Sep 07, 2017  Waves Tune LT is a special edition of Waves Tune which is available as part of selected bundles or separately as a single plugin. It delivers the same great sound as Waves Tune, using an intuitive interface and simplified controls. Celemony Melodyne or Waves Tune Hi, To those expert in tuning vocals, which is the best tuning software? Celemony Melodyne or Wave Tune. Also,which of these softwares are more compatible with sonar 5? Nov 27, 2013  Izotope Nectar vs AutoTune? I have Auto Tune, Melodyne, Waves Tune and Nectar 2. I never use Waves Tune, I do use Auto Tune and Melodyne quite frequently and just opened up Nectar 2 and used it to tune some vocals this morning and I believe that I’m going to find Nectar to be very very useful. Welcome to the Gearslutz Pro Audio. Nov 01, 2018  Auto-Tune is a bit more complicated to use – Antares Auto-Tune, but it also has a couple more features that I think are missing in Melodyne as far as I am aware or it just goes about in a different way. And Waves Tune personally I am not a huge fan of, but I. Waves are not new to the business of pitch-correction. Indeed, SOS reviewed the original Waves Tune way back in the November 2006 issue. While Tune can carry out pitch-correction automatically as well as manually, like the Melodyne plug-in it requires your audio to be ‘tracked’ into the plug-in. In the pitch correction game, you often hear about Auto-Tune, and Melodyne. Meanwhile, Waves Tune just sits quietly on the sidelines and no one really mentions it. I've used both I mentioned in the first sentence, with many, many hours on Melodyne, but after trying Waves Tune, I was completely sold on it. Transfers are painless.

Auto Tuning Games

Melodyne (at least - the plugin - I can't say I've ever used the standalone editor) also seriously degrades the sound. All tuning programs degrade the sound to some extent, even if not doing any processing; Try bypassing melodyne as you say about waves tune. You lose a fair amount of top end.

• Signal Processors >Pitch-shifters

Is it really possible to carry out studio-quality pitch-correction in real time? Waves think so..

Love it or loathe it, automated pitch-correction is here to stay. Antares’ Auto-Tune first made it possible, and has become so well-known that its name is often used generically to describe all such tools, but there are plenty of other software-based pitch-correction tools out there. However, most are primarily intended for studio use, where they will be applied as post-recording processes.

For live performance there have, of course, been a number of dedicated hardware devices that offer pitch-correction in real time, including the now-discontinued Antares ATR-1 and various TC-Helicon products. It’s easy enough to see two sides to the desirability of such a tool in a live setting and I’ll leave you to have that discussion amongst yourselves but, in a world where the computer sits centre stage in so many music-making environments, the user control and flexibility offered by software-only solutions could have obvious benefits in a live context too.

Well, Antares obviously think so, because they have a version of Auto-Tune called Auto-Tune Live targeted at precisely this role, and Waves have now joined the roll-call with their own take on the genre: Tune Real-Time. Providing the rest of your system doesn’t create a processing bottleneck somewhere along the line, Tune Real-Time is designed to operate with sufficiently low latency to be fast enough for even the most demanding live-performance situation. And, as I’ll get to in a minute, the plug-in can also be used as a standard post-recording pitch-correction tool.

Holding A Tune

Waves are not new to the business of pitch-correction. Indeed, SOS reviewed the original Waves Tune way back in the November 2006 issue. While Tune can carry out pitch-correction automatically as well as manually, like the Melodyne plug-in it requires your audio to be ‘tracked’ into the plug-in before this can take place. However, faster computer systems mean that, 10 years on, real-time pitch-correction with a plug-in is now a viable prospect.

Once installed via the slick Waves Central licence management system, how you configure Tune Real-Time will depend upon your type of use. For routine automatic pitch-correction of previously tracked vocals, you would, of course, simply insert the plug-in on your vocal track and get cracking with tweaking the control set to suit. However, if you are interested in live pitch-correction — whether that’s during tracking in the studio or for live performances — a different arrangement is going to be required.

While the specifics will undoubtedly depend upon your exact hardware/software configuration, Tune Real-Time is going to need to be inserted in your signal flow in a way that allows the engineer (studio or front-of-house) and the singer to monitor through it in real time. As when applying any software processing to a live audio signal, that means a return journey for the audio through your computer system and back out to your monitor setup, making low latency all round an obvious requirement.

