intonation correction to be performed on all vocals and almost all instruments.
Of course, the TA-1VP will not detect pitch when the input waveform is not periodic. As demonstrated above, the TA‑1VP will fail to tune up even a unison violin section. But this can also occasionally be a problem with solo voice and solo instruments as well. Consider, for example, an exceptionally breathy voice, or a voice recorded in an unavoidably noisy environment. The added signal is non- periodic, and the TA-1VP will have difficulty determining the pitch of the composite (voice + noise) sound. Luckily, there is a control (the Sensitivity control, discussed in Chapter 5) that will let the TA-1VP be a bit more casual about what it considers “periodic.” Experimenting with this setting will often allow the TA-1VP to track even noisy signals.
How Auto-Tune corrects pitch
Auto-Tune works by continuously tracking the pitch of an input sound and comparing it to a user-defined scale. The scale tone closest to the input is continuously identified. If the input pitch exactly matches the scale tone, no correction is applied. If the input pitch varies from the desired scale pitch, an output pitch is generated which is closer to the scale tone than the input pitch. (The exact amount of correction is controlled by the Speed parameter, described below and in Chapter 5.)
Scales
The heart of Auto-Tune pitch correction is the Scale. The TA-1VP comes with 25 preprogrammed scales. For each Scale you can define which notes will sound and which won’t. And for each note that will sound, you can decide whether the TA-1VP will apply pitch correction to input pitches near that note or leave those pitches uncorrected.
You can also edit any of the preprogrammed scales and save your custom scale as part of a Preset.
Speed
You also have control over how rapidly, in time, the pitch adjustment is made toward the scale tone. This is set with the Speed control (see Chapter 5 for more details).
•• Fast Speed settings are more appropriate for short duration notes and for mechanical instruments, like an oboe or clarinet, whose pitch typically changes almost instantly. A fast enough setting will also minimize or completely remove a vibrato. At the fastest setting, you will produce the now-infamous “Cher effect.”
•• Slow Speed settings, on the other hand, are appropriate for longer notes where you want expressive pitch gestures (like vibrato) to come through at the output and for vocal and instrumental styles that are typified by gradual slides (portamento) between pitches. An appropriately selected slow setting can leave a vibrato unmodified while the average pitch is accurately adjusted to be in tune.
An example
As an example, consider this before-and-after graphic representation of the pitch of a vocal phrase that contains both vibrato and expressive gestures.
CORRECTED
BY TA-1VP
D3
C#3
ORIGINAL PERFORMANCE
B2
In the original performance, we can see that although the final note should be centered around D, the vocalist allowed the tail of the note to fall nearly three semitones flat. The “after” plot is the result of passing this phrase through the TA-1VP set to a D Major Scale (with C# and B set to ”Blank”) and a Speed setting of 10. That Speed causes the pitch center to be moved to D, while still retaining the vibrato and expressive gestures. (Setting C# and B to ”Blank” is necessary to keep the TA-1VP from trying to correct the seriously flat tail of the last note to those pitches. See Chapter 5 for more details.)
Antares Microphone Modeling
If you’ve spent any time flipping through the pages of pro audio magazines, you have almost certainly noticed the intense focus on microphones. From the proliferation of exotic new mics to the almost cult-like following of certain historical classics, never has the choice been greater. But amassing a substantial collection of high-end mics is financially prohibitive for all but the most well-off studios.
Now, using Antare's patented Spectral Shaping Tool™ technology, we’ve created digital models of a variety of microphones. Simply tell the TA-1VP what type of microphone you are actually using and what type of microphone you’d like it to sound like. It’s as simple as that.
With the TA-1VP, you can record each track through a model of the type of mic that will best produce that ideal sound you’re looking for. Or use it in live performance to get the sound of mics you’d never consider using on stage. You can even use it during mixdown to effectively change the mic on an already recorded track. And for that final touch of perfection, you can even add some tasty tube saturation.
