other are not performed.<br><br> Both the Automatic and Graphical Mode allow the ÒbypassÓ button to be used. Even though bypass is a well known plug-in control, I mention it because it functions seamlessly and can be used to punch pitch correction on and off during processing. The Automatic Mode The Automatic Mode works by continuously tracking the pitch of the input sound and comparing it to a scale.<br><br> The scale tone having pitch closest to the input is continuously identiÞed. An output pitch is generated which is closer to the scale tone than the input pitch. You have control of the scale.<br><br> Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 17 The Automatic Mode Major, minor, chromatic and 26 historical, ethnic and microtonal scales pro- vide unprecedented control of the output tonality. Scale pitches can be dis- abled causing no pitch correction. Scale pitches can also be removed allowing a wider range of pitch correction for neighboring pitches.<br><br> The scale can be de-tuned, allowing pitch correction to any pitch center. You also choose the key of the scale. You have control over how rapidly, in time, the pitch adjustment to the scale tone is made.<br><br> This is done with the Retune slider (fast to slow set- tings). Fast Retune settings are more appropriate for short duration tones and for mechanical instruments, like an oboe or clarinet. A fast setting will remove a vibrato.<br><br> Slow Retune settings are appropriate for longer tones where you want expressive pitch gestures (like vibrato) to come through to the output. A slower setting can leave a vibrato unmodiÞed but accurately adjust the pitch center to be in-tune. The Automatic Mode can also introduce a vibrato into the sound.<br><br> The Vibrato Section lets you control the depth, rate and delay of the vibrato. You can also choose the style of pitch variation in the vibrato (sine, ramp or Introducing Auto-Tune 18 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual square).You would use the Vibrato Section when you have a vocalist who has not learned to use his (or her) own vibrato. It can also be used for spe- cial sound design effects.<br><br> A fast pitch adjustment to remove an existing vibrato can be used in con- junction with the Vibrato Section to replace a vibrato with a new one. This will not always give good results, though, (as discussed in Chapter 3), because there are usually accompanying changes in the loudness of the sound. The Graphical Mode The Graphical Mode is similar to the Automatic Mode in that it also contin- uously tracks the pitch of the incoming sound and modiÞes the output pitch to be closer to a desired pitch.<br><br> But in the Graphical Mode, the desired pitch is not a scale tone, rather it is given graphically by you and is called the Òtar- Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 19 The Graphical Mode get pitch functionÓ. As in Automatic Mode, the rate of change towards the desired pitch (the target pitch function) is controlled by the Retune slider. The Graphical Mode uses the Pitch Graph: In this graph, higher pitches are upwards and increasing time is to the right.<br><br> The lighter (red) curve is the input sound pitch and the darker line is a tar- get pitch function. The light, horizontal lines are scale pitches. The key annotation, scale names, scale pitches and Detune value are those deÞned in the Automatic Mode.<br><br> They do not affect the computations of the Auto- matic Mode in any way. They are merely annotated on the Pitch Graph to guide you in setting the target pitch function. To change them, choose the Automatic Mode and change the Key popup, Scale popup, or the Detune slider, respectively.<br><br> Moving the detune slider down (more negative) causes the horizontal line to go down (ßatter). The Graphical Mode also uses the Envelope Graph: This graph shows the envelope of the sound whose pitch is shown in the Pitch Graph. The horizontal scale of this graph will either 1) show the entire envelope of the pitch-detected sound or 2) align the envelope to the hori- zontal scale and position of the Pitch Graph.<br><br> Introducing Auto-Tune 20 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual In Graphical Mode, the user draws the target pitch function using line and curve drawing tools. Complete image sizing and scrolling controls are pro- vided. A graphical editor allows easy editing, including cut, copy and paste functions.<br><br> The basic steps you will perform in Graphical Mode are: ¥ Select some sound for processing. This is done in the Soundbites win- dow. ¥ Bring up Auto-Tune.<br><br> Set the buffer for a few seconds longer than the duration 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.<br><br> ¥ Create a target pitch function using the graphical tools and adjust the Retune slider for the desired effect. ¥ Press Correct Pitch and play back the sound. This will cause the pitch to be corrected as speciÞed.<br><br> In Graphical Mode, Auto-Tune sometimes identiÞes the pitch to be an octave lower than it really is. In these cases, simply correct the pitch as you would if the pitch was lower (ex. +/- 20 cents).