Question about auto-tuners…
Hey all you wonderful NTrackers! 
Got a quick question: Do any of you know about any auto-tuners for voice/instruments? I know Antares makes one, and it’s around $300, so I am hesitant to purchase it. Is there a viable alternative, or am I going to have to sell a lung for the sake of music so I can buy the cursed thing? Does the Antares plug even work with NTrack (It should since it’s a Direct-X)? Please let me know. I will be your best friend.
Chad
| Quote (Chad Johnston @ Oct. 20 2004,09:33) |
| Does the Antares plug even work with NTrack (It should since it's a Direct-X)? |
Hey Chad,
Antares Auto tune works perfect with n-Track.
I have one myself and find it very easy to use.
Although it´s a bit expensive I believe it´s worth the price.
You could give it a try. I think that the demo version expires after 10 days.
Kind regards Henrik
Hey Chad
I tried the antares and I guess it works alright. I don’t really like any of those processors. I always figured if you can’t sing, who cares, you find your niche. Look how many millions Dylan has made I don’t know of any other dx type plugs than autotune. I personally wouldn’t waste my money. You could probably get some voice lessons a little cheaper
Seriously though, I would try it out to see if it does what you need. I didn’t have the patience for getting it set just right and it made my vocals sound funny (more than likely because I didn’t know how to use it right) Good luck
Jeremy
Hi Chad,
I use the Oberheim cut down (same engine iirc, but with "automatic mode only)…
http://www.musicyo.com/product_specs.asp?pf_id=998
At $40 the price is much better. Some folks don’t like it’s copy protection mechanism but it hasn’t troubled me.
Because it only has automatic mode I tend to use it either “gently” across a whole vocal, or “surgically” on one or two parts of a vocal…
You can fix it to tune all notes to one particular note (useful for the odd word that is incorrect), or you can tell it to leave out certain notes from its scale - for example if the note is supposed to be “E” but the singer’s note is closer to an “Eb” it will try to tune it to “Eb”. Remove “Eb” from the scale and problem sorted.
When used harshly these things can add quite an effect to the vocal.
HTH
Mark
Whats the deal with this copy protection? Ive read about others complaining about it before.
Whats the deal with this copy protection? Ive read about others complaining about it before.
It uses a thing called PACE. I've nnever had any probs with it. I dunno - I wonder if there really is a technical problem or whether folks just don't like having to have the extra stage of registering when installing.... or don't like that it can only go on one machine
This is useful:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discussdetail.asp?TopicID=2601
Mark
It uses a thing called PACE. I've nnever had any probs with it. I dunno - I wonder if there really is a technical problem or whether folks just don't like having to have the extra stage of registering when installing.... or don't like that it can only go on one machine
This is useful:
http://www.digifreq.com/digifreq/discussdetail.asp?TopicID=2601
Mark
There’s also a cheapish alternative called RBC Voice Tweaker (Lite). It has also an useful feature to change the gender of the singer (or otherwise manipulate the formant frecquencies)… nice for backup vocals.
I also use OB-Tune (the Oberheim version of Auto-Tune).
It’s the same engine as AutoTune but without graphical mode and other advanced features. I’ve heard bad things about PACE, but I haven’t had a problem with it myself.
One of the bad stories was that if you have to switch machines in the middle of a session (due to hw probs), you can’t get codes for the new machine until the next work day. Another issue was that someone tried a demo product from a different company that also used PACE, and running the demo killed the license for the installed application.
If you buy OB-Tune and try to register on-line, it doesn’t work because the company that handles the requests changed their web page structure after the code was released (duh!) so the URL is wrong. You have to use the email method and frog around a bit.
But for $45 (IIRC), it’s a good deal.
If you have weak, warbly vocals, it won’t help. If you have a good clear tone but just miss the pitch a bit here and there, it’s your baby. This is good for me, because it encourages me to fuss less about perfect intonation and concentrate on tone and projection – allowing me to relax, and darn if my pitch didn’t improve a bit as a result! Still a long way to go, though. 
If you buy OB-Tune and try to register on-line, it doesn't work because the company that handles the requests changed their web page structure after the code was released (duh!) so the URL is wrong. You have to use the email method and frog around a bit.
I registered, and re-registered mine (recently) here:
http://obtune.musicyo.com
Instant response.
This info was in the email I got when I first bought it (march 2003). Perhaps earlier versions (or later versions?) are different...
HTH
Mark
I registered, and re-registered mine (recently) here:
http://obtune.musicyo.com
Instant response.
