Best recommendations for adjusting pitch on vocals

[Babz]

Despite ubiquity of pitch processing for years, I haven't actually done that much intense pitch correction on vocals until this recent huge a cappella project I'm working on.

I've been using both DP's Spectral Effects and Pitch Automation, as well as a few different freeware plugins (Apple's Pitch, Audiowish Octave Shifter 2, DiracAU etc.) Each can be effective depending not the particular audio situation, but I may need to invest in something better. (Of course, learning time and funds are always in short supply.)

What is the best thing out there for adjusting pitch on vocals these days?

I'm curious about Melodyne, but it looks like it could have a steep learning curve -- and it's not cheap. And I have no idea how it works w/ DP.

Mostly I need to do things like fix pitch drift on sustained notes, adjust vibrato, correct an occasional flat or sharp note. But it is conceivable that I may even need to create fake harmonies, shifting up a third, or even a whole octave, and do things like change formants to make one person sound like many. I need the most natural results. I can't stand the sound of obvious auto-tuning.

What do you recommend? Please share any tips or experiences with any product, including DP's own pitch options. Anyone ever use Melodyne? What can you tell me about it?

Thanks,
Babz

[BKK-OZ]

Antares has good algorithms, but personally, I can't stand the way they market, so...

Check out Izotope, I find their stuff to be pretty easy to use, transparent, etc. They had some deals on recently through Audiodeluxe, not sure if they are still going on. I think that they have fully functioning demos too.

[mikehalloran]

For down and dirty just get it done, the ones found in Izope Nectar Elements and Nectar 2 are surprisingly good. Nectar 1.13 and Elements are exactly the same (I have 1.13 and 2 Production Suite; my daughter has Elements). Both it and 2 are effects bundles where you activate the ones you want to use on a particular track. Sometimes, resellers will have a great price on Nectar, especially Elements. It's cheaper to buy this download of Elements and upgrade to 2 than it is to buy 2 from Izotope.
http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/5 ... fgodBUEA_w

The one in Nectar 2 Production Suite s almost as controllable as AutoTune. The Elements version is ridiculously easy to use but doesn't have the degree of user control. More than once, I have switched Nectar 1 into a track to clean up a wandering voice and decided that I did not need to do any more. Here is a comparison chart:
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mix ... omparison/

I own AutoTune 7 and Melodyne, also.

Melodyne can tune a note inside a chord -- depends on the sound source how successful you are. Anyway, if you really, really need control, Melodyne gives it to you.

I can't remember the last time that I used AutoTune although I have three different versions. I suppose that if I produced pop music...

[billf]

Waves also has one called WaveTune LT that is good. Nectar is my favorite lately.

Oh, and if you have Logic Pro X, that has one as well. I believe it's called Flex Pitch, but I don't know much about it.

[billf]

I forgot one. Revoice Pro from Synchoarts does time and pitch, but it's expensive.

[guitardood]

Add my +1 for melodyne. Pretty awesome for both minor and major corrections if you can't do retakes. I haven't tried DP's pitch tools or Izotope's either. Not a big fan of Antares' stuff but it could be that I "don't believe", LOL!

[mikehalloran]

I've not used DP Pitch Control since 5.13. I like it but have found other tools easier to use nowadays, especially on vocals.

[HCMarkus]

A combination of DP's pitch layer and Antares A.T. gets me everything I need.

[Tobor]

I've had great results with DP's Pitch Correct as well on vocals and sax, not a huge learning curve and now I can quickly zoom in and start working.

It seems it works about the same as Nectar and Waves LT, with the little boxes and squiggly lines.

Nectar 2 is also great for just hitting the auto pitch button and sometimes that's all that's needed, as Mike said. It's included in the main program but you can also fire up the Pitch Module if you need to fine tune, where it does a 'capture' and then you adjust.

With DP I would recommend that after you are happy with your corrections, you bounce to a new take or track which locks the changes in.