<br><br> Auto-Tune will apply this correction to achieve the desired result. In Graphical Mode, it is important that the sound played back for pitch correc- tion begins precisely at the same spot as the sound played back for pitch detec- tion. This is because the plug-ins do not know the absolute Òtime-of-dayÓ.<br><br> The speciÞed target pitch will be applied to whatever sound occurs after playback begins, even if it is a completely different sound. In other words, before you press Correct Pitch and play, make sure that the counter is set to start from the exact place you started Track Pitch. Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 21 CHAPTER 3 Auto-Tune Tutorial ÒI donÕt want to know how it works Ð I want to know how to work it!Ó Ð Keith Emerson This chapter introduces you to how Auto-Tune works by guiding you through several tutorials.<br><br> All of the important controls are explained. Also, tips are presented that will help you use Auto-Tune effectively. If you only r ead one chapter , r ead this one .<br><br> The Auto-Tune installation process copies several audio Þles into the instal- lation folder. Use these Þles in the exercises below. Lesson 1: Automatic Mode Controls This lesson will exercise the Automatic Mode controls of Auto-Tune using a synthetic sweep signal.<br><br> The Automatic Mode works by continuously track- ing the pitch of the input data and comparing it to a scale. The scale tone having its pitch closest to the input is identiÞed. An output pitch is created which is closer to the scale tone than the input.<br><br> 1.Setup your playback so that Auto-Tune processes the Mle cA2-A3-A2 sweep d . 2.Set the Key popup to A. 3.Set the Retune slider to zero.<br><br> 4.Set Bypass 8on 9 and play the sweep to hear the input sound. 5.Set Bypass 8off 9. Play the sound again.<br><br> Auto-Tune Tutorial 22 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual What you just heard was an A major scale. This is because Auto-Tune con- tinuously compared the input pitch to the A major scale and corrected the output pitch so that the output was closer in pitch to the scale tones. Now do the following: 1.Press the Edit Scale button.<br><br> The left most column is labelled Òdo not trackÓ. Clicking in this column places a ÒchkÓ indicator. This has the effect that when the pitch of the incoming sound is close to a tone so edited, the output pitch is not changed from the input.<br><br> This is like a pitch dependent bypass. The next column is labeled ÒremoveÓ. Clicking in this column causes the tone to be removed from the scale, as if it were never there to begin with.<br><br> 2.Press the mouse when the cursor is under the cremove d column so that the cchk d symbol appears next to the tones B, D, F# and G#. The dialog will appear 3.Press Done and play the sound again. You just heard a A-major triad because you had removed all other tones from the scale.<br><br> On scales with more than 7 tones, the Edit Scale dialog appears with addi- tional buttons. The Òset major scaleÓ and Òset minor scaleÓ buttons cause all Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 23 Lesson 1: Automatic Mode Controls tones to be removed except those nearest the diatonic Equal Tempered Scale of the current key. On microtone scales, additional ÒMicrotonal tuning dataÓ appears in the window that shows the cents values for various ideal intervals.<br><br> These can be used to help tune up the scale by allowing you to select tones that are in tune with other pitches in the harmonic structure. 1.Press the Edit Scale button. 2.Press the mouse under the cdo not track d column so that the cchk d sym- bol appears across from E.<br><br> 3.Press Done and play the sound again. You just heard the effect of not tracking the E. Over the duration when the output should be E, Auto-Tune entered a bypass mode.<br><br> 1.Move the Retune slider to about 30. 2.Play the sound again. Compare the 30 setting to the 0 setting.<br><br> The setting of 0 is fast: Auto-Tune makes instantaneous pitch changes. The setting of 30 is slower. Auto-Tune makes gradual pitch changes.<br><br> This slider controls how rapidly the pitch correction is applied to the incoming pitch. 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 related volume changes will remain).<br><br> Retune values from 10 to 50 are typical for vocals. 1.Set the Retune slider to 0. 2.Press the Edit Scale button.<br><br> 3.Press the mouse under the cremove d column so that the cchk d symbol appears next to all the tones except F#. Edits made using the Edit Scale dialog depend on the scale. That is, each scale retains its own edits separate from the other scales.<br><br> Auto-Tune Tutorial 24 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 4.Press Done and play the sound again. As the sound is playing, slide the Scale Detune slider. You are hearing the output pitch change with the Detune slider movement.<br><br> This is because the Detune slider changes the pitch standard of the scale. If you have a tone you know 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.<br><br> 1.Set the Vibrato popup to csine wave d and play back the sound. 