Mackie Digital Mixers Musical Instrument User Manual


 
17
User’s Guide
Retune Speed
Retune Speed 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. 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
Speed 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.
Tracking
In order to accurately identify the pitch of the input, Auto-Tune
requires a periodically repeating waveform, characteristic of a
voice or solo instrument. The tracking control determines how
much variation is allowed in the incoming waveform for Auto-
Tune to still consider it periodic. If you are working with a
well-isolated solo signal (e.g., tracking in a studio or off of a
multitrack tape) you can typically set the tracking control to 25
and forget it. If, on the other hand, your signal is noisy or not
well-isolated (as might be more common in a live performance
situation) or you are dealing with a breathy voice, it may be
necessary to allow more signal variation (higher tracking
numbers). However, under these circumstances tracking is not
guaranteed and a too “relaxed” setting may introduce distortion
and popping.
Change Meter
The Change meter shows you how much the pitch is being
changed, measured in cents (100 cents = 1 semitone or half
step). For example, if the meter is reading +66, it indicates that
the input pitch is 66 cents too flat and Auto-Tune is raising the
pitch by 66 cents to bring the input back to the desired pitch.
Retune
Slider
Tracking
Slider
Change
Meter