Waves can’t do anything about latency introduced elsewhere within your system, but by reporting zero latency to the host, Tune Real-Time ensures that no delay compensation is applied on its account. Its actual latency varies between 0 and 4 ms depending on the frequency of the current note. Different performers have differing sensitivities to audio latency. In order to achieve a more comfortable monitoring experience, I found myself having to change the buffer sizes for my audio interface from 256 samples to 64 samples in my 44.1kHz/24-bit project. Smaller buffer sizes do, of course, mean a higher system load, but that may be a price you have to pay in order to prioritise the pitch-corrected vocal monitoring. (Alternatively, by running Tune Real-Time on one of Waves’ SoundGrid servers, you could eradicate the round trip through your computer and DAW.)

The control set allows you to select a voice type to focus the pitch-correction within a certain note range.

Corrective Measures

You can define your own scale using the keyboard display, and the plug-in includes a huge number of preset scale types.The user interface shares many common elements with that of the studio-orientated Waves Tune and, indeed, other pitch-correction tools. For example, the bottom third of the panel provides scale/key selection and a choice of voice types — which, in turn, set a default note range within which pitch-correction will be applied. The small MIDI Input/Keyboard panel allows you to give your singer a reference tone or use an external MIDI keyboard to set target notes. Other parameters in the control set can also be controlled via MIDI, including the Speed parameter, so you can, for instance, apply ‘robotic’ pitch-correction just to a few notes as a special effect.

The central keyboard strip provides a visual guide to the notes being detected as the plug-in does its thing. As well as letting you drag the left/right boundaries of the active note range, this includes an interesting additional feature whereby clicking above each note allows you to toggle its behaviour in the pitch-correction process. This includes modes for ‘legal’ (grey), ‘illegal’ (pink with a ‘-‘ icon) or ‘bypass’ (grey with an ‘x’; the note is legal but no pitch-correction is applied); but there are also two other ‘illegal’ options, both with pink arrow icons that can point to notes above or below the current note. If the pitch-detection algorithm identifies such a note, it will force the correction in the direction indicated by the arrow. This is a useful feature, as it allows you to handle the correction of specific notes in a very particular fashion.

The keyboard section allows you to define how the pitch-correction behaves for individual notes.

For example, a singer might end up consistently flat with notes at the top of their range or sharp towards the bottom of it. Tune Real-Time can accommodate that and I could imagine that in a live setting, where an FOH engineer gets to know a specific singer’s strengths and weaknesses night after night, this could offer very precise control. You can set these five different correction states either on individual notes or, with the Group Octaves button engaged, for every octave.

House Of Correction

The topmost panel contains both familiar and less familiar elements. Familiar is the large arc-shaped pitch-correction display that shows the amount of correction being applied in real time. Also familiar is the Speed dial, which controls just how quickly pitch-correction is applied at the onset of a note. Values in the 40-60 ms range produce fairly aggressive correction, while slower speeds provide a more transparent result. And, yes, by setting it to zero you can get the ‘Cher effect’.

The Correction subpanel allows you to adjust just how tightly the pitch-correction is applied. Backing off from 100 percent here does help in terms of keeping the result transparent. If you want something more in the special effects category, you can also turn formant correction off; in conjunction with MIDI control of the notes, you can then move towards Micky Mouse or Darth Vader if you so wish.

The Note Transition controls provide interesting additional options for handling the pitch-correction process across note boundaries.

Perhaps more interesting are the Note Transition and Tolerance controls. While the Speed control deals with the first note of a legato phrase, in the Wave Tune algorithm (in both its real-time and non-real-time formats), the Note Transition control influences the speed of correction applied as one note transitions into another during a phrase. In addition, the Cents and Time controls provide further influence over note transitions, allowing you to tolerate wider pitch drift before correction kicks in. OK, so the pitch-correction is still automatic, but these additional options do seem to offer an extra level of control.

Rather neatly, you can also dampen or exaggerate any natural vibrato present in the vocal (although you can’t add artificial vibrato). This is actually well worth experimenting with as its on/off status, and the slider value, interacts with the pitch-correction process; if you find yourself with the occasional unwanted ‘pitch flutter’ on a sustained note, tweaking these settings can sometimes tame it.