2.Experiment with the vibrato controls to learn their effects. Lesson 2: Graphical Mode This lesson will show you how to use the Graphical Mode controls of Auto-Tune.<br><br> The Automatic Mode and Graphical Mode function separately; when one is active, corrections of the other are not performed. The Graphical Mode is similar to the Automatic Mode in that it continu- ously tracks the pitch of the incoming sound and modiÞes the output pitch to be closer to a desired pitch. In the Graphical Mode, the desired pitch is not a scale tone, rather it is given graphically by you and is called the Òtar- get pitch functionÓ.<br><br> As in Automatic Mode, the rate of change towards the desired pitch (the target pitch function) is controlled by the Retune slider. The Graphical Mode uses the Pitch Graph: Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 25 Lesson 2: Graphical Mode The appearance of the Pitch Graph is affected by the Key, Scale and Detune setting in the Automatic Mode. These parameters do not affect the compu- tations performed in Graphical Mode.<br><br> They merely provide you with infor- mation about the location of scale tones so that you may draw in your desired pitches. The basic steps you will perform in Graphical Mode are: ¥ Select some sound for processing. This is done in the Soundbites win- dow.<br><br> ¥ Bring up Auto-Tune. Set the buffer for a few seconds longer than the duration of the audio you are going to tune. Press the Track Pitch button, then play back the sound.<br><br> 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 slider for the desired effect. ¥ Press Correct Pitch and play back the sound.<br><br> This will cause the pitch to be corrected as speciÞed. LetÕs begin the tutorial: 1.Setup your playback so that Auto-Tune processes the Mle cA2-A3-A2 sweep d . 2.Set the Key popup to A.<br><br> 3.Press the Graphical Mode button. 4.Press the Track Pitch button. 5.Play the sweep signal through Auto-Tune.<br><br> After the playback stops, or is stopped by you, you will have to press the ÒTrack PitchÓ button again to stop the tracking function. In Graphical Mode, it is important that the sound played back for pitch correc- tion begins precisely at the same spot as the sound played back for pitch detec- tion. This is because the plug-ins do not know the absolute Òtime-of-dayÓ.<br><br> The speciÞed target pitch function will be applied to whatever sound occurs after playback begins, even if it is a completely different sound. In other words, before you press Correct Pitch and play, make sure that the counter is set to start from the exact place you started Track Pitch. Auto-Tune Tutorial 26 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 1.Press the Zoom/Select tool and drag out a box on the Pitch Graph that encloses the red curve.<br><br> You will see the following: 2.Press the Line tool and enter a line similar to that below. By clicking mul- tiple points on the Pitch Graph, line segments joining the points will be drawn. If you move the cursor outside the Pitch Graph during point entry, the graph will be automatically scrolled.<br><br> To exit, double-click a point or press <esc> on the keyboard. To erase the last point entered, press <delete> on the keyboard . 3.Press Correct Pitch and play back Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 27 Lesson 2: Graphical Mode 4.Select the Curve tool, then click and hold down the mouse on the Pitch Graph.<br><br> A curve will be drawn as the mouse is dragged. To exit, lift up on the mouse. Create a curve similar to the one shown: 5.Press Correct Pitch and play back the sound to hear the effect.<br><br> 6.Listen to the effect of the Retune slider as you change the values between 0 and about 50. 7.Experiment with the Pointer tool. This tool is used to select and drag lines and curves.<br><br> Clicking on white space in the Pitch Graph causes all objects to become de-selected. Clicking on white space and dragging causes object end points to become selected. Shift-clicking (and dragging) is used to select contiguous points.<br><br> Dragging off the Pitch Graph automatically scrolls the graph. Every line or curve has two end points. If both end points are selected, the object is said to be selected.<br><br> If you click on an object which is not selected, it becomes selected. If you click on an object that is already selected, it (and anything else that is selected) stays selected so you can drag it. Dragging causes the selected objects to be moved.<br><br> Any objects that have one end-point selected will be stretched during dragging. Dragging is constrained by neighboring unselected objects. If you hold down the option key and then click to drag, the cursor will be restricted to vertical only movements.<br><br> This is particularly handy after using the cMake Curve d button, discussed below. Auto-Tune Tutorial 28 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 1.Select one or more objects and play with undo, cut, copy, paste and select all. The Auto-Tune clipboard is not shared with other Auto-Tune's.