Pitch manipulation

Push the limits with Zplane’s excellent Vielklang 2 CM

> Step by step 4. Audio pitch manipulation using Zplane Vielklang 2 CM

1

Vielklang 2 CM is a plugin designed to create harmonies from audio or MIDI, but it also includes pitch correction features that are great for extreme effects. It actually works as an instrument, so to get started, load an instance on a fresh instrument track. 2

Import some audio (WAV or AIFF). We’ve loaded a snatch of vocal, but anything monophonic works. If you want creative effects rather than subtle pitch correction, you tend to get a more interesting outcome if there’s some decent pitch variation in the original audio. 3

As you load the audio it will ask you to confirm reference pitch and tempo. Adjust this if required. The display should indicate the analysed pitch of your audio with variation shown by the white line. Click on the Voice Control tab to access the pitch correction controls. 4

You can now use these controls to adjust your original audio, including pitch Drift and tuning. For extreme effects, set the Drift to 0% and the Tune to 100%. You should be able to see the coloured audio shifting on the piano roll and the pitch line will be flat. 5

Now grab and shift the notes to create a two-note melody. If necessary, use the knife tool from the toolbar at the top to create shorter sections. We’ve also decreased the Shape parameter to apply a deeper formant. We now have something almost robotic. 6

Click Harmonize. This opens the harmonise panel and you can select the number of voices (up to three extra), intelligent voice assignment, adjust the key, and on the right, the pitch spread. Finish by adjusting the Voice Control settings for each of the new voices.