The Real Thing?

If Waves Tune Real-Time is to be considered a success, it must be able to satisfy on two obvious points. First, is the processing actually fast enough for real-time use? Second, is the quality, flexibility and stability of the automatic pitch-correction processing up to the job?

While my own testing was studio-based, in terms of the first question, I think the answer is a very clear yes. OK, in a recording session, I’m not sure I’d generally want to track with pitch-correction in my signal chain but, if it is something you need — perhaps as a special effect or to provide a bit of a comfort blanket to an insecure singer — Tune Real-Time can do it. The trick, both in the studio and in a live performance context, is to ensure that the rest of your monitoring signal chain doesn’t scupper the plug-in’s efficient, low-latency operation. In a mission-critical live context, that might mean putting Tune Real-Time’s needs at the top of your performance priority list.

In terms of the second question, as an automatic pitch-correction tool, Tune Real-Time is most certainly competitive with the other leading contenders. I tested it alongside Antares Auto-Tune Live; both were capable of meeting the need for speed required for real-time use and, with the obvious qualification that I’ll get to next, both delivered very good results. What’s more, the Waves control set — and in particular the note transition features and ability to configure the direction of pitch-correction on individual notes — makes for a lot of flexibility. Yes, you are still in the hands of an automated correction process, but these controls give you useful ways to influence the operation of that process.

And that obvious qualification? Automatic pitch-correction will not turn a Friday night karaoke singer into a Christina Aguilera or a Michael Bublé; this technology is impressive, and in many ways remarkable, but is not a substitute for actual vocal skills. If you set Tune Real-Time to fast pitch-quantise, even a pub singer might get away with a few bars of ‘special Cher effect’ but, if it’s a more natural performance you are seeking, Tune Real-Time will not rescue someone who really can’t sing.

That is, of course, a very good thing and, in one sense, it means the whole argument about pitch-correction in a live-performance context is still a bit moot. If your singer has his or her skills down, yes, software like Waves Tune Real-Time can support and enhance their performance, and perhaps help compensate for situations where poor monitoring or tiredness can make even a good singer’s pitch a little off. In the studio, it is perhaps possible to do more to overcome a singer’s limitations, but this would really require the offline processing options provided by the likes of Melodyne or the full version of Auto-Tune. However, it is worth emphasising that Tune Real-Time is also a great option in the studio providing all you need is automatic pitch-correction. Don’t expect miracles of this or any automatic pitch-correction tool, but if you are starting with a solid singer, Waves Tune Real-Time is more than capable of tidying up any loose edges that might occur.

Alternatives

From a software perspective, the obvious competition is Antares’ Auto-Tune Live, currently costing about the same as Tune Real-Time at its full price.

There are also hardware alternatives, and in particular, TC-Helicon have developed a number of products aimed at live performance that include some pitch-correction options. A current example is the Mic Mechanic footpedal: this includes chromatic pitch-correction and is competitively priced, but does not provide the flexibility or level of user control offered by Tune Real-Time.

Pros

• Latency of the plug-in is low enough for live use, providing the rest of the system configuration is up to the task.
• For an automated process, it offers plenty of user control.
• The quality of the automated pitch-correction processing is certainly a match for the obvious competition.

Cons

• Requires a low-latency computer/audio system for ‘live’ real-time use.

Summary

If you don’t need the option of manual pitch editing, Waves Tune Real-Time is a very capable automatic pitch-correction tool for studio use and, given the low latency of the plug-in itself, a viable option for use in a live performance context — providing you are dealing with a competent singer in the first place.

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Test Spec

• Waves Tune Real-Time v9.6.14.12 Build 87243.
• Apple iMac with 3.5GHz Intel Core i7 CPU and 32GB RAM, running Mac OS 10.10.5, with Soundcraft Signature 12MTK mixer/interface.
• Tested with Steinberg Cubase Pro 8.5.

Tuning & Pitch Correction

In the year 2011, the engineer’s ability to take an “off note” and bump it to a correct note is a well known fact. Made most popular by the use of Antares Auto-Tune by artists such as Daft Punk, Cher, and T-Pain, Auto-Tune has become a commonly understood (sometimes mis-understood) concept and has even shown up as an iPhone app.

