Antares AutoTune 5 user manual

							
5

The End Of Editing Modality
In previous versions of Auto-Tune, tracking pitch, editing pitch objects and correcting pitch operated in a modal manner — i.e., when you were doing any one of those things, you 
couldn’t do either of the others. With Auto-Tune 5, you are now free to use any of the graphical editing functions while either tracking or correcting pitch.
You can, for example:
•  Draw new pitch objects while you are either 
tracking or correcting pitch.
•   Edit existing pitch objects while correcting 
pitch — even when the position indicator is passing over the object you’re editing (in which case the edit takes effect as soon as you release your mouse button). •
  Click either Make Curve or Import Auto 
while tracking or correcting pitch. (If you do this while tracking pitch, the resulting curves will apply only to the audio that has already been tracked at the instant you click the respective button).
•   Cut, copy or paste pitch objects while 
tracking or correcting pitch.
Now, just because you can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean you would want to (or that it even makes sense to), but with this new functionality, you will have a lot more flexibility in developing whatever workflow works best for you.
The Graphical Tools 
The graphical tools are used in conjunction with the edit buttons to create the desired target pitch contour. 
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 keyboard shortcuts even when a plug-in window is active. 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.  The Line Tool (
)
The Line Tool is used to draw multi-segment straight lines on the Pitch Graph. 
Start the process by selecting the Line Tool and clicking anywhere on the Pitch Graph to set an anchor point. As you move the cursor, a line will extend from the anchor point to the cursor position. Click again to set a second anchor point and define the first segment of your pitch contour. Continue clicking and defining lines until your contour is complete. End the process by double-clicking on the final anchor point or pressing  on your keyboard. 
Pressing Option/Alt on your keyboard during line entry will force the current segment to be perfectly horizontal. 
N OTE : Due to issues in Pro Tools HD and LE for PC that are beyond our control, using the Alt key to constrain a line segment to horizontal does  
						

							
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not function in those versions. However, you can get an equivalent effect by using the Snap To Note function (see below) to constrain a line segment to a semitone, and then using the Arrow Tool to move that horizontal line segment to any intermediate pitch.
If you have enabled Snap To Note mode (see below), each segment will automatically snap to the nearest semitone. Pressing the Shift key on your keyboard while drawing a line temporarily toggles the state of the Snap To Line button. I.e., if Snap To Note mode is not enabled, pressing Shift will enable it for as long as Shift is pressed. Conversely, if Snap To Note mode is enabled, pressing Shift will disable it for as long as Shift is pressed.
If you move the cursor outside the Pitch Graph during point entry, the graph will automatically scroll. 
To delete the last anchor point entered, press  on your keyboard (you can do this repeatedly back to the very first anchor point). 
Only one pitch contour object (line or curve) can exist at any time point on the Pitch Graph. When you complete the entry of a line object, any object(s) that previously existed at the same time will be deleted. 
NOTE: If, while the Line Tool is selected, you move the cursor onto 
the Envelope Graph Display, it will temporarily change to the Magnifying Glass Tool, allowing you to quickly and easily move to any other point in your audio and then resume editing without needing to manually change tools. The Curve Tool ( )
The Curve Tool is used to draw arbitrary curves on the Pitch Graph. 
Start the process by selecting the Curve Tool and clicking anywhere on the Pitch Graph to set an anchor point. Hold down your mouse button and move the cursor to draw the desired pitch contour curve. End the process by releasing your mouse button. 
Unlike the Line Tool, the Pitch Graph will not scroll if you attempt to move the Curve Tool cursor outside the current display area. 
The Snap To Note mode does not affect the Curve Tool.
Only one pitch contour object (line or curve) can exist at any time point on the Pitch Graph. When you complete the entry of a curve object, any object(s) that previously existed at the same time will be deleted. 
NOTE: If, while the Curve Tool is selected, you move the cursor onto the Envelope Graph Display, it will temporarily change to the Magnifying Glass Tool, allowing you to quickly and easily move to any other point in your audio and then resume editing without needing to manually change tools. 
The Arrow Tool ( )
The Arrow Tool is used to select and drag existing target pitch contour objects (blue lines and curves) as well as to add or delete anchor points to existing lines. 
The Arrow Tool behaves as follows: 
MANIPULATING LINES AND CURVES 
•  Clicking on the background of the Pitch 
Graph and dragging horizontally selects 
objects’ anchor points. Shift-clicking extends the selection. 
•   Dragging beyond the Pitch Graph 
boundaries automatically scrolls the graph. 
•   Moving the Arrow Tool over a pitch contour 
object causes the cursor to change to the object cursor (a horizontal bar). Clicking on an unselected curve or line segment with the object cursor causes the curve or segment and its anchor points to become selected and allows that object to be dragged. Clicking on an already selected curve or line segment with the object cursor allows that object, along with all other selected objects, to be dragged.  
						

