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• Timing pop-up menu (Extended Parameters area): Determines how timing is derived: by
following the selected algorithm (Preset), by analyzing the incoming signal (Auto), or
by using the settings of the Delay, Crossfade, and Stereo Link parameters, described
below (Manual).
Note: The following three parameters are active only when “Manual” is chosen in the
Timing pop-up menu.
• Delay slider and field (Extended Parameters area): Sets the amount of delay applied to
the input signal. The lower the frequencies of the input signal, the higher (longer) a
delay time you should set—in order to effectively pitch shift the signal.
• Crossfade slider and field (Extended Parameters area): Sets the range (expressed as a
percentage of the original signal) used to analyze the input signal.
• Stereo Link radio buttons (Extended Parameters area): Select Inv. to invert the stereo
channel’s signals, with processing for the right channel occurring on the left, and vice
versa. Select Normal to leave the signal as it is.
Follow these steps when pitch shifting
1 Set the Semi Tones slider for the amount of transposition, or pitch shift.
2 Set the Cents slider for the amount of detuning.
3 Click the Drums, Speech, or Vocals button to select the algorithm that best matches the
material you are working with.
If you are working with material that doesn’t fit any of these categories, experiment with
each of the algorithms (starting with Speech), compare the results, and use the one that
best suits your material.
Tip: While auditioning and comparing different settings, it’s often a good idea to
temporarily set the Mix parameter to 100%, as Pitch Shifter II artifacts are easier to hear.
Vocal Transformer
The Vocal Transformer can be used to transpose the pitch of a vocal line, to augment or
diminish the range of the melody, or even to reduce it to a single note that mirrors the
pitches of a melody. No matter how you change the pitches of the melody, the constituent
parts of the signal (formants) remain the same.
You can shift the formants independently, which means that you can turn a vocal track
into a Mickey Mouse voice, while maintaining the original pitch. Formants are characteristic
emphases of certain frequency ranges. They are static and do not change with pitch.
Formants are responsible for the specific timbre of a given human voice.
The Vocal Transformer is well suited to extreme vocal effects. The best results are achieved
with monophonic signals, including monophonic instrument tracks. It is not designed
for polyphonic voices—such as a choir on a single track—or other chordal tracks.
162 Chapter 10 Pitch Effects