<br><br> It is also not shared by other plug-ins, or other applications. Keyboard equivalents: The following are keyboard equivalents to the respective Graphical Mode buttons on certain platforms. Try them out and see if they work for you: Command (Apple) KeyFunction a Select All z Undo x Cut c Copy v Paste TABLE 2.<br><br> Edit Control Keys Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 29 Lesson 3: A Quiz Lesson 3: A Quiz So, you think youÕre getting the hang of this? Well, if you really are, youÕll be able to answer the question at the end of this lesson. 1.Use the techniques above to achieve the following Pitch Graph.<br><br> Note the horizontal target pitch function: 2.Set the Retune slider to 0, press Correct Pitch and play back the sound to hear the effect.. The pitch you will hear is a steady tone, as you would expect. 3.Now set the Retune slider to about 50, press Correct Pitch and play back the sound to hear the effect...<br><br> The pitch you now hear starts out sharper and then becomes ßatter. Why? The Auto-Tune settings, including all the scale edit data, the input sound pitch, input sound envelope and target pitch data are saved with the project settings .<br><br> Auto-Tune Tutorial 30 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual Lesson 4: Precision This lesson is actually more like a demonstration to show the extraordinary precision by which Auto-Tune can track and correct intonation problems. It will, though, give you a little more practice using Auto-Tune. If this doesnÕt sound interesting, please proceed to Lesson 5, below, which is an important tutorial of some Graphical Mode techniques.<br><br> 1.Setup your playback so that Auto-Tune processes the Mles cC2 Ahhh v3 d and cC2 Ohhh v1 d. 2.In each Auto-Tune, set the Retune slider to 0. 3.In each Auto-Tune, set the Key popup to B-Nat.<br><br> 4.In each Auto-Tune, press the Bypass buttons to bypass processing. 5.Play back the sound to hear the effect. Believe it or not, these are vocal samples from a CD of samples.<br><br> Sounds nasty, doesnÕt it? 6.Press Bypass in each Auto-Tune so processing is occurring. If youÕve done everything right, you will hear the samples so well in tune that they sound like one voice.<br><br> Lesson 5: Using the Make Curve Button The make curve button is an important tool in Auto-Tune. It allows you to make precise and natural pitch corrections in Graphical Mode. 1.Setup your playback so that Auto-Tune processes the Mle cCrowd All d .<br><br> 2.Press the Graphical Mode button. 3.Press the Track Pitch button. 4.Play the cCrowd All d Mle.<br><br> Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 31 Lesson 5: Using the Make Curve Button 5.Press the Zoom/Select tool and drag out a box on the pitch view that encloses the red curve for the c-gether d part of the last word, cto-gether d. You will see the following: 6.Use the zoom/select tool and drag out a selection of c-gether d in the Envelope Graph. You will see the following: 7.Press the Make Curve button.<br><br> Auto-Tune will compute a new curve object from the existing pitch data. The new curve may be difÞcult to see at Þrst because it will exactly overlay the red curve. 8.Both ends of the new curve will be selected.<br><br> Use the pointer tool and click on the white space of the Pitch Graph. That will cause no points to be selected. Auto-Tune Tutorial 32 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 9.Use the Pointer tool again and click precisely on the left end of the curve.<br><br> Drag this straight up, stretching the curve so it falls along the D3 tone. 10.Grab the curve by clicking on it and drag it straight down so it falls on the C3 line.The Pitch Graph should now appear: 11.Set the Retune slider to 0, press Correct Pitch and play back the sound. I canÕt say much for her voice in this segment, but at least this one note is a little better in tune.<br><br> An alternative approach is given next: Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 33 Lesson 5: Using the Make Curve Button 1.Use the line tool to draw a horizontal tine as shown below. 2.Set the Retune slider to 20, press Correct Pitch and play back the sound. Vibratos and other pitch gestures occur with related loudness gestures.<br><br> Spe- ciÞcally, with vibratos, some vocalists produce mostly pitch variations and little loudness variations while others produce small pitch variations and a lot of loudness variations. (Some have called the latter a Tremolo.) Nonethe- less, almost all voices seem to produce a combination of both pitch and related loudness variations. Therefore, trying to take an existing vibrato and change it (say speed it up) sometimes sounds unnatural because the new pitch variation does not correspond to the old loudness variation.<br><br> These considerations are also important when correcting pitch. It isnÕt always best to draw in a different pitch gesture at the desired pitch even though that gesture may have worked well elsewhere. The following techniques usually work well in this regard: ¥ The Þrst technique uses the Make Curve button to create a curve of the existing pitch and drag that curve up or down, or stretch it by dragging one end vertically.