Pitch Shifting - Revision history

Meambobbo at 05:37, 9 March 2016

2016-03-09T05:37:51Z

Meambobbo at 03:35, 13 April 2015

2015-04-13T03:35:18Z

Meambobbo at 17:02, 21 January 2015

2015-01-21T17:02:59Z

Meambobbo: /* Sequencers */

2014-11-28T04:06:53Z

‎Sequencers

Meambobbo: /* Sequencers */

2014-11-28T04:06:37Z

‎Sequencers

Meambobbo: /* Quality Considerations */

2014-11-28T03:54:07Z

‎Quality Considerations

Meambobbo at 03:44, 28 November 2014

2014-11-28T03:44:52Z

Meambobbo at 03:43, 28 November 2014

2014-11-28T03:43:30Z

Meambobbo at 03:42, 28 November 2014

2014-11-28T03:42:17Z

Meambobbo: /* Quality Considerations */

2014-11-23T16:33:43Z

‎Quality Considerations

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 {{Effects Crumbs|10}}
-<u>Pitch Shifting</u> alters the pitch of your playing.
+'''Pitch Shifting''' alters the pitch of your playing.
-There are two basic kinds: ''chromatic'' (or stepwise) and ''harmony'' (or ''intelligent'', or sometimes called a ''harmonizer'').  Chromatic simply shifts the pitch by some set amount, usually specified in terms of a chromatic interval (m2, M2, m3, M3, etc.), but often also allowing a continuous range of values in between the intervals.
+There are two basic kinds: '''chromatic''' (or stepwise) and '''harmony''' (or '''intelligent''', or sometimes called a '''harmonizer''').
-A Harmony (or Intelligent) pitch shifter shifts the frequency by an interval of an ''unspecified'' quality (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.).  It detects the pitch of the note being played and uses the corresponding interval in the scale selected.  For instance, if you use the scale of C Major with a shift of a 3rd and play a C note, the shifter would output an E, a M3 above C.  However, if you played an A, it would output a C which is only a m3 above A.  Advanced intelligent shifters allow various scales beyond all the Major and Natural Minor scales, such as Harmonic Minor (and some even allow you to program your own custom scales, including using tunings outside of equal temperament).
+''Chromatic'' simply shifts the pitch by some set amount, usually specified in terms of a chromatic interval (m2, M2, m3, M3, etc.), but often also allowing a continuous range of values in between the intervals.
-Additionally, there are devices that are not dedicated pitch shifters, but make use of pitch shifting, such as ''octavers'' and some kinds of reverb/delay.
+A ''Harmony'' (or Intelligent) pitch shifter shifts the frequency by an interval of an ''unspecified'' quality (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.).  It detects the pitch of the note being played and uses the corresponding interval in the scale selected.  For instance, if you use the scale of C Major with a shift of a 3rd and play a C note, the shifter would output an E, a M3 above C.  However, if you played an A, it would output a C which is only a m3 above A.  Advanced intelligent shifters allow various scales beyond all the major and natural minor scales, such as harmonic minor (and some even allow you to program your own custom scales, including tuning outside of equal temperament).
-While uncommon to guitar, ''auto-tuners'' or ''pitch correctors'' are also pitch shifters that detect the pitch of an input and shift it to match the pitch of the closest note within a given scale.  I will not cover them here.
+Additionally, there are devices that are not dedicated pitch shifters, but make use of pitch shifting, such as '''octavers''' and some kinds of reverb/delay.
 == Quality Considerations ==
@@ Line 33: / Line 35: @@
 == Advanced Features ==
 === Formant/Vowelizer ===
-Some shifters allow you to target resonant peaks called formants.  These are typically associated with the human voice, particularly vowels.  The shape of the mouth used to make vowels forms resonant peaks, which gives each vowel its particular sound, regardless of its actual pitch (although it does have to have a fundamental pitch below the formant peaks).  By applying such peaks to the pitch shifted tone, you get a more vowel-y sound, with the tone resembling the human voice among other instruments.
+Some shifters allow you to target resonant peaks called '''formants'''.  These are typically associated with the human voice, ''particularly vowels''.  The shape of the mouth used to make vowels forms resonant peaks, which gives each vowel its particular sound, regardless of its actual pitch (although it does have to have a fundamental pitch below the formant peaks).  By applying such peaks to the pitch shifted tone, you get a more vowel-y sound, with the tone resembling the human voice among other instruments.
 === Pure Tuning ===
-For a harmony shifter, some have the option of using ''pure tuning'' rather than equal termperament.  See [[Equal Temperament and Alternate Tunings]] for more about the difference.  Pure tuning is recommended - it will use the more harmonious ratios for the desired intervals, avoiding the beating that occurs when intervals slightly diverge from their pure interval ratio.
+For a harmony shifter, some have the option of using '''pure tuning''' rather than equal temperament.  See [[Equal Temperament and Alternate Tunings]] for more about the difference.  Pure tuning is recommended - it will use the more harmonious ratios for the desired intervals, avoiding the beating that occurs when intervals slightly diverge from their pure interval ratio.
 === Special/User-Defined Scales ===
-Simpler harmonizers only allow harmonizing against Major and Natural Minor scales.  More advanced ones will give greater scale options or even allow you to define a scale.  This could be used for advanced/special scales such as Harmonic Minor, Jazz Minor, Double Harmonic, or Hungarian Minor.
+Simpler harmonizers only allow harmonizing against major and natural minor scales.  More advanced ones will give greater scale options or even allow you to define a '''custom scale'''.  This could be used for advanced/special scales such as harmonic minor, jazz minor, double harmonic, or Hungarian minor.
 Some go even further, allowing you to specify scale notes in terms of cents away from their equal temperament tuning.  This would allow you to harmonize in ancient Greek scales, for instance.
@@ Line 65: / Line 67: @@
 === Harmony Lines ===
-A harmonizer is designed to play at a near equal dry/wet mix, so it sounds like two guitars playing in harmony.  You can use 4ths or 5ths, but these are most often P4 and P5 intervals, at least in the common Major/Natural Minor scales.  More interesting is 3rds or 6ths.  2nds and 7ths can be a bit dissonant.
+A harmonizer is designed to play at a near equal dry/wet mix, so it sounds like two guitars playing in harmony.  You can use 4ths or 5ths, but these are most often P4 and P5 intervals, at least in the common major/natural minor scales.  More interesting is 3rds or 6ths.  2nds and 7ths can be a bit dissonant.
 Usually, harmony lines are played like leads, in higher registers.  This, combined with delay/reverb can mask any pitch shifting artifacts fairly well.

