Master Class: Pitch Shifting in Pro Tools 8

Jun 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Brian Smithers

EXPLORING ELASTIC AUDIO'S NEW DIMENSION

Pro Tools 8.0cs2 has a reported bug involving Elastic Audio and the Clear Selected command. When you select unused regions to clear them from your session, the underlying audio for Elastic Audio regions can sometimes be selected and subsequently deleted if you use the Clear, Delete command. Of course, with hard drive space getting ever cheaper, you have very little reason to be deleting files at any point. It's better to waste space on takes you think you'll never need than to risk losing something of value.

Although you may wish for an intelligent pitch-detection algorithm, Elastic Audio's pitch-manipulation capabilities offer a great deal of power. Wielded wisely, its toolset allows you to retune loops and massage vocals efficiently and with results that sound good. The key, as with any tool, is finding a workflow that lets Pro Tools do the work while you remain focused on the creative decisions.

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Brian Smithers is department chair of workstations at Full Sail University and the author of Mixing in Pro Tools: Skill Pack from Cengage Learning.

[Online Bonus Material]

Manufacturer Contacts

Amidio, Inc. (Noise.io);

Audiodog (BPM Tap Tempo),

AudioRealism (Technobox);

Benjamin McDowell (Harmonica);

BIAS (iPRoRecorder);

Bitcount (Cleartune)

Far Out Labs (ProTransport and ProRemote)

Frontier Design Group (iShred, Guitar, Cowbell Plus);

Griffin Technology (iTalk Recorder);

Holger Meyer (Karajan);

Intua (BeatMaker);

ioMetics (GigBaby!);

iZotope (iDrum);

Massimo Biolcati (iReal Book);

Mauvilla Software (OmniTuner);

Music Motion (Metronome-iTick);

Normalware (Bebot);

Pure Profit (BtBx);

Reality Jockey (RJDJ); site will be changing

Retrolink HB (Randgrid Synthesizer and Drum Machine)

Retronyms (Recorder)

Roventskij (IR-909);

Silicon Studios (ITM MCU, ITM Keys);

Sonoma Wire Works (Four Track);

Sound Trends (Looptastic Electro Edition, Looptastic Progressive Edition);

Studio Six Digital, (SPL, SPL Meter, RTA, FFT, Generator)

Thezi Studios (Metronome TS); URL Not available