							


•  Moving the Arrow Tool over a pitch contour object anchor point (whether that point is currently selected or not) causes the cursor to change into the anchor point cursor (four diagonal arrows). Clicking on an anchor point with the anchor point cursor deselects all other objects and anchor points and selects that anchor point so that it can be dragged. Dragging an anchor point stretches or compresses the pitch contour object relative to the nearest unselected anchor point(s). 
•   The extent to which you can drag selected 
objects is constrained by the position of neighboring unselected objects. 
•   In some host applications, holding down 
the Option/Alt key and then clicking to drag will restrict the cursor to vertical movements only (the cursor will change to indicate this state). The effect of this is to allow you to modify the pitch contour while preserving the object’s location in time. This is particularly handy after using the “Make Curve” button, discussed above. 
•   Clicking on the background of the Pitch 
Graph deselects all selected objects. 
ADDING AND DELETING ANCHOR POINTS 
•  Moving the Arrow Tool over an existing 
line segment and double-clicking will add an intermediate anchor point at that point. The cursor will change to the anchor point cursor and the new anchor point can then be dragged. 
•   Moving the Arrow Tool over an existing 
anchor point (except for end points) and double-clicking will remove that anchor point and cause a straight line to be drawn between the now adjacent anchor points. 
•   The Arrow Tool will not add or delete anchor 
points on curves, only on lines created with the Line Tool. 
While the above may seem a bit mind-boggling on first reading, in practice it’s quite intuitive. Spend a minute or two playing with the Arrow Tool and all will become clear. 
NOTE: If, while the Arrow Tool is selected, you move the cursor onto the Envelope Graph Display, it will temporarily change to the Magnifying Glass Tool, allowing you to quickly and easily move to any other point in your audio and then resume editing without needing to manually change tools. 
Scissors Tool ( ) 
Moving the Scissors Tool over an existing curve or line segment and clicking will break the line segment or curve in two at the point clicked. Although it will look like there is only one anchor point created at the break point, there are actually two (one for each of the two newly created line or curve segments). Simply use the Arrow Tool to move the top anchor point to reveal the other one. 
NOTE: If, while the Scissors Tool is selected, you move the cursor onto the Envelope Graph Display, it will temporarily change to the Magnifying Glass Tool, allowing you to quickly and easily move to any other point in your audio and then resume editing without needing to manually change tools. 
Magnifying Glass (5) In the Pitch Graph, use the Magnifying Glass to click and drag 
a box around an area of interest. Dragging off the Pitch Graph automatically scrolls the graph. When you release the mouse button, the scale and position of the Pitch Graph will be changed to display the area enclosed by the box. 
When the Magnifying Glass cursor is displaying the default “+”, clicking the Magnifying Glass anywhere in the pitch display will increase the display’s horizontal and vertical zoom factors one step (if possible). 
Pressing Option(Mac)/Alt(PC) will cause the cursor to change to “-”. In this state, clicking anywhere in the pitch display will decrease the display’s horizontal and vertical zoom factors one step (if possible).  
						

