Antares AutoTune 5 user manual

							
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When this function is ”On,“ Auto-Tune 5 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 5 ignores the wide vibrato as far as target note selection is concerned. When it doesn’t, it works pretty much the same way it would work if the function were ”Off.”
The default state of this control is Off. When you’ve got a vibrato problem, try turning it on and see if it helps. 
Retune SpeedRetune controls how rapidly the pitch correction 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 completely 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 Retune 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 value is 20. Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Retune knob will reset it to that value. 
Scale Detune The Detune parameter allows you to change the pitch standard of Auto-Tune 5 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. 
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 5 doesn’t tune to the wrong note.) 
The default Scale Detune setting is 0 cents. Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Scale Detune knob will reset it to that value. 
HumanizeOne of the criticisms occasionally (if, we feel, unfairly) leveled at pitch correction is that it results in performances that are “too perfect.” Frankly, it’s been our experience that for the skillful engineer, Auto-Tune has always offered the means to perform its magic in a way that makes it virtually impossible for the listener to hear that it has been used (without, of course, comparing the result to the original performance). 
						

							
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Nonetheless, one situation that could previously send you to Graphical Mode was a performance that included both very fast notes and longer sustained notes. The problem was that in order to get the fast notes in tune, you’d have to set a fast Retune Speed, which would then make any sustained notes sound unnaturally static. The solution was adjusting in Graphical Mode.
Now, with the new Humanize function, you can get the same results quickly and easily in Automatic Mode. The Humanize function differentiates between short and sustained notes and lets you apply a slower Retune Speed just to the sustained notes. Thus, the short notes are in tune and the sustained notes still allow the natural variations of the original performance. 
Here’s how it works:
Start by setting Humanize to 0 and adjusting the Retune Speed until the shortest problem notes in the performance are in tune. At this point, any sustained notes may sound unnaturally static. If so, start advancing the Humanize control. The higher the Humanize setting, the more the Retune Speed is slowed for sustained notes. The goal is to find the point where the sustained notes are also in tune and just enough of the natural variation in the performance is present in the sustained 
notes to sound natural and realistic. (If you set Humanize too high, any problem sustained notes may not be fully corrected.)
This is one of those settings where you have to let your ears be your guide. The optimum Humanize setting for any particular performance will depend on the performance style, the other Automatic Mode settings and the specific effect you desire.
The default Humanize setting is 0. Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Humanize knob will reset it to that value.
Natural VibratoThe Natural Vibrato function allows real-time modification (either increase or decrease)of the depth of any vibrato present in the input audio while preserving the original shape and character of the vibrato.
This function uses the same Stochastic Optimal Linear Estimation Theory as the Targeting Ignores Vibrato function to differentiate between vibrato and intended pitch changes, adjusting the vibrato depth while leaving intended pitch changes intact.
The Natural Vibrato function acts independently of the pitch correction functions. Of particular note is the fact that setting a scale note or notes to Bypass still allows vibrato adjustment for those notes. So, if you want to adjust a performance’s vibrato while making no other pitch changes, you can simply set all scale notes to Bypass and still use the Natural Vibrato function to adjust vibrato depth. 
NOTE: This function acts only on vibrato present in the original performance. If the original performance does not contain vibrato, this control will have no audible effect.
ANOTHER NOTE: Natural Vibrato adjustments function independently of the Create Vibrato functions described below. However, since both functions can operate simultaneously, they can interact in ways that may or may not be useful, depending on your intent. In most cases, you should probably use one or the other.
The default Natural Vibrato setting is 0. Double-clicking or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Natural Vibrato knob will reset it to that value.  
						

							


The Create Vibrato SectionThe controls in this section are designed to  add a synthesized vibrato to the input.
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 5 includes a plethora of 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 MENUSelects 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 or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) 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 or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) 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 or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the Onset Delay knob will reset it to that value.
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 or Command (Mac)/Control (PC) 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 AMOUNTSets the amount that the pitch changes. The range is from 0 (no change) to 100 (maximum change). The default setting is 18. Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the slider will reset it to that value.  
AMPLITUDE AMOUNTSets 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. Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the slider will reset it to that value.  
FORMANT AMOUNTSets the amount that the resonant timbre changes. The range is from 0 (no change) to 100 (maximum change). The default setting is 70. Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the slider will reset it to that value.  
The vibrato is re-started every time Auto-Tune 5 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: 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 5’s Retune Speed to 0 will remove an existing vibrato’s pitch variation, but the amplitude and timbral variation will remain. If you then apply  a new vibrato using Auto-Tune 5’s Create Vibrato section, the results may be less than convincing. Auto-Tune 5’s Vibrato section is more often useful for adding a vibrato to an input that originally had none, or for various special effects. 
ANOTHER NOTE: The Create Vibrato controls function completely independently of the Natural Vibrato function. Changes in that function have no direct effect on the depth of any vibrato resulting from the Create Vibrato controls. However, since both functions can operate simultaneously, they can interact in ways that may or may not be useful, depending on your intent. In most cases, you should probably use one or the other. 
						