Tuning software has been around for well over a decade, and has been used in records in far more transparent ways for awhile now. In fact, it’s been a lifesaver to many a recording. Sometimes you get that magical take (or only one take) that just has that slightly off moment. Tuning gives the engineer the choice to leave the take natural, or make it “perfect.”

Pitch Correction vs. Pitch Shifting

Pitch Correction is not simply finding the intended pitch and gluing the off note to it. That’s called Pitch Shifting. While Shifting and Correction have a lot of things in common – there is one fundamental difference. Instruments, particularly the human voice, have harmonic signatures. These signatures in conjunction with overtone patterns allow us to identify when an instrument is a guitar, a flute, a sine wave, or a voice. The voice in particular is manually shaped with various harmonic signatures, called Formants, that yield vowel sounds. Our natural overtone pattern, and the resonance shaping we make with our glottis, mouth shape, and nasal cavity come together to form our unique sound. When we sing higher or lower notes, some characteristics change, but our Formants (our harmonic signature) actually stays the same. After all, just because one note is lower than the other doesn’t mean our mouth or nose changes dimension in order to produce the lower note.

Pitch Correction accounts for this harmonic signature, these formants, and rearranges our sound to the desired pitch while preserving the harmonic shape.

How It Works

This part is pretty complicated, and the most technical bits are still outside of my understanding. However, I’ll lay down the basic info. Pitch Correction uses a variant of phase based vocoding. So, when people call Pitch Correction software “the vocoder” – they aren’t totally incorrect. Pitch Correction is essentially a very specific vocoder.

Phase Vocoding sounds complicated. It is and it isn’t. At the most basic level a vocoder isn’t terribly complex. It literally “codes voice.” Our voice has different amplitude shapes at different frequencies as we pronounce words (particularly with vowel sounds). The vocoder reads the incoming volume levels at different frequency bands and figures out the shapes. These shapes control a set of frequency filters in the vocoder which are then applied to a different signal. While we most commonly think of this as being done by a compuer, it can actually be accomplished in the analog world relatively simply. But, the more frequency bands and filters used, the more accurate the vocoding will be – and computers allow for extremely high numbers of bands and filters to work simultaneously.

Here’s the complicated part. In traditional vocoding, the voice may act as the modifying control for a simple wave shape or sound. In Pitch Correction, the voice essentially acts as the controller for a Pitch Shifted version of itself. Not only that, but the pitch shifted version is kept at the same or a similar time boundary as the original. This is done through mathematical algorithms that involve Fourier transformation and re-synthesis to get down to the basic structure of the sound, and re-create it at a different pitch without changing the rhythm – or making “intelligent” time changes that keep it as close as possible with minimal artifacts.

Auto Tuning Shop

The bottom line: Pitch Correction changes the pitch, but keeps the harmonic signature of the original (or as close to it as possible).

Inside the Tuner

There are several tuning programs on the market, the three most common being Antares Auto-Tune, Waves Tune, and Celemony Melodyne. All three have a unique sound to them that can be most noted when the functions are set to do the maximum amount of tuning within the smallest increments of time – meaning the tuned sound stays unnaturally locked on pitch. Even though they are all doing essentially the same thing, the make-up of the formant encoder, the quality of the filters, the intelligence of the pitch shifter (choosing how to best change pitch with minimal effects to time), and the accuracy of the programs parameters, all amount to somewhat different sounds.

Auto-Tune – To be fair, my experience with Auto-Tune is more limited than my experience with Waves Tune or Melodyne. My impression has been that it is generally the most heavy handed of the three programs. Even when set lightly, it still seems to impart a coloring onto the sound. That being said, it can be a nice color – almost like an exciter. It’s also very easy to use. Automatic mode works very well the moment it’s turned on, and graphical mode is fairly intuitive when you want more control.

Waves vst auto tune. Waves Tune – Waves Tune is to my ear, the most easily transparent. It’s designed with transparency in mind. This is probably not the software to use if you want some kind of excited effect, though it can still be done. There is a mild dulling of the sound at times, in fact. It’s also less CPU intensive. If I were to take a blind guess, I would say there’s simply wider frequency bands being used in the encoding and re-synthesizing process. The controls are extremely intuitive, and allow for very detailed access to the sound with little fuss.