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 <u>Pitch Shifting</u> alters the pitch of your playing.
@@ Line 79: / Line 83: @@
 === Digital Sound ===
 The artifacts from pitch shifting can sometimes be desirable to create a "digital" sound, as if you are not actually playing guitar.  Using high mix and multiple intervals, especially with a step sequencer or formant option can really mask the nature of the guitar.  This is more emphasized when placed after distortion, but works even in front of distortion or on a clean tone.
 [[Category:Gear]]

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-'''''Pitch Shifting'' alters the pitch of your playing.'''
+<u>Pitch Shifting</u> alters the pitch of your playing.
-There are two basic kinds: '''chromatic''' (or stepwise) and '''harmony''' (or ''intelligent'', or sometimes called a ''harmonizer'').  '''Chromatic simply shifts the pitch by some set amount''', usually specified in terms of a chromatic interval (m2, M2, m3, M3, etc.), but often also allowing a continuous range of values in between the intervals.
+There are two basic kinds: ''chromatic'' (or stepwise) and ''harmony'' (or ''intelligent'', or sometimes called a ''harmonizer'').  Chromatic simply shifts the pitch by some set amount, usually specified in terms of a chromatic interval (m2, M2, m3, M3, etc.), but often also allowing a continuous range of values in between the intervals.
-'''A Harmony (or ''Intelligent'') pitch shifter shifts the frequency by an interval of an ''unspecified'' quality (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.).  It detects the pitch of the note being played and uses the corresponding interval in the scale selected'''.  For instance, if you use the scale of C Major with a shift of a 3rd and play a C note, the shifter would output an E, a M3 above C.  However, if you played an A, it would output a C which is only a m3 above A.  Advanced intelligent shifters allow various scales beyond all the Major and Natural Minor scales, such as Harmonic Minor (and some even allow you to program your own custom scales, including using tunings outside of equal temperament).
+A Harmony (or Intelligent) pitch shifter shifts the frequency by an interval of an ''unspecified'' quality (2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.).  It detects the pitch of the note being played and uses the corresponding interval in the scale selected.  For instance, if you use the scale of C Major with a shift of a 3rd and play a C note, the shifter would output an E, a M3 above C.  However, if you played an A, it would output a C which is only a m3 above A.  Advanced intelligent shifters allow various scales beyond all the Major and Natural Minor scales, such as Harmonic Minor (and some even allow you to program your own custom scales, including using tunings outside of equal temperament).
-Additionally, there are devices that are not dedicated pitch shifters, but make use of pitch shifting, such as '''octavers''' and some kinds of reverb/delay.
+Additionally, there are devices that are not dedicated pitch shifters, but make use of pitch shifting, such as ''octavers'' and some kinds of reverb/delay.
 While uncommon to guitar, ''auto-tuners'' or ''pitch correctors'' are also pitch shifters that detect the pitch of an input and shift it to match the pitch of the closest note within a given scale.  I will not cover them here.

