Antares AutoTune 4 user manual

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HOLD BUTTONClicking 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 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.
VIBRATOAuto-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:
SHAPE: Selects the shape of the vibrato.
RATE: Sets the rate of the vibrato.
VARIATION: Sets the amount of random variation that will be
applied to the Rate and Amount parameters on a note to note basis.
ONSET DELAY: Sets the amount of time (in msec) between the onset
of a note and the beginning of the onset of vibrato.
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 Amounts set in the Pitch, Amplitude and Formant
Amount settings.
PITCH AMOUNT: Sets the amount of pitch change.
AMPLITUDE AMOUNT: Sets the amount of change in loudness.
FORMANT AMOUNT: Sets the amount of formant variation.
Graphical Mode Features
MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
•Larger Pitch Edit Display
•Seriously reworked Graphical Editing Tools
•Multi-level Undo/Redo
•Vibrato Scaling
•Cursor Pitch Display (back again by popular demand)
•Streamlined navigation controls
DETAILS
PITCH EDIT DISPLAYThe larger size should be pretty evident. And, as
mentioned above in the Options Dialog section, you can choose three
different color schemes. Other new features of the display include: 
						

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STREAMLINED NAVIGATION: We have rearranged the various
scrolling and scaling controls such that they all cluster around the
lower lefthand corner of the display. This should result in less
mousing.
The Envelope amplitude display is now auto-scaling, allowing us to
eliminate its previous scaling controls.
The scroll handles now size proportionally to the current display
scale.
AUTO-SCALING: After tracking, the pitch display will automatically
scale in such a way as to include all of the tracked audio. No more
hunting around looking for your pitch curves.
Auto Mode Vibrato Settings Reflected in Make Auto Curves: If you
are adding pitch variation using the Automatic Mode’s Vibrato
function, the variation in pitch will be visually reflected in the
yellow curve when you Make Auto.
However, since there is no easy way to visually represent specific
changes in amplitude or formant, if you have used the Automatic
Mode’s Vibrato function to introduce amplitude and/or formant
variation, the Make Auto curve will be blue rather than yellow to
remind you that these elements will be introduced into your Graphi-
cal Mode output
CURSOR PITCH DISPLAY: The exact pitch value of the cursor position
is constantly displayed as a note name +/- cents. This display is
always relative to the currently selected scale (i.e., only scale notes
will appear in the pitch display).
UNDO/REDOUp to 20 levels of Undo/Redo are available. Simply click
the appropriate buttons.
VIBRATO SCALINGThe purpose of this function is to quickly and easily
change (either increasing or decreasing) the amount of an existing
vibrato, while preserving the original shape and character of the
vibrato.
To use this function, select the I-beam tool and highlight the range of
audio you’d like to edit. When a range of audio is selected, the Make
Vibrato Curve button becomes active. Set the desired amount of
change using the Scale Vibrato Amount knob and then click the Make
Vibrato Curve button to create a correction curve. Audition the result.
If it’s not exactly what you wanted, click Undo and try again. 
						

