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→Pitch Shifter Options
== Pitch Shifter Options ==
The KPA offers chromatic and intelligent (harmony) pitch shifting effects, which function like traditional [[Pitch Shifting|pitch shifters]]. The Harmony Shifter goes a step beyond and allows custom user scales to harmonize against. But even beyond these functions, the KPA's shifters offer somewhat unique options to adjust how the shifters work:
=== Smooth Chords ===
The Smooth Chords option disables the shifter's pitch tracking. Tracking is used to phase align the time-shifted audio segments, so that the resulting audio sounds smooth and natural. This works great for single notes but cannot work correctly for chords. Instead, it may jump between pitches as it detects them or phase-align one pitch while the others in the chord end up sounding more harsh. Smooth Chords prevents these awkward sounds when playing chords.
While Smooth Chords is designed to reduce artifacts when playing chords, it may be useful even for single notes depending on how convoluted the signal chain is. It can also yield more of the artifacts traditionally associated with pitch shifters, that while obvious and artificial, may produce a certain desirable sound.
=== Pure Tuning ===
This option harmonizes to the Pure Tuned or Just Intonation intervals instead of the 12-Tone Equal Temperament intervals. This makes the harmonized sound a bit more pleasant and harmonious when mixed with the dry signal, particularly when playing higher up the fretboard. See [[Equal Temperament and Alternate Tunings]] for more about temperament and tuning.
=== Formant ===
The Formant option enables a formant parameter which defines a resonant peak (formant) in the pitch-shifted part of the signal. Formants determine what the tone sounds like, with the human voice making use of different formants to create the different phonetic sounds of the alphabet, particularly for vowels. Thus, the pitch-shifted sound can become quite different from its normal sound. It can reduce the "Chipmunks" type sound to upwards shifted settings. It can also make the guitar sound like a different instrument altogether.
== Emulating Real Devices ==