<br><br> The Retune slider can then be set very fast (0 to 5). This will force a precise re-tuning, but it will sound very natural since the target pitch curve will follow the original loudness gestures of the voice. Auto-Tune Tutorial 34 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual ¥ The second technique is to draw a ßat line segment across the duration of a tone at the desired pitch and then use the Retune slider set in the range 20 to 40.<br><br> This has the effect of gently moving the pitch downwards the desired pitch. The slower values of 20 to 40 will let through a vibrato but still draw the overall pitch closer to being in tune. The average pitch will eventually settle to the given line and the pitch gestures will occur both sharper and ßatter than that line.<br><br> The settling time is about twice the Retune slider time. 20 to 40 will let through about one-half of a typi- cal vibrato. Slower settings will let through more vibrato but will cause the new pitch to be reached more slowly.<br><br> Lesson 6: Using the Make Auto Button The make auto button allows you to create pitch corrections that occur in the Automatic Mode. 1.Select cCrowd All d . 2.In the Mixing board Window, assign Auto-Tune as a new insert to the desired track.<br><br> 3.Press the Graphical Mode button. 4.Press the Track Pitch button. 5.Play the cCrowd All d Mle.<br><br> Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 35 Lesson 6: Using the Make Auto Button 6.Press the Zoom/Select tool and drag out a box on the pitch view that encloses the red curve for the ccrowd all rushed d words. You will see the following: 7.Use the zoom/select tool and drag out a selection in the Envelope Graph, as shown: Auto-Tune Tutorial 36 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 8.Press the Make Auto button. Auto-Tune will compute a new curve object from the existing pitch data: Assuming this entire phrase is at the pitch E3, then there are several prob- lem spots, indicated above, where the pitch is being incorrectly adjusted towards neighboring tones.<br><br> 9.To hear the processed sound that would produced in Automatic Mode, set the Graphical Mode Retune Slider to 0, (fast), press Correct Pitch and play back the sound.. 10.Switch to the Automatic Mode and press the Edit Scale button. Press the mouse when the cursor is under the cremove d column so that the cchk d symbol appears next to the tones C, D and F.<br><br> 11.Switch to the Graphical Mode and use the zoom/select tool to drag out a selection in the Envelope Graph, as in Step 8. 12.Press the Make Auto button. Auto-Tune will compute a new curve object from the existing pitch data: Note how the pitch deviations from Step 9 have been removed.<br><br> Also, note the Òraised pitchÓ indicated above. This occurs because the Automatic Mode Retune slider value of 20 is slow compared to the rapidly increasing pitch that is occurring at that point in time. Even with the raised pitch, the average output pitch is centered on E3.<br><br> pitch drawn to neighboring tone Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 37 More Information and Usage Tips More Information and Usage Tips The decision to use the Graphical Mode instead of the Automatic Mode is taken when the Automatic Mode doesn't achieve the desired result. This is most often the case when pitch errors cross the boundary from one tone to another and you don't want to mess with continually adding and removing tones from the scale. In Graphical Mode, correcting pitch involves listening to a short passage and making several attempts at a correction.<br><br> The time-of-day limitation forces you to always start playback at the same point. Hence, Auto-Tune is best used like an editor: Fix a spot, bounce it to another track with process- ing applied, and move on. The Auto-Tune settings, including all the scale edit data, the input sound pitch, input sound envelope and target pitch data are saved with the project settings.<br><br> Finally, expect some strange results. I have one example where the singer relaxes at the end of a phrase. The pitch drops a minor third, which is easily corrected by a short, ßat line segment and a small Retune value.<br><br> But, in addition to the pitch dropping, the tone quality of the voice also softens. Getting the pitch right still leaves this strange sound... raised pitch Auto-Tune Tutorial 38 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 39 CHAPTER 4 Auto-Tune Controls ÒJust the facts, MaÕamÓ - Bill Gannon, Dragnet This chapter is reference text for all of the controls used in the Auto-Tune interface.<br><br> This chapter simply describes the function of each control. How these controls are used together for intonation correction is described in Chapter 3, Auto-Tune Tutorial. Much of the information in this chapter is also presented in Chapter 3.<br><br> However, some of the less important controls are only explained here. Automatic Mode Controls The Scale popup The Scale popup selects the scale that is used. The Þrst three scales are equal tempered.