							


Dragging the Magnifying Glass in the Envelope Display will cause the selected time range to appear in the Pitch Display (most useful for navigating when the Envelope Display is 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 the I-Beam Tool in either the Pitch or Envelope Display to select an area for Make Curve or Import Auto or Adjust Vibrato (see above). The selection area will be reflected in both displays. 
If the Envelope Display is set to All, using the I-Beam Tool to make a selection anywhere in the Envelope Display will cause the selected audio to appear in the Pitch Display. This is handy for quickly moving around your track to make various edits.Hand Tool ( ) 
Drag the Hand Tool in any direction in the Pitch Display to move the area displayed. 
NOTE: If, while the Hand Tool is selected, you move the cursor onto the Envelope Graph Display, it will temporarily change to the Magnifying Glass Tool, allowing you to quickly and easily move to 
any other point in your audio and then resume editing without needing to manually change tools.  
The Edit Buttons Once some audio has been tracked and/or pitch contour objects created, they can be affected or edited in various ways with the  Edit Buttons. 
The Edit Buttons are context sensitive, i.e., only the buttons that are applicable to the current state of the pitch display are active.  If a particular button does not have a valid function relative to the current pitch display state, it will be “grayed out.” If it does have a valid function, it will appear dark gray.
The Clear All Button Clicking the Clear All button erases all tracking and correction information, whether or not it is currently visible on the Pitch Display. Since you can not undo this function (and accidentally executing it could be catastrophic), you must confirm your intent in a warning dialog. 
The Undo Button The Undo button becomes active whenever you move or modify a target pitch contour object. Clicking the Undo button once will undo the most recent change. If you have made multiple changes, you can continue to click Undo to undo additional changes up to the limit that you set in the Options dialog. 
The Redo ButtonThe Redo button becomes active whenever you have executed at least one Undo. Clicking the Redo button once will redo the most recent undone change. If you have executed multiple undos, you can continue to click Redo to redo additional changes up to the limit that you set in the Options dialog. 
The Snap To Note ButtonPress this button to enable Snap To Note mode when using the Line Tool.  In Snap To Note mode, each line segment will automatically snap to the nearest semitone. 
Pressing the Shift key on your keyboard while drawing a line temporarily toggles the state of the Snap To Line button. I.e., if Snap To Note mode is not enabled, pressing Shift will enable it for as long as Shift is pressed. Conversely, if Snap To Note mode is enabled, pressing Shift will disable it for as long as Shift is pressed.
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.  
						

							


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 5 clipboard. 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. 
Keyboard EquivalentsSome host applications support the following keyboard command equivalents for the above Edit Buttons. Others reserve these commands for their own use. Consult your host application’s manual for details (or just try them and see if they work). 
Command/Control-Z Undo 
Command-Shift-Z/Control-Y  Redo
Command/Control-X  Cut 
Command/Control-C  Copy 
Command/Control-V  Paste 
Command/Control-A  Select All 
Pen Tablet InputIf you do a lot of your pitch correction using Graphical Mode, you may want to consider using a USB pen tablet like the Wacom Graphire. 
A pen tablet lets you control Auto-Tune 5’s graphical tools (as well as all the other controls) using a familiar pen-style input device. Once you become comfortable with one (which usually only takes a few minutes), a pen tablet typically offers increased drawing accuracy with less wrist stress in long sessions. Some tablets also include programmable function keys for often-used keyboard commands.  
						