							


The Pitch Change Amount IndicatorThe 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 5 is lowering the pitch by 50 cents to bring the input back to the desired pitch. 
Hold ButtonClicking and holding the Hold button while Auto-Tune 5 is processing audio will freeze both the Pitch Change Amount Indicator and the blue Detected Pitch indication on the virtual 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.  
						

							
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Graphical Mode Controls 
Track PitchThe 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. (If you are using Auto-Tune 5’s Internal clock (see below) you may (depending on your host) need to click the Reset button to reset the clock position to 00:00:0.) The Track Pitch button will flash red to indicate that Auto-Tune is in Track Pitch mode.
Next, start playback of the audio. A graphic representation of the pitch will be drawn to the display as the audio plays. When all of the audio you want to correct has played, stop playback. Note that Auto-Tune will remain in Track Pitch mode (the button will continue to flash red). If you are using the Host Clock and want to track the pitch of audio elsewhere in your track, simply use your host’s transport controls to move to that audio and start playback again. Auto-Tune will continue tracking pitch at that point. When you have tracked all of the audio you want to correct, click the Track Pitch button again. You will exit Track Pitch mode and the pitch display will automatically scale in such a way as to include all of the tracked audio.
NOTE: If you are using Auto-Tune 5’s Internal Clock (because your host does not provide valid clock information), you will not be able to navigate around your audio while tracking as described above. In that case you should either track all of the audio at once, or track an individual section, then correct it and bounce the changes (or use a destructive editor if available) and then move on to the next section.
ANOTHER NOTE: If the length of the audio to be processed exceeds the currently set size of the buffer as set in the Options dialog, playback will stop when the buffer is full. If this happens, increase the buffer size as necessary. 
YET ANOTHER NOTE: Be cautious about changing the Tracking value (in the Options dialog) after performing the Track Pitch function. Auto-Tune 5 uses the Tracking setting during both the Track Pitch function and while correcting pitch. Changing the Tracking setting after Tracking Pitch, but before correcting, may result in unpredictable pitch modifications or strange (though possibly interesting) artifacts. 
Correct Pitch (host dependent)If you’re new to Auto-Tune and following along here in the manual, you’re probably scanning the Graphical Mode screen and wondering where the heck the Correct Pitch button is. And if you’re an experienced Auto-Tune user, you’re probably wondering the same thing. Well, you can stop looking. It’s not there.
In all previous versions of Auto-Tune, after creating correction curves, you would have to press the Correct Pitch button in order to put Auto-Tune into correction mode. As a result, the Auto-Tune window always had to be open in order to use Graphical Mode. Well, no longer. Now, simply create your corrections and play. Essentially, anytime you are not tracking pitch, Auto-Tune 5 will be correcting. It is this basic change that allows you to use multiple instances of Auto-Tune 5 simultaneously in Graphical Mode without having to have their windows visible.
NOTE: This functionality is only available for hosts that provide valid time information. See the Selectable Clock Source section below for details.
Sync to host transport (host dependent)If your host provides valid time information, once you have tracked audio and created correction curves (see below), Auto-Tune 5 will maintain sync with the host program, allowing you to move around in your track at will. No more having to always start playback at exactly the same location.
NOTE: In some cases, this functionality may require updating to the latest version of your host program. Check the Read Me file for details.  
						

							


Additionally, if your host does not provide valid time information or does not strictly adhere to its plug-in format specification, sync problems could ensue. In that case, see the Selectable Clock Source section below. (Again, check the Read Me file for any specific examples.)
Selectable Clock Source For hosts that do not provide valid time information, Auto-Tune 5’s clock display and selection functions let you use an internal time reference for Auto-Tune 4 style operation. 
Since all of the controls in the Clock section are used together, we will describe them as a group.
Determining if your host provides valid clock informationTo determine if your host supplies valid clock information, click the Host button to select the host-supplied clock and put your host into Play. If Auto-Tune 5 is receiving valid timing information from your host, the Position display should constantly update to reflect your current position in the track. Moving forward or backward in the track should result in 
corresponding display updates. If this is in fact happening, you have confirmed your host’s timing info. Simply leave the clock setting on Host and enjoy all of Auto-Tune 5’s new features. 
On the other hand, if the display does not update or if it does not accurately reflect your host’s transport, Auto-Tune 5 may be getting bad (or no) clock information. In that case, you will need to use the Internal clock option. 
Using Internal Clock ModeTo select Auto-Tune 5’s Internal clock, click the Internal button. 
To track and correct pitch in Internal Clock mode:
 1.  Use your host transport to move to the 
beginning of the section you want to correct and note that position, as you will need to return to that precise place for correction.
  2.  Click the Reset button to set the clock 
position to 00:00:0.
  3.  Click the Track Pitch button, play the desired 
audio and then stop the transport.
  4.  Use the various tools described below to 
create your pitch correction curves.
  5.  Use your host transport to return to the 
precise start location defined in step 1.
  6.  Click the Reset button to reset the clock 
position to 00:00:0.
  7.  Play your audio. Auto-Tune 5 will apply your 
corrections.
NOTE: Some hosts that require Internal Clock nonetheless have the capability to automatically reset the clock to 00:00:0. (Versions of Pro Tools HD and Pro Tools LE prior to v7.2 specifically have this capability.) In those cases, steps 2 and 6 above are not necessary.
In Internal Clock Mode, the following features are unavailable:
•   Sync to Host Transport (obviously)
•   Multiple simultaneous Graphical Mode 
instances with windows not open
NOTE: As the various host developers are constantly updating their applications’ functionality, it may be necessary to update to the latest version of your host to use Host Clock Mode.
In addition, we are working with host developers to ensure that as many as possible provide valid clock info, so even if yours doesn’t now, it may well add that capability in a future version. (And if it doesn’t now, you might want to drop the developers an email and let them know you’ d like it to.) 
						