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 === Sequencers ===
-Some pitch effects may have a [[Sequencer|''step sequencer'']], with different intervals programmed against a tempo.
+Some pitch effects may have a [[Sequencers|''step sequencer'']], with different intervals programmed against a tempo.
 == Advice ==

@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 === Sequencers ===
-Some pitch effects may have a ''step sequencer'', with different intervals programmed against a tempo.
+Some pitch effects may have a [[Sequencer|''step sequencer'']], with different intervals programmed against a tempo.
 == Advice ==

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 Harmonizers additionally have the difficulty of detecting the pitch you are playing, which has to occur before it knows by how much to shift the pitch.  This analysis requires buffering and analyzing a segment of audio, which can lead to greater latency than a simple chromatic shift.  Many chromatic shifts, however, also use pitch tracking to assist in reducing artifacts and smoothing output, which again can lead to lag.
-Your guitar signal isn't a periodic waveform like a perfect sine wave, but real-world audio with changing waveforms, even when a single note is sustained without vibrato.  Sped-up audio segments must be repeated to consume the same amount of time as their original length.  Slowed-down segments must be chopped, so they don't consume more time than the original segment.  Additionally, piecing together segments can get ugly.
+Your guitar signal isn't a periodic waveform like a perfect sine wave, but real-world audio with changing waveforms, even when a single note is sustained without vibrato.  Sped-up audio segments must be repeated to consume the same amount of time as their original length.  Slowed-down segments must be chopped, so they don't consume more time than the original segment.  Additionally, piecing together segments can get ugly - in order to align the phase, pitch must be detected...but what about those noisy transients?
 Even when using "nice" intervals like octaves, the shifting process leaves lots of artifacts in the tone.  If you have two shifters available, try shifting up an octave then back down to the original note.  It will likely sound nothing like the original note.  Using less harmonic intervals will fare even worse.  '''A good pitch shifter minimizes artifacts, or makes the artifacts somewhat musical, rather than crackly or overly alien-sounding.'''

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 Even when using "nice" intervals like octaves, the shifting process leaves lots of artifacts in the tone.  If you have two shifters available, try shifting up an octave then back down to the original note.  It will likely sound nothing like the original note.  Using less harmonic intervals will fare even worse.  '''A good pitch shifter minimizes artifacts, or makes the artifacts somewhat musical, rather than crackly or overly alien-sounding.'''
-Advanced pitch shifters use a variety of methods to avoid or hide artifacts.  They use multiple overlapping segments, blending in from one to the next, avoiding creating "jumps" in the waveform, which would sound harsh and crackly.  They also know how to intelligently extend a segment when pitch shifting upwards, again avoiding jumps in the waveform.
+Advanced pitch shifters use a variety of methods to avoid or hide artifacts.  They use multiple overlapping segments, adjusting phase from one to the next, avoiding creating "jumps" in the waveform, which would sound harsh and crackly.  They also know how to intelligently extend a segment when pitch shifting upwards, again avoiding jumps in the waveform.
 All this being said, some kinds of shifting artifacts might be desirable to some people or for some tones.  Personally, I want to minimize them.