							
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Chapter	4: 	Auto-Tune 	5 	Tutorial
This chapter introduces you to how Auto-Tune 5 works by guiding you through a number of brief tutorials. 
These tutorials make use of a number of audio and MIDI files. (We will assume that you are familiar with loading audio and MIDI files into your host application.) 
If you purchased a packaged version of Auto-Tune 5, your will find the required files in the “Tutorial Audio” folder on the installation CD ROM. 
If you purchased your copy of Auto-Tune 5 via download, you will have to separately download the Tutorial Audio files from the same web page that you downloaded Auto-Tune 5. 
Tutorial 1: Automatic Mode Basics 
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 5, it provides a very clear example of what each of the main Auto-Tune 5 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 5 to be an insert effect 
on that track. 
  3.  Set Auto-Tune 5 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 5 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#. 
  2.  Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again. 
You will now hear an arpeggiated 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 5 would normally be tuning the input to E, Auto-Tune 5 
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 5 makes instantaneous pitch changes. The setting of 30 is slower. Auto-Tune 5 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 all the notes except F#.
  3.  Play “A2-A3-A2 sweep” again. As the 
sound is playing, move Scale De-tune 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 various vibrato 
controls to hear their effects. 
Tutorial 2: The Targeting Ignores Vibrato Function 
This tutorial will demonstrate the purpose and use of the Automatic Mode’s Targeting Ignores Vibrato function. 
Begin the tutorial by doing the following: 
  1.  Load or import “wide_vibrato” into a track 
of your host program. This is a recording of a male voice singing a sustained “G” with a pronounced vibrato. Play the track so that you are familiar with the original audio. Despite the wide vibrato, you will notice that the singer’s pitch drifts alternately sharp and flat. 
  2.  Set up Auto-Tune 5 to be an insert effect 
on that track. 
  3.  Set Auto-Tune 5 to Automatic Mode. 
  4.  Set the Key to “C” and the Scale to 
“Chromatic.” 
  5.  Set the Input Type to Low Male Voice 
  6.  Set Retune Speed to a value of 24.   
7.  Use your host program’s controls to 
Bypass Auto-Tune 5. Set “wide_vibrato” to loop continuously and put your host program into Play mode. Watch the blue Detected Pitch indication on Auto-Tune 5’s Virtual Keyboard. As you will see, the singer’s vibrato is so wide that it 
consistently gets closer to G# and F# than G, causing Auto-Tune to intermittently select those notes as target pitches. 
  8.  Check that Targeting Ignores Vibrato is 
not selected and remove Auto-Tune 5 from Bypass. Watch the Detected Pitch indication and listen to the result. As you will hear, whenever Auto-Tune 5 thinks G# or F# is the target pitch, it will move the input closer to those notes, in effect making the situation worse. 
  9.  Now, leaving all other settings the same, 
click Targeting Ignores Vibrato. With Targeting Ignores Vibrato engaged, Auto-Tune 5’s vibrato identification algorithm recognizes the pitch excursions as vibrato and continues to use “G” as the target pitch.  
						

							


Next, we’ll use Graphical Mode for a dramatic graphic demonstration of the effect of Targeting Ignores Vibrato: 
 1.  Still using “wide_vibrato,” set up Auto-
Tune 5 as described in Steps 1-5 above.
  2.  Set Retune Speed to 0. 
  3.  Make sure Targeting Ignores Vibrato is Off. 
  4.  Set Auto-Tune 5 to Graphical Mode. 
  5.  Click the Track Pitch button and play 
wide_vibrato through Auto-Tune 5. A red curve representing the pitch contour of wide_vibrato will be drawn to the screen as the file plays. 
  6.  Stop playback and click the Track Pitch 
button again to stop the tracking function.
  7.  Click the Import Auto button. A blue curve 
will appear. This curve represents the pitch correction that would result from processing the audio with the current Automatic Mode settings. Note all the instances in which Auto-Tune 5 identifies G# or F# as the target pitch. 
  8.  Set Auto-Tune 5 back to Automatic Mode.   
9.  Set Targeting Ignores Vibrato to On. 
  10.  Return once again to Graphical Mode. 
  11.  Click Import Auto (there is no need to track 
pitch again, as the red pitch curve is still present in the Pitch Graph). 
  12.  Notice that the blue curve is now a straight 
line on “G,” indicating that the Improved Targeting algorithm has accurately identified the pitch excursions as vibrato and has therefore ignored it as far as target pitch selection is concerned. 
Tutorial 3: The Natural Vibrato Function
This tutorial will demonstrate the use of the 
Natural Vibrato function using the same audio file we used in the previous tutorial.
Begin the tutorial by doing the following: 
  1.  Load or import “wide_vibrato” into a track 
of your host program. This is a recording of a male voice singing a sustained “G” with a pronounced vibrato. Play the track so that you are familiar with the original audio.
  2.  Set up Auto-Tune 5 to be an insert effect 
on that track. 
  3.  Set Auto-Tune 5 to Automatic Mode. 
  4.  Set the Key to “C” and the Scale to 
“Chromatic.” 
  5.  Set the Input Type to Low Male Voice   
6.  Set Retune Speed to a value of 24. 
  7.  Set “wide_vibrato” to loop continuously 
and put your host program into Play mode. 
  8.  Set Natural Vibrato to 12 and note the 
effect on the vibrato. Set Natural Vibrato to -12 and note the effect on the vibrato.
  9.  Set all Scale notes to Bypass to disable 
any pitch correction. Again, adjust Natural Vibrato as in Step 8 and note that its effect is still active. 
						