							


Make Curve 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 blue 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 5’s Graphical Mode and is described in more detail in Chapter 4. 
NOTE: If a range of time has been selected by using the I-Beam Tool (see below), the  Make Curve button works only in the selected time range. Otherwise it works on all red pitch data. 
Import AutoThe Import 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 Import Auto button causes blue target pitch contour objects (curves for short) to be created from the red input pitch contour data. The blue curve(s) created by the Import Auto function is a precise representation of the pitch correction that would result from processing the tracked input pitch through the current settings of Auto-Tune 5’s Automatic Mode. These include the Automatic Mode’s Key and Scale selections, the Edit Scale settings, the Targeting Ignores Vibrato mode (if selected), and the Retune, Scale Detune, Humanize, Natural Vibrato and Create Vibrato settings. 
NOTE: If a range of time has been selected by using the I-Beam Tool, the  Make Auto button works only in the selected time range. Otherwise it works on all red pitch data. 
Once you have used the Import Auto function to create a blue target pitch curve, setting the Graphical Mode Retune Speed to 0 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 blue curve using any of the Graphical Mode tools to get precisely the effect you want. 
If you aren’t satisfied with the results of the Import Auto function, simply switch to Automatic Mode, modify any of the settings as desired, and then return to Graphical Mode and click Import Auto again. 
NOTE: In addition to its use as a Graphical Mode correction tool, the Import Auto function can also be used to provide an informative 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 Import 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. 
STILL ANOTHER NOTE: One potentially confusing aspect of the Import 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 blue curve that will be created by the Import Auto function. 
•   The Graphical Mode Retune Speed controls 
how quickly the pitch of the input audio will be changed to that of the blue target pitch curve. As mentioned above, to precisely duplicate the results of Automatic Mode, set the Graphical Mode Retune Speed to 0.  
						

							


Retune Speed The Retune Speed setting is used only during the pitch correction process. It’s similar in function but separate from the Retune Speed control in Automatic Mode. 
In Graphical Mode, the target pitch is not the scale tone nearest to the input, but rather the blue target pitch curve. The Retune Speed control allows you to specify how quickly Auto-Tune 5 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 performance. 
The default Retune Speed is 20. Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the slider 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. 
Adjust VibratoThe purpose of this function is to let you 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. Set the desired amount of change using the Adjust Vibrato slider. A blue correction curve will be created that reflects your setting. 
If a correction curve already exists in the selected range (as a result of Make Curve, Import Auto or the use of the Line or Curve tool), that curve will be replaced by the Adjust Vibrato curve. Consequently, if you need to both modify the vibrato and correct the pitch of a phrase, you should first adjust the vibrato and then manipulate the resulting blue curve to correct the pitch. (If you do it in the opposite order, your vibrato adjustment will wipe out your previously executed pitch correction, often resulting in exclamations of a possibly profane nature.)
The default Adjust Vibrato setting is 0. Command (Mac)/Control (PC) clicking the slider will reset it to that value.
NOTE: This function is only available when some tracked audio has been selected with the I-Beam tool. If no audio is selected, the slider handle will not appear. Once some audio is selected, the handle will appear.
ANOTHER NOTE: This function uses the same Stochastic Optimal Linear Estimation Theory as the Auto Mode’s Targeting Ignores Vibrato 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 Adjust 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 Adjust Vibrato seems to be making changes to parts of the audio you’ d like to leave alone, simply Undo the adjustment and use the I-Beam to select only the vibrato portions you wish to edit.  
						

							


The Pitch Graph DisplayThe 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 blue. 
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. 
NOTE: The horizontal scale buttons always control the Pitch Graph. They also control the Envelope Graph when it is set to “Tie” (see below). 
Cursor Pitch Display The exact pitch value of the cursor position on the Pitch Graph 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). 
The Envelope Graph Display 
The Envelope Graph displays the amplitude (loudness) envelope of the sound whose pitch is shown in the Pitch Graph. 
All/Tie Buttons The Envelope Graph’s horizontal (time) scale is controlled by the “All” and “Tie” buttons. 
Clicking the All button causes the envelope graph to display all of the currently tracked audio. 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.