<br><br> These are the ubiquitous scales currently found in Western tonal music. The other scales are historical, ethnic, and microtonal scales. An in- depth discussion of these scales and their history is beyond the scope of this manual.<br><br> The interested reader will Þnd more information in ÒTuning In - Microtonality In Electronic MusicÓ by Scott R. Wilkinson, published by Hal Leonard Books. The following is a brief synopsis of the scales: Modern equal temperament: ¥ major : a seven-tone equal tempered major scale.<br><br> ¥ minor : a seven-tone equal tempered minor scale. ¥ Equal Tempered chrom .: a twelve-tone equal tempered chromatic scale. Auto-Tune Controls 40 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual Historical tunings: ¥ Ling Lun : a twelve-tone scale dating from 2700 B.C.<br><br> China. ¥ Scholar's Lute : a seven-tone scale dating from 300 B.C. China.<br><br> ¥ Greek diatonic genus : a seven-tone scale from ancient Greece. ¥ Greek chromatic genus : a seven-tone scale from ancient Greece. ¥ Greek enharmonic genus : a seven-tone scale from ancient Greece.<br><br> ¥ Pythagorean : a twelve-tone scale dating from 600 B.C. Greece. This scale is derived by tuning twelve pure perfect Þfths upward and adjusting the octaves downward.<br><br> This leads to some pure intervals and some very impure intervals. ¥ Just (major chromatic) : a twelve-tone scale. Just intonation tunes the most frequently used intervals to be pure (integer ratios in frequency).<br><br> These tunings depend on the mode (major or minor) and the key. This scale is tuned for major mode. ¥ Just (minor chromatic) : (See Just (major chromatic), above) ¥ Meantone chrom.<br><br> : a twelve-tone scale. This tuning is a combination of Pythagorean and just tunings so that music in a wider variety of keys could be usable. ¥ Werckmeister III chrom.<br><br> : a twelve-tone scale. This scale was a Þrst attempt (about BachÕs time) to allow an instrument to played in any scale. It was in response to this scale that Bach wrote Well-Tempered Cla- vier .<br><br> ¥ Vallotti & Young chrom. : a twelve-tone scale. Another derivative of the Pythagorean scale designed to allow arbitrary keys.<br><br> ¥ Barnes-Bach (chromatic) : a twelve-tone scale. A variation of the Vallotti & Young scale designed to optimize the performance of BachÕs Well-Tem- pered Clavier . Ethnic Tunings: ¥ Indian : This 22 tone scale is used in India to perform ragas.<br><br> ¥ Slendro : This Þve-tone Indonesian scale is played by ensembles called gamelans . Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 41 Automatic Mode Controls ¥ Pelog : This seven-tone Indonesian scale is more interesting than Slendro and is now the primary scale in Balinese music. ¥ Arabic 1 : This 17 tone scale is the original Arabic scale adopted from the Pythagorean scale.<br><br> ¥ Arabic 2 (chromatic) : This twelve-tone scale is the modern version of the Arabic scale popular in Arabic music today. Contemporary Tunings: Equal tempered scales with a large number of tones are typically used to play common tonal harmony with greater purity of intervals and chords. The typical approach is to analyze a passage (or less) of music and select tones from a scale that will best approximate the desired pure intervals.<br><br> ¥ 19 Tone : This scale has greater purity of minor thirds and major thirds (and conversely, minor and major sixths) than twelve-tone equal tem- perament. A disadvantage is that perfect Þfths and narrower than those found in twelve-tone equal temperament. ¥ 24 Tone : Also know as the quarter tone scale, this scale is used for vari- ety but has no advantage in terms of ratios that better approximate pure intervals.<br><br> ¥ 31 Tone : In addition to intervals that better approximate pure intervals, this scale also contains good approximations to Indonesian pelog and slendro scales. ¥ 53 Tone : Related mathematically to the cycle of Þfths, the 53-tone scale has very pure major and minor thirds, and Þfths and fourths. ¥ Partch : Harry Partch is considered the father of modern microtonality.<br><br> This scale was devised by him and used in instrument building and per- formances. ¥ Carlos Alpha : Wendy Carlos performed extensive computer analysis to devise a number of equal tempered scales with good approximations for the primary harmonic intervals and their inversions. This scale is good at approximating the primary intervals including 7/4.<br><br> This scale divides the octave into 15.385 steps forming intervals of 78.0 cents. ¥ Carlos Beta : This scale divides the octave into 18.809 steps forming intervals of 63.8 cents. Auto-Tune Controls 42 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual ¥ Carlos Gamma : This scale achieves perfect purity of the primary inter- vals 3/2, 4/3 and 5/4.<br><br> This scale divides the octave into 34.188 steps forming intervals of 35.1 cents. ¥ Harmonic (chromatic) : This twelve-tone scale is created in the partials in the Þfth octave of the harmonic series. The scale degrees that correspond to the classic just intervals are the major second, major third, perfect Þfth and major seventh.