Antares AutoTune 3 user manual

							35
The Undo Button
The Undo button becomes active whenever you move or
modify a target pitch contour object. Clicking the Undo button
allows you to alternately undo and redo the last change.
The Cut and Copy Buttons
The Cut and Copy buttons become active whenever a pitch
contour object is selected. Cut removes selected objects. Both
Cut and Copy copy selected objects to the Auto-Tune 3 clip-
board. You can then paste the objects elsewhere in the Pitch Graph
display.
The Paste Button
The Paste button becomes active whenever an object has been
Cut or Copied to the clipboard. Clicking Paste places the
contents of the clipboard in the center of the current Pitch Graph view.
Note: Since only one pitch contour object (line or curve) can
exist at any time point on the Pitch Graph, any object(s) that
previously existed at the time where an object is Pasted will be
deleted. Hence, before you press Paste, be sure that the Pitch
Graph view does not contain any pitch contour object(s) that
you want to keep.
The Select All Button
The Select All button causes all pitch contour objects, whether
currently visible on the Pitch Graph view or not, to become
selected.
Keyboard Equivalents
Some host applications support the following keyboard command equiva-
lents for the above Edit Buttons. Consult the Auto-Tune 3 Read Me file or
your host application’s manual for details (or just try them and see if they
work).
Command/Control-Z undo/redo
Command/Control-X cut
Command/Control-C copy
Command/Control-V paste
Command/Control-A select all
01-39 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 35 
						

							36
The Make Curve Button
The Make Curve button is enabled whenever there is any red
input pitch contour data present in the Pitch Graph (whether it
is displayed in the current Pitch Graph view or not). Pressing the Make
Curve button causes yellow target pitch contour objects (curves for short)
to be created from the input pitch contour data. These curve objects can
then be dragged and stretched for very meticulous pitch correction. This is
the central technique of Auto-Tune 3’s Graphical Mode and is described in
more detail in Chapter 4.
Note: If a range of time has been selected by using the Zoom/
Select Tool in the Envelope Graph, the Make Curve button
works only in the selected time range.
The Make Auto Button
The Make Auto button is enabled whenever there is any red
input pitch contour data present in the Pitch Graph (whether it
is displayed in the current Pitch Graph view or not).
Pressing the Make Auto button causes yellow target pitch contour objects
(curves for short) to be created from the red input pitch contour data. The
yellow curve(s) created by the Make Auto function is a precise representa-
tion of the pitch correction that would result from processing the tracked
input pitch through the current settings of Auto-Tune 3’s Automatic
Mode. These include the Automatic Mode’s Key and Scale selections, the
Edit Scale settings, and the Scale Detune, Retune Speed and Vibrato
settings.
Note: If a range of time has been selected by using the Zoom/
Select Tool in the Envelope Graph, the Make Auto function
works only in the selected time range.
Another Note: The Automatic Mode Tracking control is not
involved the Make Auto function. In Graphical Mode, the input
pitch has already been determined, (i.e., the red input pitch
contour), hence the Automatic Mode Tracking setting is not
needed for the Make Auto computation.
Once you have used the Make Auto function to create a yellow target
pitch curve, setting the Graphical Mode Retune Speed to 0 and clicking
Correct Pitch will result in exactly the same output as you would have
gotten by processing the audio through Automatic Mode. Alternatively,
you can adjust the Retune Speed or further edit the yellow curve using
any of the Graphical Mode tools to get precisely the effect you want.
01-39 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 36 
						

							37
If you aren’t satisfied with the results of the Make Auto function, simply
switch to Automatic Mode, modify any of the settings as desired, and then
return to Graphical Mode and click Make Auto again.
Note: In addition to its use as a Graphical Mode correction tool,
the Make Auto function can also be used to provide an infor-
mative visual representation of the results of Automatic Mode
settings. If there are times when you’d prefer to use Automatic
Mode, but can’t quite zero in on the ideal settings, examining
the results of various settings with the Make Auto function can
give you a visual picture of exactly what’s going on. This will
often make it readily apparent which Automatic Mode settings
need to be changed to give your desired results.
Another Note: One potentially confusing aspect of the Make
Auto function is the relationship between the Automatic Mode
Retune Speed setting and the Graphical Mode Retune Speed
setting. To summarize:
•The Automatic Mode Retune Speed controls how the input
audio would be processed in Automatic Mode. Changing this
setting will change the shape of the yellow curve that will be
created by the Make Auto function.
•The Graphical Mode Retune Speed controls how quickly the
pitch of the input audio will be changed to that of the yellow
target pitch curve by the Correct Pitch function. As mentioned
above, to precisely duplicate the results of Automatic Mode, set
the Graphical Mode Retune Speed to 0.
Tracking
The Graphical Mode Tracking control is similar in
function but separate from the Tracking control in
Automatic Mode.
In order to accurately identify the pitch of the input,
Auto-Tune 3 requires a periodically repeating wave-
form, characteristic of a voice or solo instrument. The
Tracking control determines how much variation is allowed in the incom-
ing waveform for Auto-Tune 3 to still consider it periodic.
If you are working with a well-isolated solo signal (e.g., tracking in a
studio or off of a multi-track tape) you can typically set the Tracking
control to 25 and forget it.
01-39 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 37 
						