Melodyne – Melodyne is generally my choice of the three. It can be very transparent or very non-transparent, and the ways it can do it are more varied. That being said, it’s not the most intuitive – it takes a while to really master all of it’s uses. It’s probably not the best choice for a quick nip & tuck on a small moment – but for a sound where serious work is involved, you have more options, control, and great sound quality. What I especially like in Melodyne is that it allows for independent formant pitching, in addition to pitching the root tone itself.

Tools & Terms

Cooking dash pc game download. Skillful use of Pitch Correction requires a bit more expertise than just figuring out the key and running the process. There are in fact some fine controls that can be used for subtlety, to add some slight distortion or excitement, or totally turn the sound into a robo-synth version of itself (and a number of ways to do the latter). Now, in each program these things are controlled and labeled differently, so I’m going to make up some of my own words here – this isn’t technical terminology, but I think it will help explain the process.

Tightness – There is generally a control that allows you to determine how much you want the sound source to stay locked on pitch. In Auto-Tune this is controlled by “Re-tune Speed”. In Waves Tune this is again controlled by a “Speed” control, but is also heavily influenced by the “Note Transition” function. In Melodyne there is “Pitch Modulation” which controls vibrato shaped pitch variance, and “Pitch Drift” which controls non-periodic pitch variance. Vibrato functions around the idea of the center pitch, whereas drift does not contain a pitch around which it modulates.

Transitions – In addition to how closely the sound source sticks to a given pitch, there’s also the action of transition from one note to another. As unrealistic as it is for something to not modulate around a pitch center – it’s just as unrealistic to have no slide between notes on fretless instruments and especially a voice (at least on a legato line). As long as the phrase is continuous there will be some degree of glissando between the notes. In Waves Tune you have a “Note Transition” function which allows for more natural or more forceful transitions – measured in milliseconds. In Auto-Tune, source sound is broken into notes and curves. The “curves” are the transitional points, and can be manually stretched and bent. In Melodyne, note transitions are controlled by an angle setting that kicks in when using the pitch altering handle and placing the cursor at the edge of a note segment.

Formant Control – A key element to all three is the ability to correct for formant displacement that would occur with regular pitch shifting. All three programs use different algorithms that can be modified by the pitch range of the sound source. While Waves Tune simply offers an on/off control and voicing range (bass, tenor, alto, soprano), Auto-Tune and Melodyne both offer some more interesting options. Auto-Tune comes with a “Throat” control which allows you to change the width of harmonic resonance that would occur from having a smaller or larger throat size. This algorithm is used in other Antares software, and can create the illusion of a persons head being larger or smaller! Melodyne has a more practical and interesting control – an independent harmonic shifter for the formants themselves. One of my favorite uses of Melodyne is not actually pitch correction, but lifting the formants as a way of exciting a vocal. This is good for people who’s voice could use a little excitement, or for a thinner voice to sound a bit breathier by shifting the formants down. Mind you, formant shifting does not actually change the pitch – it changes the placement of the harmonic bands where signature formants are occurring.

Draw Function – One of the cool things about Auto-Tune and Waves Tune is that you can actually draw the pitches you want to produce. This allows for pitch automation in a way that is otherwise unprecedented. The one drawback of Melodyne is that the company has rejected the implementation of this very useful feature – though separating notes and using more conventional pitch altering tools can certainly get you far (just not as quickly).

Unique Features – Different programs have embraced unique feature sets in anticipation of end user requirements. Melodyne can act as a rudimentary DAW, allows for advanced rhythmic correction and amplitude shifting – in case you want to rework a sound source in any way. Auto-Tune has a Vibrato creator that can allow you to put in pitch variance that didn’t previously exist, as well as a ‘Humanize’ function that varies the re-tune action based on the duration of the note being effected. In addition Auto-Tune can transpose as a traditional pitch shifter (no formant correction), while acting as a pitch corrector (with formant correction) in the same pass. Waves Tune, well, Waves Tune is just really fast and easy to use (and also allows for creating artificial vibrato). For the really ambitious user, notes can also be triggered by MIDI.

