Antares ATR1a Hardware user manual

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Pitches are often described relative to one another as intervals, or ratios of
frequency. For example, two pitches are said to be one octave apart if
their frequencies differ by a factor of two. Pitch ratios are measured in
units called cents. There are 1200 cents per octave. For example, two tones
that are 2400 cents apart are two octaves apart.
The traditional twelve-tone Equal Tempered Scale that is used (or rather
approximated) in 99.9% of all Western tonal music consists of tones that
are, by...

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How the ATR-1a corrects pitch
The ATR-1a 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 pitch, 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
Speed parameter, described...

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An example
As an example, consider this before-and-after graphic representation of
the pitch of a vocal phrase that contains both vibrato and expressive
gestures.
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 the ATR-1a with a Program consisting of a D Major
Scale (with C

 and B set to ”Blank”) and a Speed...

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If a performance is quite close to begin with and only requires minor
correction (i.e., never more that 50 cents), it’s often sufficient to simply
choose the Chromatic scale, set Speed to about 10 and leave it there.
If you are working in the studio to correct an already recorded track, you
might use Program Mode to deal with the track one section at a time,
stoping to change Programs between sections.
Song Mode
Song Mode offers a more elaborate set of controls primarily designed to
facilitate the use...

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Chapter 2:
Setting Up the ATR-1a
Setting up the ATR-1a is a very straightforward.
1. Find a suitable location. The ATR-1a is designed to be mounted in a
standard 19-inch equipment rack.
2. Confirm that the included power supply is correct for the electricity in
your part of the world. If you are not sure, or the power supply has a
plug that is incompatible with your wall sockets, contact your local
Antares dealer for help.
Important!Do not attempt to modify the supply or use any other supply that is...

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An Important Note About Monitoring: If the ATR-1a is used to pitch-
correct an artist’s performance in real time, it is very important that the
performer is able to monitor their original signal, not the pitch-corrected
signal. Trying to react musically to the processed signal will drive them
crazy and, in most cases, drive them farther off pitch. 

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Chapter 3:
Panel Controls and Connectors
As you have almost certainly noticed, the ATR-1a has relatively few controls.
We’ll cover them here.
The Front Panel
1 Non-existent Power SwitchThat’s right. There isn’t one. The ATR-1a is
designed to remain on continuously. You can, of course, plug it in to a
switched power strip or power conditioner if you like, but leaving it on
all the time will do it no harm.
2 LCDAn easy-to-read 20 character by 2 line display. You can set the
optimum viewing angle in the...

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7 SYSTEM ButtonPress this button to set various parameters that affect
the ATR-1a’s overall functionality (MIDI response, LCD contrast, etc.)
The accompanying LED lights to remind you that you are in System Edit
Mode. When the LED is lit, press the SYSTEM buttom again to exit the
System Edit Mode.
8 BYPASS ButtonPress the Bypass button to pass audio through the
ATR-1a without any pitch correction or other processing. Switching the
Bypass state will not cause any audio artifacts, so it can be used in...

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The Back Panel
1 AC POWER INPUTPlug the 7-pin DIN connector from the included
power supply in here. Do NOT use a supply which is not expressly
intended for the ATR-1a (even if you could find one with the that
weird plug on it). Bad things could happen.
2 MIDI INConnect the MIDI Out from a MIDI keyboard, sequencer, or
other MIDI source in here.
3 FOOT SWITCHPlug in a foot switch here. A 1/4-inch TS (tip-sleeve)
plug is required. There are two varieties of foot switch: those that are
shorted by default...

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Chapter 4:
Display Screens and Menu Pages
Flash Screen
ATR-1a version 1.3
 ATR-1a Processor
The Flash Screen appears for a few moments after the ATR-1a is powered
on. The first line displays the firmware version. The second line can display
any message that will fit in 20 characters. As it comes from the factory, the
ATR-1a displays the rather unimaginative message above. However, you
can create your own (much more clever) message in one of the SYSTEM
pages (see page 36).
Mode Pages
The ATR-1a...