Chapter 5:
Creative Applications for the ATR-1a
The ATR-1a 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 your ATR-1a:
•Produce instant double tracking in one take! Record with two mics, sending only one signal through the ATR-1a. If you’re going for a tight double track, set the SPEED rather fast (page one in the PROGRAM menu) and DETUNE the ATR-1a slightly (page six in the SYSTEM menu). Increase both of these parameters to broaden the doubled effect. You can also use some VIBRATO (page three in the PROGRAM menu) 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 the ATR-1a. 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 the ATR-1a, the more variation 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 the ATR-1a with an extremely constrained 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 the ATR-1a 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 the ATR-1a’s indi- vidual BYPASS function (page two, bottom line in the PROGRAM mode) to bypass all the notes except the one(s) which need the retuning. This way, the ATR-1a is working in a completely transparent mode, and only when needed.
