Antares AutoTune 4 user manual

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REMOVE ALL
Clicking this button sets all notes in the
current scale to Remove in all octaves.
BYPASS ALL
Clicking this button sets all notes in the
current scale to Bypass in all octaves.
SET MAJOR SCALE/SET MINOR SCALE
When any scale that includes more than
seven notes (i.e., any non-diatonic scale) is
selected, the Set Major Scale and Set
Minor Scale buttons will appear. Clicking
on either of these buttons will “Remove”
all notes from the scale except for those
notes closest to the notes of a traditional
diatonic major or minor scale (depending,
of course, on which button you clicked).
VIRTUAL KEYBOARD
The Virtual Keyboard displays Auto-Tune 4’s pitch detection range and acts
as a realtime display of the currently detected pitch, a display of the
current Scale settings, and as a tool for setting target note behaviors in
specific octaves.
NOTE: The keyboard is only active for scales with exactly twelve notes.
It will be grayed out (hence inactive) when any other scale is selected.
“But wait!” you might be thinking, “I want to edit Major and Minor
scales in individual octaves and the keyboard is grayed out when I
select either one.”
No problem. Simply select Chromatic, then use the Set Major or Set
Minor button to set up the scale of your choice and edit away. 
						

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KEY COLORSThe color of the keys of the Virtual Keyboard indicate
their current state as follows:
COLOR STATE
Blue The currently detected input pitch
White or Black Scale Note
Invisible Remove
Brown Bypass
KEYBOARD EDITThese
buttons are used to
select which state
(Remove or Bypass) will
be toggled when you
click on a key.
When Remove is selected, clicking on any key that is not currently
set to Remove will set that key to Remove. Clicking on any key that
is currently set to Remove will set that key to a Scale Note.
When Bypass is selected, clicking on any key that is not currently set
to Bypass will set that key to Bypass. Clicking on any key that is
currently set to Bypass will set that key to a Scale Note.
NOTE: In the descriptions above, “clicking” on a key refers to
pressing the mouse button down and then releasing it. The edit
action is executed when the mouse button is released. Therefore, if
the Momentary button is Off (see below), dragging across the
keyboard highlights each key in turn, but it is only when you release
the mouse button that the resulting key will change state.
MOMENTARYWhen this button is not On (i.e., its LED
is not lit), any edits made to the keyboard will latch -
i.e., clicking a key will change its state and the key will
retain that state until some other action causes it to
change.
When the button is On (i.e., its LED is lit), keyboard
edits are only active for as long as the mouse is held
down on a key.
NOTE: Pressing and holding the Shift key on your keyboard will
temporarily toggle the state of the Momentary button. 
						

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A TIP: The main purpose of the Momentary function is to allow you
to deal easily with specific individual events in a performance.
However, you can also use it to “play” the target melody notes in
real time. To do this, set the scale to Chromatic and use the Scale
Edit window Remove All button to remove all notes from the scale.
Set Keyboard Edit to Remove and Momentary to On. Now use your
mouse to play the target melody on the keyboard. It’s not as easy as
Target Notes via MIDI, but if you don’t have a MIDI controller handy,
it’ll do in a pinch.
Auto-Tune 4 MIDI Functions
Auto-Tune 4 provides two functions that require it to receive MIDI data
from the host application. Depending on your intent, this data could come
in real time from a MIDI controller (typically a keyboard) or from a prere-
corded MIDI sequencer track. Refer to your host application’s manual for
details on how to route MIDI to Auto-Tune 4.
Please note that some host applications may not support the routing of
MIDI information to plug-ins. In that case the following two functions will
not be selectable.
TARGET NOTES
VIA MIDI
To use the Target Notes
Via MIDI function,
ensure that the desired
MIDI source is routed to
Auto-Tune 4, then click
the Target Notes Via
MIDI button. Its associ-
ated LED will light and
the Edit Scale display
will automatically be set
to a chromatic scale with
all of the notes set to
Remove. While in this
mode, Auto-Tune 4 continuously monitors its MIDI input for Note On
messages. At any instant, the scale used for correction is defined by all MIDI
notes that are on. For example, if MIDI notes A, C and E are held, Auto-
Tune 4’s input will be retuned to an A, C or E, whichever is closest to the
input pitch.
The source of the MIDI input would typically be a MIDI keyboard or se-
quencer track, and could consist of chords, scales, or, most powerfully, the
exact melody that the input should be corrected to. 
						