[ramadev]

It was a revelation to me when I discovered that holding the command key down while adjusting pitch in DP's pitch editor (in the Sequence editor window, natch!) allows us to make microtonal pitch adjustments. Also, clicking and dragging the pitch bar's edge lets us change how much of the note is being adjusted.

[Babz]

I have tried a little of everything in the past few weeks. There is definitely an art to it. Sometimes a combination of solutions works best. I might transpose part of the way with Spectral Effects and then the rest with some other method, for example. I've even used Kontakt and it's various sampler engines for certain notes. I has been interesting comparing all the different methods.

I have been pretty impressed with the freeware Audiowish Octave Shifter 2. The settings are far from clear, with vague names like "rendering: Medium, Low, etc." But if you experiment with the settings you can find the best results.

I forgot that I have a copy of Nectar Elements (which I got for $29 on a MF Stupid Deal of the Day). I seem to recall it was limited, and I just need the pitch part of it, not the presets, for this project. I will give it a whirl. Maybe I might qualify for an upgrade to full Nectar?

About the only thing I haven't tried is Melodyne... Guess I will give the demo a whirl, but I don't want to get bogged down in learning an interface.

The DP options are nice, because they are so integrated... You can just choose Pitch in the SE and start adjusting. Spectral Effects requires trial and error, but can work better for more extreme transposing.

I guess what I'm looking for is precision and natural results with no artifacts. Guess Melodyne is maybe the most advanced thing still. (Some of the stuff like working with polyphonic, I don't need for this project.)

Just checking to see if there was maybe something new I hadn't heard about.

Best,
Babz

[labman]

For me Babz, Melodyne is the winner of DP pitch, waves, autotune (arghhh). I like to even use it to alter the melodic line on occasions. It might take you an afternoon to really learn its interface etc, but it is so worth it. I wish DP would integrate it !

[stubbsonic]

I use DP's pitch editing (but would love Melodyne, just can't justify the expense currently).

With DP's pitch editing (perhaps similar to Melodyne), you can control/edit:

1. the segmenting (?) to make sure that the notes are identified and properly split

2. the average pitch of each segment; i.e., dragging up or down the entire region.

3. the "vibrato depth" of each segment. This can be used to correct pitch wow and 'oddities'.

By tweaking all these, I've been able to get the results I want 96% of the time. The only thing that comes up sometimes is that the transition between two notes, like a bend, can be really difficult to tame. Sometimes DP doesn't really track the original pitch correctly. But this is pretty rare.

I haven't used DP to create harmonies, but I expect it could work pretty well.

I've used Apples Pitch AU for pitch automation, but only for little effects. I like Octave Shifter 2 as well. That has come in handy many times. On a side note, Audacities pitch shifting for full mixes has gotten WAY better in some recent releases. I use that to change the pitch of songs for students to put them in appropriate keys for beginner guitarists, singers, etc.

[mikehalloran]

I forgot that I have a copy of Nectar Elements (which I got for $29 on a MF Stupid Deal of the Day). I seem to recall it was limited, and I just need the pitch part of it, not the presets, for this project. I will give it a whirl. Maybe I might qualify for an upgrade to full Nectar?

Elements looks like presets only but you can go in and use the tools. If all you want is pitch control, that's available. And yes, you qualify for the upgrade to either version of Nectar 2.

The N2 Production Suite has some very nice tools and the pitch component is quite precise. I can't imagine the vocal track it can't fix -- or one that Melodyne could improve.

N2 does not overwrite Elements. They both coexist and work fine in DP 8 and Yosemite.

Melodyne is in a class by itself. I bought it to make corrections to some instrumental tracks that I will never be able to re-record. I hope never to see the vocal track that needs this kind of control but, for fixing notes inside a complex track, there's nothing finer.

[monkey man]

We're blessed to have DP's pitch layer right there at our fingertips, IMHO. It rocks.

It was a revelation to me when I discovered that holding the command key down while adjusting pitch in DP's pitch editor (in the Sequence editor window, natch!) allows us to make microtonal pitch adjustments.

Yup. That's DP's consistent time-based-editor snap override.

Good ol' MOTU.