Antares AutoTune 3 user manual

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Note: When you start the process by pressing the Make Scale
From MIDI button, all notes are first Removed from the chro-
matic scale in preparation for adding just the notes you play. If
you then press the Make 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 3 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 Make 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 Make Scale From
MIDI is used in advance of correction to create a custom scale.
Scale Detune
The Detune parameter allows you to change the pitch standard of Auto-
Tune 3 from the default A = 440Hz. The values are cents (100 cents = 1
semitone). The range of adjustment is from -100 to +100 cents. The
Detune function can be used to tune a vocal performance to some irrepa-
rably out-of-tune instrument (a piano or organ, for example), or to allow
correction to other than the conventional 440Hz standard.
Refer to the following table to convert cents to Hertz relative to 440Hz.
DETUNE SETTING A=HERTZ
-20 435
-16 436
-12 437
-8 438
-4 439
0 440
+4 441
+8 442
+12 443
+16 444
+20 445
This table can be extended in either direction by adding or subtracting 4
cents per Hertz, as appropriate.
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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 dialog to remove
adjacent notes so that Auto-Tune 3 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 correc-
tion is applied to the incoming sound. The units are
milliseconds. A value of zero will cause instantaneous
changes from one tone to another and will com-
pletely suppress 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
duration 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 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 incoming 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.
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.
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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 3
(in combination with the new 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.
The Vibrato Section
The Vibrato Section contains one pop-up and three
knobs. The Vibrato pop-up allows you to select the
shape of the vibrato’s pitch variation. The choices are:
(no vibrato), sine wave, square and sawtooth. Depth,
which controls the amount of pitch variation in the
vibrato, varies from 0 to 100 cents. The Rate varies from
.1 to 10.0 Hz and controls the speed of the vibrato.
Delay varies from 0 to 3000 milliseconds, controlling the
speed of onset of the vibrato. For example, if it is set to
1000, the first 500 milliseconds of a new tone will
contain no vibrato and the next 500 milliseconds will
make a transition from no vibrato to the full vibrato.
The vibrato is re-started every time the Auto-Tune 3
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.
Note: Although we perceive vibrato primarily as a variation in
pitch, in most cases there is also a matching variation in ampli-
tude. Setting Auto-Tune 3’s Retune Speed to 0 will remove an
existing vibrato’s pitch variation, but the amplitude variation
will remain. If you then apply a new vibrato using Auto-Tune 3’s
Vibrato section, the results may be less than convincing. Auto-
Tune 3’s Vibrato section is more often useful for adding a
vibrato to an input that originally had none, or for various
special effects.
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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 -66, it indicates that the input
pitch is 66 cents too sharp and Auto-Tune 3 is lowering the pitch by 66
cents to bring the input back to the desired pitch.
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Graphical Mode Controls
The Playback Controls
Track Pitch
The Track Pitch function is used to detect the pitch of the
audio to be processed so that it can be displayed on the
Pitch Graph Display.
Locate the desired audio and press the Track Pitch button. Its
“LED” will flash to indicate that Auto-Tune is waiting for
audio. Next, start playback of the audio. (The Track Pitch LED
will light steadily.) When all of the audio you want to correct
has played, stop playback. Track Pitch is automatically
deactivated and the detected pitch is displayed on
Note: If the length of the audio to be processed exceeds the
currently set size of the buffer (see below), playback will stop
when the buffer is full. If this happens, increase the buffer size
as necessary.
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Correct Pitch
After you have used the graphical tools (as described below) to create a
target pitch contour, this button is used to apply the pitch correction to
the audio.
In all cases, pressing the Correct Pitch button and then starting playback
will cause the pitch correction to be applied to the audio. In some host
applications, starting playback when the Pitch Graph contains any yellow
pitch correction contour will automatically engage the Correct Pitch
function. Check your Auto-Tune 3 Read Me file for details.
Set Buffers
Set Buffers controls the number of seconds of memory buffer space that
are permanently reserved for pitch tracking and pitch correction data.
(There is a separate buffer for each plug-in occurrence.) To change the
buffer allocation, click on the Set Buffers data field and enter the required
amount into the resulting dialog box.