<br><br> The Key popup This determines the pitch of the Þrst tone of the scale according to the stan- dard A3 = 440 Hertz. For example, if you select D, the current scale will have D3 as its root and will be tuned to D3 = 440 * 2 / 3 = 293.33 Hz which is exactly 600 cents below A3 = 440 Hz. The Edit Scale button Press the Edit Scale button to see the scale editing dialog.<br><br> Edits made using this dialog depend on the scale. That is, each scale retains its own edits sep- Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 43 Automatic Mode Controls arate from the other scales. If a seven tone scale is being edited, the Edit Scale dialog appears: The top line shows the current scale as selected from the Scale popup.<br><br> The second line shows the current key. The left most column is labelled Òdo not trackÓ. Clicking in this column places a ÒchkÓ indicator.<br><br> This has the effect that when the pitch of the incoming sound is close to a tone so edited, the output pitch is not changed from the input. This is like a pitch dependent bypass. The next column is labeled ÒremoveÓ.<br><br> Clicking in this column causes the tone to be removed from the scale, as if it were never there to begin with. The next column is the note name as derived from the key. The right col- umn is pitch in cents relative to the Þrst tone of the scale.<br><br> Internally, these numbers are stored to two decimal places. If a scale with more than seven tones is being edited, the Edit Scale dialog appears: Auto-Tune Controls 44 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual The Òset major scaleÓ button, when clicked, will check tones in the remove column such that the remaining scale is a major scale. Similarly for Òset minor scaleÓ.<br><br> If a scale with more than twelve tones is edited, the Edit Scale dialog appears: The microtuning data at the bottom is presented as information to help you make decisions concerning what tones to include and exclude from the scale. The Scale Detune slider The Scale Detune slider allows the scale to be re-tuned. The values are cents (100 cents = a semitone).<br><br> A value of zero implements the standard A3 = 440 Hertz. That is, if the key is D, the scale will have D as its root and will be tuned to D3 = 440 * 2 / 3 = 293.33 Hz which is exactly 600 cents below A3 = 440 Hz. Moving the Scale Detune slider up, say to 20, will cause the scale to be raised up twenty cents in pitch.<br><br> This will have the effect of tuning a soloist to a sharper scale. If you have a tone you know 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.<br><br> (You may be required to use the Edit Scale dialog to remove adjacent tones so that Auto-Tune doesnÕt tune to the wrong tone.) You can Command-Click the Scale Detune slider to force it to zero. Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 45 Automatic Mode Controls The Retune slider The Retune slider controls how rapidly the pitch correction is applied to the incoming sound. The units are milliseconds.<br><br> A value of zero will cause instantaneous changes from one tone to another and will completely sup- press a vibrato (note that any related volume changes will remain). Values from 10 to 50 are typical for vocals. Larger values let through more vibrato and other interpretative pitch gestures but also slow down how rapidly pitch corrections are made.<br><br> The Tracking slider Auto-Tune requires a periodically repeating sound-wave, characteristic of a voice or solo instrument in order to track the pitch of the input. The Track- ing slider controls how much variation in the incoming waveform is allowed. Usually you can set the Tracking slider to 25 and forget it.<br><br> This control is useful with difÞcult to track sounds, such as a breathy voice, wind noise or a ÒJimmy DuranteÓ kind of growling voice. However, tracking is not guaranteed and a ÒrelaxedÓ setting may introduce distortion and pop- ping. The Vibrato Section The Vibrato Section contains one popup and three sliders.<br><br> The Vibrato popup allows you to select the shape of the vibratoÕs pitch variation through time. The choices are: (no vibrato), sine wave, square and saw- tooth. The Depth slider varies from 0 to 100 cents, controlling the amount of pitch variation in the vibrato.<br><br> The Rate slider varies from .1 to 10.0 Hz and controls the speed of the vibrato. The Delay slider varies from 0 to 3000 mil- liseconds, controlling the speed of onset of the vibrato. For example, if it is set to 1000, the Þrst 500 milliseconds of a new tone will contain no vibrato and the next 500 milliseconds will make a transition from no vibrato to the full vibrato.<br><br> The vibrato is re-started every time the Automatic Mode matches the incoming pitch to a different scale tone. Also, the vibrato is applied after the effects of the Retune slider. Hence, even with a slow retune value of 50, a square wave vibrato will make instantaneous changes in pitch.<br><br> Auto-Tune Controls 46 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual The Change meter The Change meter shows you how much the pitch is being changed, mea- sured in cents (100 cents = one semitone). Graphical Mode Controls The Arrow buttons The arrow buttons next to the Pitch Graph control the horizontal and ver- tical scaling of the graph. The arrow buttons next to the Envelope Graph control the vertical scales as expected, but the left and right arrows are replaced by ÒallÓ and ÒtieÓ.