This info was in the email I got when I first bought it (march 2003). Perhaps earlier versions (or later versions?) are different...
HTH
Mark
I use OB-Tune and haven’t run into any problems
As learjeff says, being able to concentrate on the accent of my voice rather than whether or not I’m in tune really works for me. I’m not a singer anyway, and all I want to do is write songs and get fairly reasonable vocals in there. I have used other singers though and OB-Tune works just as well for the better singer
Just to add to the discussion, I’ve also successfully used Obtune on a bass guitar track that was slightly out of tune, and on a lead guitar solo that had one or two bits that were “out”.
Mark
Maybe OB got on MusicYo’s case to fix it.
When I tried “register online” from the program, I got a 404, and there were no clues what the correct URL was, so I sent email and got a different URL, which did work. These things happen, and fortunately I’m not a bigbux studio with expensive talent sitting idle!
Oh, I forgot to mention: PACE works by writing on unused root blocks on your hard drive, so even if you reformat your drive the info is still there (if I understand it correctly). Some folks don’t want to play with anyone who colors outside the lines this way and I don’t blame them. But I use it and like it and don’t have any problems.
| Quote (learjeff @ Oct. 20 2004,16:47) |
| I also use OB-Tune (the Oberheim version of Auto-Tune). It's the same engine as AutoTune but without graphical mode and other advanced features. I've heard bad things about PACE, but I haven't had a problem with it myself. One of the bad stories was that if you have to switch machines in the middle of a session (due to hw probs), you can't get codes for the new machine until the next work day. Another issue was that someone tried a demo product from a different company that also used PACE, and running the demo killed the license for the installed application. If you buy OB-Tune and try to register on-line, it doesn't work because the company that handles the requests changed their web page structure after the code was released (duh!) so the URL is wrong. You have to use the email method and frog around a bit. But for $45 (IIRC), it's a good deal. If you have weak, warbly vocals, it won't help. If you have a good clear tone but just miss the pitch a bit here and there, it's your baby. This is good for me, because it encourages me to fuss less about perfect intonation and concentrate on tone and projection -- allowing me to relax, and darn if my pitch didn't improve a bit as a result! Still a long way to go, though.
|
I have tried the demo version of Auto Tune and although it was very cool I could not justify the $300 price tag. I recently read the related postings and based on the user comments I purchased OB Tune. I felt for the $40 price tag it would worth it to have in my plugin bag of effects. Although it's certainly a stripped down version of Auto Tune it does work. I took me a while to make it work as I kept feeding it a stereo signal which of course blew it's mind. I finally realized the the trick is to feed it only a mono track. I am having an issue though which I have reported to docyo but have not received a reply. When I exit the n-track program I get the following system error.
ntrack.exe - Application Error
The instruction at "0x7c80979d" referenced memory at "0x09e9650c". The memory could not be "written".
Click on OK to terminate the program
As I mentioned earlier OB Tune does work fine but I don't like the fact that I am receiving the above error message.
Is anyone else having the same issue or any suggestions as to what I may be doing to create the error message.
I'm using XP Home edition with SP2 installed.
Chris
I get the same error message sometimes.
For example yesterday I recorded someone who uses a backing track.
I put OB (cheap version) on the newly recorded vocal track and it would not accept it, telling me that 'some plugins won’t work on stereo tracks, etc… But it was a mono track. When I looked, the ‘expand mono to stereo’ box was ticked, which I didn’t do, OB or n-Track must have done that.
Unchecking did not help, same error message.
I closed down N, and got that error message Chris mentioned (XP Home, SP2)
I then imported that vocal track only in a new instance of N and OB worked fine with that.
I sometimes split the track over 2 tracks, tuning only 1 of them on the spots where it is needed, leaving the good bits untreated. That way you keep the natural feel of the voice.
But this vocal is so much out of tune, I don’t believe it that someone can take themselves serious wanted to record it, wanting to sound like Will Young.
But I’ll try today. If I can fix this one, I can fix anything. I have three takes to work with, I’ll copy, paste, comp, tune, and have fun. At least there is lots of energy in the voice. And he’s a paying customer…
Jack
Work it, Jack. And post us before/after tracks if you would…I’m interested in something like this.
TK
A problem I’ve noticed in the past (v3.3, win98, Obtune)…
When a track (with Obtune on) is cut up into lots of pieces (like you’re about to do Jack), the resources of the PC jump up every time a new track part is encountered. If there are lots and lots of parts the whole thing can start to grind.
A bit of mixdown soon sorts it…
Just thought that might help.
Mark