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NOTE: This function uses the same algorithm as the Auto Mode’s
Improved Targeting function to attempt to differentiate between
vibrato and intended pitch changes. Therefore, you can typically select
a portion of your audio containing both vibrato and intended pitch
change and the Scale Vibrato function will scale the vibrato while
leaving the intended pitch changes alone. But again, depending on the
actual performance, sometimes this will work better than others. If
Scale Vibrato seems to be making changes to parts of the audio you’d
like to leave alone, simply Undo the scaling and use the I-beam to
select only the vibrato portions you wish to edit.
GRAPHIC PITCH EDITING TOOLS As mentioned above, this is the one
area where we have made substantive changes to previous functional-
ity. We realize that it will undoubtedly cause some initial frustration for
seasoned AT veterans while they have to relearn the new functionality,
but it is our experience that the new tools provide both increased
power and increased ease-of-use once you get used to them.
So, without further ado, the new tools:
NOTE: In addition to clicking on the various tools, if your host passes
key presses to plug-ins, you can also select the various tools by pressing
the number keys 1-7*.
* NOTE ALSO: Some hosts reserve the numeric keypad for host key-
board shortcuts even when a plug-in window is selected. For that
reason, the tool selection shortcuts mentioned above are specifically
assigned only to the number keys that appear above the letter keys on
the QWERTY portion of your keyboard.
LINE TOOL (1):
Works like current Auto-Tune 3 Line Tool, plus:
 • Pressing Shift while drawing a line causes the line to snap to the
nearest semitone.
CURVE TOOL (2):
Works exactly like the current Auto-Tune 3 Curve Tool.
ARROW TOOL (3):
In the pitch display, works as it does in Auto-Tune 3 with the follow-
ing additions:
•Double-click anywhere on an existing line to add an intermediate
handle point
•Double-click on an existing handle point (except for end points) to
remove it and cause a straight line to be drawn between the now
adjacent handle points.
•The Arrow Tool has no function in the Envelope display 
						

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SCISSORS TOOL (4):
Click anywhere on an existing line or curve to break it in two at the
point clicked. Although it will look like there is only one handle
created at the break point, there are actually two (one for each of
the two newly created line or curve segments). Simply move the top
handle to reveal the other one.
MAGNIFYING GLASS (5):
Drag in the pitch display to zoom into that area (as in Auto-Tune 3)
Click in the pitch display to increase both horizontal and vertical
zoom factors one step (if possible). Cursor shows default “+”
Option(Mac)/Alt(PC)-Click in the pitch display to decrease both
horizontal and vertical zoom factors one step (if possible). Cursor
changes to “-” while modification key is pressed.
Drag in the Envelope display to have that time range appear in the
pitch display (most useful for navigating when the Envelope display
in in “all” mode). The pitch range of the pitch display will be
automatically scaled such that all of pitch information in that time
range is visible on the screen.
I-BEAM TOOL (6):
Drag in either the pitch or Envelope display to select an area for
Make Curve or Make Auto or Vibrato Scaling. The selection area is
reflected in both displays.
HAND TOOL (7):
Drag in any direction in the pitch display to move the area dis-
played.
Drag in the Envelope display to move the area displayed horizon-
tally.
NOTE: This only works if “Tie” is selected. If “All” is selected, the
icon will have an “X” through it to indicate that movement is not
possible.
Have fun! 
						

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Chapter 6:
Creative Applications for Auto-Tune
Auto-Tune 4 works on vocals so well you may think that’s all it can do.
Actually, lots of instruments can use it to great advantage. Fretless bass,
electric violin, trombone, even the theremin, all feature continuous pitch
potential, unconstrained by frets or keys. Here are some other ideas for
using Auto-Tune 4:
•Produce instant double tracking in one take! Record onto two tracks,
processing only one of the tracks through Auto-Tune 4. If you’re going
for a tight double track, set Retune Speed rather fast and Detune
Auto-Tune 4 slightly. Increase both of these parameters to broaden the
doubled effect. You can also use some Vibrato to make a more dynamic
effect (small depth and rate values are best, with medium delay). Of
course, you can also decide to record a single virgin track, and bounce
that to another, processing through Auto-Tune 4. This way you can dial
in the effect while auditioning the mix.
•Recording with two mics (as above) while improvising can also produce
heterophonic effects (the effect of two players and instruments playing
the ‘same’ melody, which actually varies with some different pitch
material). The more constrained your scale is in Auto-Tune 4, the
morevariation there will be between the two performances.
•To set up a drone or ambient aura behind a melodic performance, try
sending some of the signal to Auto-Tune 4 with an extremely con-
strained scale (for example, in the key of C: C, F, G, A#) and then on to
a lush, long reverb. The effect produced will be a steady backdrop of
chanting tones behind the main melodic material.
•Don’t be afraid to use just as little of Auto-Tune 4 as you need. It’s
quite possible that a performer has really quite good intonation, but
fails consistently on one or two notes. In this case, use Auto-Tune 4’s
individual Bypass function (using the Edit Scale display or on the Virtual
Keyboard) to bypass all the notes except the one(s) which need the
retuning. This way, Auto-Tune 4 is working in a completely transparent
mode, and only when needed.
A 
						