Techniques

There’s a number of techniques one can use as a mixer, producer, or editor when it comes to pitch correction. I’ll share a few of the things I’ve done and hopefully you will comment below and share some of the things you’ve done.

First, there’s really two applications of pitch correction.

1. As a subtle way to lock in an off-pitch in a performance
2. As a special effect to make someone or something sound like a robot from Cydonia.

To be subtle, it helps to understand that pitch is the perception of frequency. Meaning, to be on pitch, one does not have to actually be exactly on the frequency – the sound just needs to center around that frequency. You really don’t need to be heavy handed with the tightness (speed). A little nudge will at least lock the sound in enough to perhaps be “pitchy” for a moment, but not “off pitch.” For a natural performance, pitchy is not the end of the world. Also, don’t rely on the pitch corrector as your only tool in the arsenal. If there’s a really out moment, you might be able to clip a snippet of a similar note or phrase from elsewhere in the song and paste it in, or cut out the off moment and time stretch the moment before it to reconnect the sound. It’s better to use a variety of approaches in subtle ways then to rely heavily on just one technique. Also, listen closely to how legato phrased notes slide together – they shouldn’t sound like distinct glisses, but also shouldn’t sound like sudden jumps either – unless it was done purposefully or is a distinct part of the performer’s style.

For a natural performance, really assess the player’s/vocalist’s vibrato. String players and vocalists who are classically trained but still developing as musicians tend to be a little less controlled when it comes to vibrato – or they go the other way and get too stiff. A long sustained note generally falls into a vibrato as the muscles of the throat and diaphragm tire. If the vibrato is swinging more than a quarter tone in either direction, I would tuck it in a bit. If you have a performer or singer who is just super controlled and doesn’t waiver a drop – give it just a hint of quiver and see if that opens up the moment a bit.

Now, for the fun stuff. Here’s a few fun ways to mangle up a vocal and turn it into something weird – while straying from being totally cliche.

Fun Stuff!

Let’s say you want that “tuned” effect on a vocal, but you still want the vocalist to sound like a human being. The trick here is to have natural note transitions, but unnatural pitch tightness. Use graphic mode to make sure your vocalists voice moves like a human being’s, but sustains robo style.

Waves Melodyne Auto Tuning Free

Or, do the opposite – hard tune the transitions, but keep the actual sustain of the voice loose. This will add just a glimmer of synthy harmonic distortion – just something slightly surreal.

Here’s a fun one I learned from Chris Athens. Copy a track and take the cadences at the end of each phrase. Tune those cadences up to a different note that is still relevant to the chord the vocalist is on. Now your vocalist is harmonizing with her/himself. Tuck that harmony vocal way down, or mute it’s output but send the signal off to the main vocal’s reverb/delay. This will reinforce the implied harmonies and add a little excitement.

One thing I like to do with strings when working with a dance or modern hip-hop track is to hard tune them, sometimes twice, even using different tuning programs. Strings have a natural waver that occurs from the push of the bow changing the tension on the string. It happens really subtly and really fast, so it’s not really heard, it’s just part of the sound. But with pitch correctors you can take that waver out. You’ve made the natural string now sound like the best synth string patch ever heard. This can also be effective with horn instruments. Antares Auto-Tune has a specific “instrument” mode that you can experiment with, and I’ve heard great results from even tuning a fretless bass on an electronic style dance track to get that “perfect” pitch.

One last fun one I recommend playing with: Copy the track you are working with. Hard tune one track to the pitch, but go a couple cents sharp (just one or two). On the copy, hard tune to a couple of cents flat. Set at equal volumes and pan slightly apart. Suddenly your sound is very wide. It’s a unique chorus-type effect. The more they overlap, the more of the “swishies” you will get from the two versions going in and out of phase with each other – which can be cool. The more they are apart the exponentially wider the vocal will stretch, because those quick phase conflicts will trick the ear when they come from different directions.

Conclusion

Since pitch correction became popular, there has been a divergent rise in the appreciation, as well as distaste, for tuning. Pitch correction, like any other tool, is all about what you do with it. So please share some of your thoughts and techniques in the comments section below, and keep checking in for more great articles.

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