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IMPORTANT NOTE: If you will not be defining Auto-Tune 4’s target
pitches via MIDI, be sure that the Target Notes Via MIDI button is off. If
it is left on and no MIDI note data is present, Auto-Tune 4 will pass
through all audio unprocessed — giving the impression that Auto-Tune
4 is not functioning.
LEARN SCALE FROM MIDI
In most cases, you will probably tell Auto-Tune 4 which notes to correct to
using the Edit Scale Display and/or the Virtual Keyboard. However, there
may be occasions when it is not clear exactly what key a melody line is in,
or where the line has too many accidentals to fit comfortably into a
conventional scale. For those occasions, the Learn Scale From MIDI function
allows you to simply play the line into Auto-Tune 4 from a MIDI keyboard
or sequencer track and let Auto-Tune 4 construct a custom scale containing
only those notes that appear in the line.
To use the Learn Scale From MIDI function, ensure that the desired MIDI
source is routed to Auto-Tune 4 and then click the Learn Scale From MIDI
button. Its associated LED will light and the Edit Scale display will automati-
cally be set to a chromatic scale with all of the notes set to Remove.
Now simply play the melody to be corrected from your keyboard or se-
quencer. Tempo and rhythm don’t matter, so take your time and make sure
you don’t play any wrong notes. As each note is played, the corresponding
Remove button in the Edit Scale Display is turned off (adding that note to
the scale as a Scale Note). Assume, for example, that your melody starts
with D, B, and then A. After playing those notes the display would look like
this: 
						

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When you have played the entire melody, press the Learn Scale From MIDI
button again to end the process. The Edit Scale Display will now contain a
scale containing only those notes that appeared in your melody.
If you happen to make an error during note entry, or want to try again for
any other reason, simply click the Learn Scale From MIDI button and start
the process again.
NOTE: When you start the process by pressing the Learn Scale From
MIDI button, all notes are first Removed from the chromatic scale in
preparation for adding just the notes you play. If you then press the
Learn Scale From MIDI button again without playing any notes, you
will be left with a chromatic scale with all notes removed. In this state,
Auto-Tune 4 will pass all notes with no correction applied. So don’t do
that.
ANOTHER NOTE: We realize that there is some possibility of confusion
between the Learn Scale From MIDI function and Target Notes Via MIDI
function described above. To clarify: Target Notes Via MIDI is used to
specify target pitches in real time while pitch correction is occurring,
while Learn Scale From MIDI is used in advance of correction to create
a custom scale.
OCTAVE AS PLAYED/
ALL OCTAVES
For both of the MIDI
functions (Learn Scale
from MIDI and Target
Notes via MIDI), you can
now choose whether you
want incoming MIDI notes to affect all octaves or just the notes in the
specific octaves in which they are played.
Simply click the desired button. The associated LED will light to indicate
your choice.
SCALE DETUNE
The Detune parameter allows you to
change the pitch standard of Auto-Tune 4
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 out-of-tune instrument (a piano or organ, for example), or to
allow correction to other than the conventional 440Hz standard. 
						

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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 4 doesn’t tune to the wrong note.)
The default Scale Detune setting is 0 cents. Double-clicking the Scale
Detune knob will reset it to that value.
RETUNE SPEED
Retune Speed controls how rapidly the
pitch correction is applied to the
incoming sound. The units are millisec-
onds. 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 (unless you’re going for the now-
infamous “Cher effect,” in which case use 0). 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 Speed setting for a particular performance is largely a matter of
trial-and-error and depends on such attributes as song tempo, note dura-
tion and vocal style, among others. As always, let you ears be your guide.
The default Retune Speed is 20. Double-clicking the Retune Speed knob will
reset it to that value.
TRACKING
In order to accurately identify the pitch of
the input, Auto-Tune 4 requires a periodi-
cally repeating waveform, characteristic of
a voice or solo instrument. The Tracking
control determines how much variation is
allowed in the incoming waveform for
Auto-Tune 4 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.
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 intro-
duce distortion and popping. 
						

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The default Tracking setting is 25. Double-clicking the Tracking knob will
reset it to that value.
NOTE: The improved pitch detection algorithm in Auto-Tune 4 (in
combination with the Input Type selection described above) results in
noticeably more reliable pitch detection compared to previous versions
of Auto-Tune. 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.
IMPROVED TARGETING
This feature is designed to help with target note
identification when the performance includes
vibrato so wide that it approaches adjacent scale
notes.
With Improved Targeting, Auto-Tune 4 uses the
impressively named Stochastic Optimal Linear
Estimation Theory to attempt to recognize vibrato
and differentiate between it and intended note changes. Our testing has
shown that it works a lot of the time — but not always (it depends a great
deal on the actual performance). When it works, Auto-Tune 4 ignores the
wide vibrato as far as target note selection is concerned. When it doesn’t, it
works pretty much like Auto-Tune 3.
The default state of this control is Off. When you’ve got a vibrato problem,
try turning it on and see if it helps.
THE VIBRATO SECTION
While vibrato is typically perceived to be a variation solely in pitch, careful
analysis shows that, depending on the voice or instrument and the style of
the individual performer, variations in amplitude (loudness) and formant
resonances are also involved. Reflecting this, Auto-Tune 4 includes a
plethora of new vibrato functions to allow the creation of much more
convincing vibratos. (And for the adventuresome, they can be abused to
create some “interesting” effects.)
The controls are: 
						