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Index
A
Antares Audio Technologies
contacting  iv
Authorizing Auto-Tune 4  4
Auto-Tune 4
background  5
what it is  5
Automatic Mode  2, 9
Controls  17
Retune Speed  10
Scales  9
Vibrato  10
Automatic Mode Controls  17
Bypass  21
Bypass All  23
Cents  22
Edit Scale Display  20
Hold Button  32
Improved Targeting  29
Key Selection  17
Knobs  17
Octave as Played/All Octaves  27
Pitch Change Indicator  32
Remove  21
Remove All  23
Retune Speed  28
Scale Detune  27
Scale Selection  17
Set All  22
Set Major Scale/Set Minor Scale  23
The Scales  18
Tracking  28
Vibrato Section  29
Virtual Keyboard  23
B
Bypass  15
C
Common Controls  13
Bypass  15
Correction Mode  14
Input Type  14
Options  15
Sample Rate Display  13
Select Pitch Reference  14
Correction Mode  14
D
Dr. Sturgeon  1
E
Equal Tempered Scale  7
G
Graphical Mode  2, 11
Graphical Mode Controls  33
The Graphical Tools  36
The Playback Controls  33
Graphical Tools  36
Arrow Tool  37
Curve Tool  37
Cut and Copy Buttons  40
Edit Buttons  39
Hand Tool  39
I-beam Tool  39
Keyboard Equivalents  40
Line Tool  36
Magnifying Glass  38
Make Auto Button  41
Make Curve Button  41
Paste Button  40
Redo Button  40
Retune  44 
						

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Scissors Tool  38
Select All Button  40
Tracking  43
Undo Button  39
Vibrato Scaling  42
I
Input Type  14
Installing Auto-Tune 4  4
K
Keyboard Equivalents  40
L
License Agreement  v
M
MIDI Functions  25
Learn Scale From MIDI  26
Target Notes Via MIDI  25
N
New Features  61
Dual Detune Display  63
Graphic Pitch Editing Tools  67
Hold Button  65
Improved Targeting  63
Maximum Sampling Rate  61
Octave as Played/All Octaves  63
Option Dialog  61
Pitch Edit Display  65
Scale Edit Window  63
Undo/Redo  66
Vibrato  65
Vibrato Scaling  66
Virtual Keyboard  64
O
Options  15
Custom Cursors  16
Graphical Mode Color Scheme  16
Knob Control  16
Number of Undos  17
P
Pitch  6
a little bit about  6
how Auto-Tune 4 corrects pitch  8
how Auto-Tune 4 detects pitch  8
terminology  7
Playback Controls  33
All/Tie Buttons  35
Correct Pitch  34
Cursor Pitch Display  35
Envelope Graph Display  35
Pitch Graph Display  34
Pitch Graph Scale  35
Track Pitch  33
R
Retune Speed  10
S
Sample Rate Display  13
Scales  9
Select Pitch Reference  14
T
Technical Support  4
The Scales  18
Contemporary Tunings  19
Ethnic Tunings  19
Historical Tunings  18
Modern equal temperament  18 
						

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Tutorial  45
Automatic Mode Basics  45
Graphical Mode Basics  49
Precision  52
The Improved Targeting Function  47
The Make Auto Function  56
The Make Curve Function  53
Using the Automatic Mode MIDI Functions  48
V
Vibrato  10, 65
Vibrato Section  29
Amplitude Amount  31
Formant Amount  31
Onset Delay  30
Onset Rate  31
Rate  30
Shape Menu  30
Variation  30
Virtual Keyboard  23, 64
Key Colors  24
Keyboard Edit  24
Momentary  24
W
What’s New in Auto-Tune 4  2
Automatic Mode Features  2
General Features  2
Graphical Mode Features  2