							38
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 circum-
stances tracking is not guaranteed and a too “relaxed” setting may
introduce distortion and popping.
The default Tracking value is 25. Double-clicking the Tracking knob will
reset it to that value.
Note: Be cautious about changing the Tracking value after
performing the Track Pitch function. Auto-Tune 3 uses the
Tracking setting during both the Track Pitch and the Correct Pitch
functions. Changing the Tracking setting after Tracking Pitch, but
before Pitch Correction, may result in unpredictable pitch modifi-
cations or strange (though possibly interesting) artifacts.
Retune Speed
The Retune setting is used only during the Correct
Pitch process. It’s similar in function but separate
from the Retune control in Automatic Mode.
In Graphical Mode, the target pitch is not the scale
tone nearest to the input, but rather the yellow
target pitch curve. The Retune Speed control allows you to specify how
quickly Auto-Tune 3 will change the pitch of the input to that of the
target pitch curve. A value of zero will cause the output pitch to precisely
track the target pitch curve. Depending on the target pitch curve, this may
or may not provide the desired results. Slower values will have the effect
of “smoothing out” the target pitch curve. As ever, you should let your
ears be your guide to selecting the proper value for a particular perfor-
mance.
The default Retune Speed is 20. Double-clicking the Retune Speed knob
will reset it to that value.
Note: Slower Retune Speed values may also allow you to use
simple horizontal line segments to define the target pitches
while still preserving the natural pitch gestures of the original
performance. See Chapter 4 for details.
01-39 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 38 
						

							39
The Use Cursors Button
Normally, Auto-Tune 3 displays different cursor shapes in
the Pitch Graph Display to help you grab and drag objects
(e.g., the object cursor, the anchor point cursor, etc.).
However, some host applications mistakenly think that they own the
cursor when it is in a plug-in window. This may cause the cursor to flash as
the host and Auto-Tune 3 alternately try to set the cursor shape. If this
annoys you, click the Use Cursors button. It will stop the flashing, but you
will no longer see Auto-Tune 3’s custom cursors.
Note: Some plug-in formats never present this problem. In
those versions of Auto-Tune 3, the Use Cursors button does not
appear.
01-39 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 39 
						

							40
Chapter 4: Auto-Tune 3 Tutorial
This chapter introduces you to how Auto-Tune 3 works by guiding you
through a a number of brief tutorials.
The Auto-Tune 3 installer installs a number of tutorial files which, depend-
ing on your plug-in format and host application, may be provided as
separate audio files or together in a project file. (We will assume that you
are familiar with loading audio files into your host application.)
Tutorial 1: Automatic Mode
This tutorial will guide you through the basic Automatic Mode functions
using the file “A2-A3-A2 sweep.” This is a simple synthesized waveform
sweeping slowly from A2 up to A3 and back to A2. While it is unlikely that
you’d ever need to process such an input with Auto-Tune 3, it provides a
very clear example of what each of the main Auto-Tune 3 controls do.
Begin the tutorial by doing the following:
1. Load or import “A2-A3-A2 sweep” into a track of your host program.
Play the track so that you are familiar with the original audio.
2. Set up Auto-Tune 3 to be an insert effect on that track.
3. Set Auto-Tune 3 to Automatic Mode.
4. Set the Key to “A” and the Scale to “Major.”
5. Set the Retune Speed to zero.
6. Set “A2-A3-A2 sweep” to loop continuously and put your host program
into Play mode.
What you will hear is an A major scale. This is because Auto-Tune 3 is
continuously comparing the input pitch to the notes of the A major scale
and instantaneously correcting the output pitch to the nearest of the scale
tones.
Now do the following:
1. In the Edit Scale Display, click the Remove buttons next to the notes B,
D, F# and G#.
40-54 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 40 
						

