DP: Tuning Vocals Using DP's Pitch Automation

[Guitar Gaz]

What he's saying is that sometimes people don't know pitch isn't a plug because THEY DON'T HAVE THE MANUAL!

I see - I didn't take it like that. I hadn't needed to use it before and this video made me wonder why I hadn't bothered - perhaps because I thought it was more complicated than it is. I am a registered user with the manual of course but was fairly ignorant of how to use this part of DP's tools.

[James Steele]

You're not alone. Some years ago EM did a pitch correction shoot out and completely missed DP's pitch correction feature, showing the spectral effects window instead. They offered some lame excuse when called out on it too.

[midiw]

How do i get to that plug because i took a peak into the MAS folder ( DP7 ) and can't see that "DP's Pitch Automation" plug .

It's not a plug-in.
You access it via the menu's and the SE. In the roll menu in SE where it says 'soundbites' roll down and choose 'pitch'... It's all in the manual

Thank you FutureLegends for the heads up. I should have thought it thru and selected "Sound File" and then the tab "Pitch".

And as the author of the demo said: Just wanted to show you one of DP's best kept secrets in action Pitch Automation

I did a search in the built in manual with no luck. In all my years of working with DP I have found that DP every since I first started before they went into digital it is not user friendly whereby MOTU programmers love to hide many of the features. For example it took them years to bring the "import audio..." under "File" in the Apple's menu bar. Speaking personally I hate reading manuals: this is a Mac program and it should be intuitive. Let's see : version DP 7 : I have that many "paper" books on my shelf including several third party books/DVD's. Oh, and by the way, I am registered 7 times plus several times before DP went digital which i still crank up in my LC520 just for fun.

Once again thank you.

[James Steele]

Yeah, it's a Mac program and should be intuitive but its also a DAW, so it's not a word processor. Familiarizing oneself with the different track views in the Sequence Editor isn't all that tricky. You may not like to look at manuals, but one is included with the app for a reason. If you don't use it, it's hardly fair to blame MOTU.

[midiw]

You're right Jim.

Sorry, just been having a bad couple of weeks with DP7.

Thanks for your understanding.

[Guitar Gaz]

You're not alone. Some years ago EM did a pitch correction shoot out and completely missed DP's pitch correction feature, showing the spectral effects window instead. They offered some lame excuse when called out on it too.

Its actually pretty amazing - I have never used Auto Tune but can't believe it is easier than DP. So easy to use for tweaking tuning - I have not used it as an effect so can't compare it with Auto Tune but I imagine if you want that type of effect DP is just as good for mono sources. I suppose my point is that Motu should make more of this - it is almost worth buying DP for this feature alone.

And with customisation of Themes things can get seriously out of hand......

[Sean Kenny]

I suppose my point is that Motu should make more of this - it is almost worth buying DP for this feature alone.

Hi Gaz

I couldn't agree more. Whilst I'm a big DP fan (i still use it even though I have PT HD2) I am also a big critic in this respect. They just don't seem to be bothered about telling people how good DP is. Features=10 out of 10. Marketing= a big fat zero!

Pitch automation barely even got a mention over here, but it's been around since 4.6....something.

I only just spotted a tiny mention of it in Sound on Sound news section about 5 years ago, but nearly spat my coffee out when I read it and realised what it could the possibly be. I couldn't get my Ccard out fast enough for the download and couldn't believe it when I first tried it. I expected a big buzz about it, but nothing. People still don't really get how great it is. Have they not got ears!?

It's the best tuning package for me bar none. No it's not automatic but then that's the problem with Autotune, nothing is that clever. This kind of thing has to be done by human ear and by hand for it to be transparent.

I will be posting a more in depth vid soon for the Motunation guys.

Cheers and keep the faith

Sean Kenny

[midiw]

I will be posting a more in depth vid soon for the Motunation guys.

Yes Please, soooner.

[Radiogal]

Thanks for the video!!
Have been using DP Pitch since version 4.6. Very useful and I love this feature in DP.

Actually I learned something else from this video..
You pitch select and play from the selection point in the soundbite!!?
Well, I didn´t know this was possible.. OMG! this would save me lots of time!
Anyone? How´s this done. Just select in the soundbite and press play or is it something in the preferences that needs to be changed first?
Seems easy but I´m not in front of DP right now and I wanna know this (for me) wellkept secret Thanks!

Been using DP since version 2.7 or something.. Still learning new things every day..

[rickorick]

You can select anything and then hit "option spacebar"
and it will play just what you selected, great for playing
little bits, like solo but different.

Thanks

Rickorick

[Radiogal]

Now I get it! It works just like when keeping the mouse clicked on a soundbite or coursor select something in a soundbite. This is what I use all the time. This way the "Audible mode" audition channels has to be correctly placed on top in "Bundles".

This "new way" that I just learned from this freaking awesome MotuNation forum, is hillariously useful, more awesome than great and defenitely much smoother to what I´m used to!!!

Yeay, It can involve multiple selected tracks and they will keep the playback track O/P channel as the track itself. (I´m on a mixing console)
It´s like soloing "only selected tracks".. WOW!
Makes me wonder,.. What else did I miss??
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love this board!!!!

[Guitar Gaz]

You can select anything and then hit "option spacebar"
and it will play just what you selected, great for playing
little bits, like solo but different.

Thanks

Rickorick

Really helpful feature and really helpful of you to point this out - thanks for highlighting this.

[Pappy725]

Just watched the video again and tried it on some backing vocal tracks and a bass track. So easy, so sweet! Thank you Sean!!!!!

Pappy

[Sean Kenny]

It´s like soloing "only selected tracks".. WOW!
Makes me wonder,.. What else did I miss??
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is just one of the features that I really miss when using Protools or Logic (YUK!) just being ably to effectively solo your audio 'in place' thru your plugs. Better still if you click inside the region so that it turns white and your highlight is blue, then hit Option Spacebar, this does the same but auditions the raw audio ie not 'in place' and with no plugins. Great way to route out the source of any distortion!

In case it hasn't already been mentioned Control Spacebar plays everything form the start of your selection.

From Tracks overview window CTRL Command E opens only your selected tracks in the sequence editor.

In the sequence editor window Command Option S will horizontally zoom in to the selection you have made.

Man I LOVE DP. Just wish somebody out there would shout about it.

The tuning automation layer in DP faster than everything else on the market and with care is absolutely transparent. I recently did a load of tuning for a 'top' studio in Switzerland, they were blown away with the results. Apart from the fact that the vocals were in time and in tune you could not hear the difference.

Needless to say I still use DP over PT HD and Logic (at least 90% DP)

Have fun!

[jbyerly1]

Every time I come here I find a new nugget of experience to utilize Thanks for taking the time to share