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SHAPE MENU
Selects the shape of the vibrato. The choices are:
NO VIBRATO Pretty self-explanatory
SINE WAVE Changes smoothly from minimum to maximum and
back again. The most common choice for a conventional vibrato.
SQUARE Jumps to maximum where it spends 50% of the cycle and
then jumps to minimum for the remaining 50% of the cycle.
SAWTOOTH Gradually rises from minimum to maximum and then
drops instantaneously to minimum to start the cycle again.
RATE
Sets the rate of the vibrato over a range of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. The default
Rate setting is 5.5 Hz. Double-clicking the Rate knob will reset it to that
value.
VARIATION
Sets the amount of random variation that will be applied to the Rate
and Amount parameters on a note to note basis. Useful for humanizing
the vibrato by adding random“errors.”
The range is from 0 (no variation) to 100 (maximum variation). The
default Variation setting is 20. Double-clicking the Variation knob will
reset it to that value.
ONSET DELAY
Sets the amount of time (in msec) between the beginning of a note
and the beginning of the onset of vibrato. The range is from 0 to
1500ms (1.5 seconds). The default value is 500ms. Double-clicking the
knob will reset it to that value. 
						

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ONSET RATE
Sets the amount of time (in msec) between the end of the Onset Delay
set above and the point at which the vibrato reaches the full Amounts
set in the Pitch, Amplitude and Formant Amount settings. The range is
from 0 to 1500ms (1.5 seconds). The default value is 500ms. Double-
clicking the knob will reset it to that value.
Onset Example: As an example of the above parameters, assume an
Onset Delay of 1000ms and an Onset Rate of 750ms. In that case, each
time a new note started there would be no vibrato at all for the first
second (1000ms) followed by a 3/4 second (750ms) period during which
the vibrato depths would increase from none to the full amounts set in
the various Amount parameters - for a total of 1.75 seconds from the
beginning of the note to the time full vibrato depth was reached.
PITCH AMOUNT
Sets the amount that the pitch changes. The range is from 0 (no
change) to 100 (maximum change). The default setting is 18. Double-
clicking the knob will reset it to that value.
AMPLITUDE AMOUNT
Sets the amount that the loudness changes. For the most realistic
vibrato, the amount of amplitude change should be substantially less
than pitch change, although for special effects, anything goes.
The range is from 0 (no change) to 30 (maximum change). The default
setting is 10. Double-clicking the knob will reset it to that value.
FORMANT AMOUNT
Sets the amount that the resonant timbre changes. The range is from 0
(no change) to 100 (maximum change). The default setting is 70.
Double-clicking the knob will reset it to that value
The vibrato is re-started every time the Auto-Tune 4 matches the
incoming pitch to a different scale tone. Also, the vibrato is applied
after the effects of the Retune Speed control. Hence, even with a slow
retune value of 50, a square wave vibrato will make instantaneous
changes in pitch. 
						

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NOTE: As mentioned above, although we perceive vibrato primarily
as a variation in pitch, in most cases there is also matching (though
more subtle) variations in amplitude and timbre. Setting Auto-Tune
4’s Retune Speed to 0 will remove an existing vibrato’s pitch varia-
tion, but the amplitude and timbral variation will remain. If you
then apply a new vibrato using Auto-Tune 4’s Vibrato section, the
results may be less than convincing. Auto-Tune 4’s Vibrato section is
more often useful for adding a vibrato to an input that originally
had none, or for various special effects.
THE PITCH CHANGE INDICATOR
The Pitch Change Indicator shows you how much the pitch is being
changed, measured in cents (100 cents = one semitone). For example, if the
indicator bar has moved to the left to -50, it indicates that the input pitch is
50 cents too sharp and Auto-Tune 4 is lowering the pitch by 66 cents to
bring the input back to the desired pitch.
HOLD BUTTON
Clicking and holding the Hold button while Auto-Tune 4 is processing
audio will freeze both the Pitch Tuning display and the blue Detected
Pitch indication on the keyboard for as long as you hold down the mouse
button. This is useful for figuring out exactly what’s going on with a
particular note in a performance that would otherwise pass too quickly
to see.