<br><br> These control the horizontal scale: ÒallÓ shows the entire envelope recorded during pitch detection and ÒtieÓ slaves the scale and position of the Envelope Graph to that of the Pitch Graph. Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 47 Graphical Mode Controls The Graphical tools These buttons are the graphical tools. They allow you to draw and edit the target pitch function.<br><br> The Line tool Use this tool to click multiple points on the Pitch Graph. Line segments joining the points will be drawn. Any existing line or curve will be over- written.<br><br> If you move the cursor outside the Pitch Graph during point entry, the graph will be automatically scrolled. To exit, double-click a point or press the <esc> on the keyboard. To erase the last point entered, press the <delete> on the keyboard.<br><br> The Curve tool Select this tool, then click and hold down the mouse on the Pitch Graph. A curve will be drawn out as the mouse is dragged. Any existing line or curve will be over-written.<br><br> To exit, lift up on the mouse. The Pointer tool This tool is used to select and drag target pitch function objects (lines and curves). When this tool is selected, clicking on white space in the Pitch Graph causes all objects to become de-selected.<br><br> Clicking on white space and dragging causes object end points to become selected. Shift-clicking (and dragging) can also be used to select contiguous points. Dragging off the Pitch Graph automatically scrolls the graph.<br><br> Every object (line or curve) has two end points. If both end points are selected, the object is said to be selected. If you click on an object which is not selected, it becomes selected.<br><br> If you click on an object that is already selected, it (and anything else that is selected) stays selected so you can drag it. Dragging causes the selected objects to be moved. Any objects that have one end-point selected will be stretched during dragging.<br><br> Dragging is con- strained by neighboring unselected objects. Auto-Tune Controls 48 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual If you hold down the option key and then click to drag, the cursor will be restricted to vertical only movements. This is particularly handy after using the ÒMake CurveÓ button, discussed below.<br><br> The Zoom/Select tool Use the zoom/select tool in the Pitch Graph to press and drag a zoom box. After you lift the mouse, the scale and position of the Pitch Graph will be changed to show the area enclosed by the box. Dragging off the Pitch Graph automatically scrolls the graph.<br><br> This tool can also be used in the Envelope Graph to select a range of time, which allows the Make Curve button to become active. The Undo button This is the Undo button. It becomes active whenever the target pitch curve is modiÞed.<br><br> Clicking it allows you to undo and redo the last change. The Cut and Copy buttons The Cut and Copy buttons active whenever an object is selected. Cut removes selected objects.<br><br> Cut and Copy move selected objects to the Auto- Tune clipboard. You can then paste the objects, elsewhere, in any Auto-Tune window. The Paste Button The Paste button is active after objects have been cut or copied to the clip- board.<br><br> Pressing it places the contents of the clipboard in the middle of the current Pitch Graph view. Hence be careful the Pitch Graph view does not contain anything you want to keep before you press paste. Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual 49 Graphical Mode Controls The Select All Button The Select All button causes all target pitch function objects to become selected.<br><br> Keyboard equivalents: The following are keyboard equivalents to the respective Graphical Mode buttons: The Make Curve button The Make Curve button is enabled whenever there is any input sound pitch (red) data. If a range of time has been selected by applying the zoom/select tool in the Envelope Graph, the Make Curve button works in the selected time range only. Pressing the Make Curve button causes curve objects to be created from input sound pitch (red) data.<br><br> These curve objects can then be dragged and stretched for very effective pitch correction. This technique is described in Chapter 3. The Make Auto button The Make Auto button is enabled whenever there is any input sound pitch (red) data.<br><br> If a range of time has been selected by applying the zoom/select tool in the Envelope Graph, the Make Auto button works in the selected time range only. Pressing the Make Auto button causes curve objects to be Command (Apple)KeyFunction a Select All z Undo x Cut c Copy v Paste TABLE 3. Edit Control Keys Auto-Tune Controls 50 Auto-Tune UserÕs Manual created from input sound pitch (red) data.<br><br> The Make Auto computation uses the input sound pitch curve to precisely

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