Note: As buffer memory is typically allocated from within your
host application, for large buffers, it may be necessary to
increase the memory allocation of your host.
Another Note: Some host applications allow Auto-Tune 3 to
display all tracked pitch information at their correct times
within the track (see the Auto-Tune 3 Read Me file for details).
If your application supports this capability, setting the buffer to
the length of the entire song and tracking the pitch in one pass
will allow you to quickly and easily move to each section of
audio to be corrected as necessary.
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The Pitch Graph Display
The Pitch Graph displays the pitch contour of the audio to be processed as
well as the target pitch contour objects that you create. On this display,
the vertical axis represents pitch (with higher notes towards the top) while
the horizontal axis represents time.
The red curve represents the original pitch contour of the input track,
while the desired target pitch or pitch contour is indicated in yellow.
The horizontal grid lines represent scale pitches. The key annotation, scale
name, scale pitches and Scale Detune value are those defined in the
Automatic Mode. They do not affect the computations of the Graphical
Mode in any way. They are merely a reference to guide you in drawing the
target pitches. If you wish to change them, select the Automatic Mode
and change the Key pop-up, Scale pop-up, or the Scale Detune setting,
respectively. (Changing the Scale Detune setting will also result in the scale
pitch graph lines moving up or down relative to the tracked pitch.) Then,
return to Graphical Mode.
Pitch Graph Scale
The Pitch Graph Scale Buttons control the horizontal (time) and vertical
(pitch) scaling of the graph. Clicking the appropriate “+” button causes
the view to zoom in, while clicking a “-” button causes it to zoom out.
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Note: The horizontal scale buttons always control the Pitch
Graph. They also control the Envelope Graph when it is set to
“Tie” (see below).
The Envelope Graph Display
The Envelope Graph displays the amplitude (loudness) envelope of the
sound whose pitch is shown in the Pitch Graph.
Envelope Graph Scale
The “+” and “-” buttons next to the Envelope Graph control the vertical
scale as expected, while the horizontal (time) scale is controlled by the
“All” and “Tie” buttons.
Clicking the All button causes the envelope graph to display the entire
time scale represented by the current buffer setting. This is useful for
locating and selecting various portions of audio spread over the duration
of a song.
Clicking the Tie button slaves the position of the Envelope Graph to that
of the Pitch Graph. When this setting is selected, the horizontal scale of
the Envelope Graph is controlled by the Pitch Graph horizontal scale
buttons.
The Graphical Tools
The graphical tools are used in conjunction with the edit
buttons to create the desired target pitch contour.
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 any-
where 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.
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).
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Pressing Option/Alt on your keyboard during line entry will force the
current segment to be perfectly horizontal.
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.
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.
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.
The Pointer Tool
The Pointer Tool is used to select and drag existing target pitch
contour objects (yellow lines and curves).
The Pointer Tool behaves as follows:
•Clicking on the background of the Pitch Graph and dragging horizon-
tally selects objects’ anchor points. Shift-clicking extends the selection.
•Dragging beyond the Pitch Graph boundaries automatically scrolls the
graph.
•Moving the Pointer 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.
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•Moving the Pointer 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 below.
•Clicking on the background of the Pitch Graph de-selects all selected
objects.
While the above may seem a bit mind-boggling on first reading, in prac-
tice it’s quite intuitive. Spend a minute or two playing with the Pointer
Tool and all will become clear.
The Zoom/Select Tool
The Zoom/Select Tool serves two purposes, depending on whether it
is used in the Pitch Graph or the Envelope Graph.
In the Pitch Graph, use the Zoom/Select Tool 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.
In the Envelope Graph, click and drag with the Zoom/Select Tool to select a
range of time containing audio. This causes the Make Curve button to
become active (see below). Clicking Make Curve will create a pitch contour
curve with anchor points at the selection boundaries.
Note: The Zoom/Select Tool can also be used to add new anchor
points in the middle of an existing curve previously created by
the Make Curve function. Simply select a range of time such
that one or both boundaries of your selection fall at the
point(s) where you would like a new anchor point and then
click Make Curve. Voilá.
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