							41
2. Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again.
You will now hear an arpegiated A Major triad because you have removed
all the other notes from the scale.
To continue:
1. In the Edit Scale Display, click the Bypass button next to E.
2. Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again.
You will now hear the effect of not correcting the E. During the time that
Auto-Tune 3 would normally be tuning the input to E, Auto-Tune 3 instead
enters bypass mode and passes the input through uncorrected.
To continue:
1. Set the Retune Speed to about 30.
2. Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again. Compare the 30 setting to the 0 setting.
3. Try various other Speed settings.
The setting of 0 is fast: Auto-Tune 3 makes instantaneous pitch changes.
The setting of 30 is slower. Auto-Tune 3 makes gradual pitch changes. This
parameter 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). Retune
values from 10 to 50 are typical for vocals.
To continue:
1. Set the Retune Speed to 0
2. In the Edit Scale Display, click the Remove buttons next to to all the
notes except F#.
3. Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again. As the sound is playing, move Scale
Detune knob.
The output pitch will be locked to F#, however, you will hear the output
pitch change with the Detune slider movement. This is because the Detune
knob is changing the pitch standard of the scale.
Finally:
1. Select “sine wave” from the Vibrato Type pop-up.
2. Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again.
3. Experiment with the vibrato controls to hear their effects.
40-54 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 41 
						

							42
Tutorial 2: Graphical Mode
This tutorial will introduce you to the basic Graphical Mode functions,
again using the “A2-A3-A2 sweep” file from Tutorial 1.
Begin the tutorial by doing the following:
1. Load or import “A2-A3-A2 sweep” into a track of your host program.
Play the track so that you are familiar with the original audio.
2. Set up Auto-Tune 3 to be an insert effect on that track.
3. Set Auto-Tune 3 to Automatic Mode.
4. Set the Key to “A” and the Scale to “Major.”
5. Set Auto-Tune 3 to Graphical Mode.
6. Click the Track Pitch button.
7. Play the sweep signal through Auto-Tune 3.
8. Stop playback (depending on your host application, you may also have
to click the Track Pitch button again to stop the tracking function).
A red curve will appear in the Pitch Graph. This is the pitch contour of the
sweep signal.
To Continue:
1. Select the Zoom/Select tool and drag out a box on the Pitch Graph that
encloses the red curve. The result will be something like the following:
40-54 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 42 
						

							43
2. Select the Line tool and enter a line similar to that below. By clicking
multiple anchor points on the Pitch Graph, line segments joining the
points will be drawn.
When done, double-click the last point or press  on the keyboard.
To erase the last point entered, press  on the keyboard (you
can press  repeatedly to erase back to the first anchor point).
3. Set the Retune Speed to 0. Click the Correct Pitch button and play back
the sound to hear the effect.
4. Select the Curve tool and create a curve similar to the one shown
below. Click and hold the mouse button and drag to draw the curve.
When done, release the mouse button.
5. Press Correct Pitch and play back the sound to hear the effect.
6. Vary the Retune Speed between 0 and 50 and note the effect.
40-54 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 43 
						

							44
Now that we have some yellow lines and curves on the Pitch Graph
Display, this would be a good time to become familiar with the functions
of the Pointer Tool. (Refer back to Chapter 3 for a detailed description of
the Pointer Tool’s behavior.)
7. Select the Pointer Tool.
8. Drag the Pointer Tool across the Pitch Graph to select objects.
9. Move the cursor over curves and anchor points. Practice selecting entire
curves and individual anchor points.
10. Use the Pointer Tool to drag selected curves and individual anchor
points. Option/Alt-drag to constrain movement to vertical only.
11. Press Correct Pitch and play back the file to hear the effect of each
movement.
12. Select one or more objects and play with the Edit Buttons (Undo, Cut,
Copy, Paste, Select All).
This would also be a good time to see if the Edit Button keyboard
equivalents:
Command/Control-Z undo/redo
Command/Control-X cut
Command/Control-C copy
Command/Control-V paste
Command/Control-A select all
work in your host application.
Tutorial 3: Precision
This lesson is actually more of a demonstration to show the extraordinary
precision with which Auto-Tune 3 can track and correct intonation prob-
lems. If this doesn’t sound interesting, feel free to proceed to Lesson 4
below.
(By this time, we’ll assume you’re comfortable loading files and calling up
Auto-Tune 3.)
1. Arrange the files “C2 Ahhh v3” and “C2 Ohhh v1” so that they are on
separate tracks and can be played simultaneously.
2. Assign a separate instance of Auto-Tune 3 to each of the two tracks and
select Automatic Mode for each of them.
3. In each Auto-Tune 3, set the Retune slider to 0.
4. In each Auto-Tune 3, set the Key pop-up to B-flat.
40-54 AT3 man layout RGB03/05/2001, 1:31 pm 44