							


Tutorial 4: Using the Automatic Mode MIDI Functions 
With Target Notes Via MIDI, Auto-Tune 5 looks at its MIDI input in real time to determine its current target note(s). Try the following with the provided audio and MIDI files: 
 1.  Set up your host program and load or 
import the “somewhere” audio and MIDI files as described in steps 1–4 above. 
  2.  Select Automatic Mode and click the 
“Target Note Via MIDI” button so that it turns blue and its indicator changes to “On.”
  3.  Click the Octaves as Played button so that 
it turns blue (if it is not already). 
  4.  Play the audio and MIDI track together and 
watch the current target note change in real time on the Virtual Keyboard — and listen to the results. 
The most interesting part of the Target Notes Via MIDI feature is that it only operates for the duration of the MIDI note — that is, when there is no current MIDI Note On value, Auto-Tune 5 is effectively in Bypass mode. This means that if you delay the MIDI notes, then the audio performs its attacks as performed and then corrects to pitch when the MIDI note occurs (of course, at whatever Retune Speed is set). In the case of the ‘Somewhere’ vocal 
performance, most of the intonation problems happen during the notes’ sustain portions. Try moving the notes in the MIDI file around and listen to the results. This gives far more subtle control than Automatic Mode alone, while not being quite as tweaky as operating in Graphical Mode. 
NOTE: The MIDI functions look only at MIDI note values. Controller data such as Pitch Bend or Mod Wheel do not affect Auto-Tune 5’s performance. 
Long live MIDI! 
This tutorial will introduce you to Auto-Tune 5’s two Automatic Mode MIDI functions: Learn Scale From MIDI and Target Notes Via MIDI. 
With Learn Scale From MIDI, you can create the correct scale for a particular melody without knowing a G-sharp from a B-flat. Simply play the melody on a MIDI keyboard which is patched through your host application to Auto-Tune 5 or play an existing MIDI file with contains the MIDI notes of the melody to be processed. 
Begin the tutorial by doing the following: 
  1.  Load or import the audio file “somewhere” 
into a track of your host program. This is a recording of Somewhere Over the Rainbow sung with fairly extreme pitch errors. (Our very talented singer made us promise to tell you that she did this on purpose at our request.) 
  2.  Set up Auto-Tune 5 to be an insert effect 
on that track. 
  3.  Import the MIDI file “somewhere.mid” 
into your host program’s MIDI sequencer.
  4.  Select Auto-Tune 5 as the target for the 
MIDI track. 
  5.  Select Automatic Mode and click the “Learn 
Scale from MIDI” button so that it turns blue and its indicator changes to “On.”
  6.  Click the All Octaves button so that it turns 
blue (if it is not already). 
  7.  Play the MIDI file through once and watch 
as the scale develops on Auto-Tune 5’s virtual keyboard and in the Scale Edit window. As each note is sung, it is added to the scale until the scale includes every note that appears in the melody. 
  8.  Set the Retune control to 20 and play the 
audio track using this scale. 
NOTE: You can also instantaneously define a scale by playing all of the notes of the scale as a chord (i.e., all scale notes played on the same beat) and recording that into a MIDI track. This is an ideal way to use Auto-Tune 5 in music with many key (scale) changes.