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You may want to record a scratch MIDI chord track in Pro Tools during the
song sections where harmony is required so you can try the different
Chords presets without having to play at the same time.
3. You can now listen to how the different Chord presets sound as the song
plays. At this point you can also start learning about editing. A good place to
start is with parameters in the Voices Tab. Here you can move the Voicing up
and down and hear the effect of different Gender settings on each voice.
4. Once you’ve experimented with the Chords mode presets, you can check out
the presets built on Notes mode. You’ll need your MIDI keyboard or MIDI track
again but this time, instead of simply playing chords, you also have the option of
playing melody lines or holding static notes.
Again, it will help if you create a scratch MIDI track with some harmony
lines so you can sample the different Notes presets.
One of the Notes mode presets is called MIDI 4 Channel. To hear this preset
correctly, you will need to record up to four MIDI tracks on different MIDI
channels each with a mono melody line. The four MIDI channel assignments of
the tracks must match the assignments set in the Setup tab of Harmony4. It
sounds like a lot of work but this is arguably the most flexible and powerful
harmony mode so it is worth the extra effort to hear it. Be sure to try a pitch
bend on at least one MIDI channel.
5. Auditioning the Scale mode presets with your lead vocal track is much easier.
All you have to do is determine which Key and Scale matches your song or
song section and enter it when you load each preset. If the song chord structure
is fairly simple, one setting of Key and Scale will sound wonderful. What may
happen though is that the harmony part will sound great for most of the song or
section but when the accompaniment goes to a particular chord and the singer
sings a particular note, the harmony at that moment doesn’t sound musically
correct.
When Scale harmony needs help, the beauty of Pro Tools automation comes to
the rescue! Take note of where the harmony needs to be adjusted. Then loop
this section and find a Key or Scale combination that works for that moment.
Now automate a Key or Scale edit just before that note or phrase. Return to the
original Key and Scale settings for the rest. You may have to do this at a couple
of places in your song but the often breathtaking reality of Scale mode
harmonies will make it worth the effort.
A table outlining the differences between the three Major and three Minor scales
is in the Appendix. These scale modifications have been developed by
performing musicians to make Scale harmonies work for more songs.
6. Shift is the last harmony mode group in the factory presets. These are least
likely to produce what we expect as harmony but they can be useful for
doubling and special FX. No input on these presets is required beyond loading
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