Yes, we've decided to implement some extra workflow optimizations that we stumbled upon working with the latest build. I'd rather be slightly late but have an even better first product :-) So it'll be tomorrow or, if worse comes to worst, this week-end. Just in time for everybody returning from NAMM to play with it.
Quick & dirty preview on creative uses of PITCHMAP. A loop from a lounge-flavored track (provided courtesy of absolutesongs.com) first plays unprocessed, then we step through a couple of snapshots in real-time, changing harmonies on-the-fly. We didn't bother optimizing for fidelity or drum transients, we deliberately chose somewhat extreme settings to show off some creative options and tuning-effects, and didn't bother with mapping pitches to the closest octave when changing harmonies. As I said, quick & dirty FTW
Changing harmony of a loop. Original->harmony changed with default algorithm->and with Strict algorithm mode. Note how the default algorithm leaves the drums virtually untouched and how there's very little smearing in general (well, considering the fact that we're doing some rather invasive processing... ). The Strict algorithm makes tuning dead-tight, removing even small vibratos, sacrificing a little transient detail.
Creative use example #2. Same loop playing initially. Then we map most pitches to one note (!!) using the Strict algo, creating a cool resonant sound, and change melodies etc around. IMHO pretty hi-fi considering the degree of manipulation. And finally, we raise the value of the Purify and Glide parameters (these are one reason for the slight delay of the release) to introduce a very resonant/liquid flavor as well as polyphonic portamento/slides (yep, that's right *grin*).
And finally, some basic mix element suppression/extraction using the content-aware "filters" in PITCHMAP. The plug-in is NOT optimized for suppression/extraction, but does it pretty well considering it's real-time. Consider this a bonus feature ;-) Using the same old loop as well as a deep-house track snippet. First up is original loop #1, then we mute the kick drum and the bass-line. There are still some bass harmonics left - we do math and not magic - but note how the transients stay crisp and phase coherent. Next up is the original for contrast, then we suppress pitched instruments, leaving the drums. Again, there are obvious traces of the instruments, but the drums sound pretty much untouched. If we didn't optimize for real-time, we'd be able to do this way more precisely! And finally, we move over to the deep house snippet, then we kill everything except for the vocal. Note how the vocal is substantially intact across its entire frequency range, thanks to our Natural mode.
With regard to the question about heavily distorted guitars: haven't gotten around to doing a demo of that, but as I expected, PITCHMAP tends to miss some of the harmonics.
And finally, there's been some people interpreting our use of the term "real-time" as "latency-free". Probably my mistake in not making the wording 100% free of ambiguities, but I'm just a regular sound dude, not a marketeering-droid. But let me make it clear: we use "real-time" to describe "not involving an off-line process or transferring data to an editing buffer of an editing application or plug-in". PITCHMAP does have latency when playing live *through* your DAW, on playback etc this is compensated for. So for studio applications, that's all fine, but you may not want to play guitar through it on stage.
The plug-in is NOT optimized for suppression/extraction, but does it pretty well considering it's real-time. ... If we didn't optimize for real-time, we'd be able to do this way more precisely!
So offline version will be available this summer then? I'll buy one of those too...
Hehe, well, I didn't say anything about an offline version or the summer, nor the combination of the two, did I?
At any rate, we've decided to move the PITCHMAP release to Monday. We've put so much work into this already, that we just don't want to cut a single corner. This needs to be just right and rock-solid.
On the bright side, I've just been playing the pitch mapping via MIDI, and that is just totally awesome. It was my own idea to do it that way, but now that I have it in hand....it works great and is even better than what you'd think it's like.
We don't record into a buffer and analyze prior to processing, we operate on the live audio stream, so we're *fully* real-time. Also, you don't do any manual editing of individual note-events, you set up rules ....
You also say you are recognizing drums in order to avoid processing them.
Please would you make me a Conductor Program, driven off rhythm guitar, outputting some MIDI time code or some such, for stage use. I guess you have already created most of the codes to do one.
It's like science fiction - only here it is in 2012.
Yeah that's why our claim is "Zynaptiq - Science, not Fiction"
Quote:
Originally Posted by thehightenor
Could be a great tool for many purposes
Yes, we're only just discovering some use scenarios ourselves, that's the primary reason we've moved release to monday --- especially the MIDI control is turning into a major feature, you can just PLAY the instruments inside the mix by pressing keys. That's so much fun that I'm sitting here with a stupid grin on my face, playing stuff a lot of the time
Here's a quick and dirty example, a loop is transformed using live MIDI input to control the pitch mapping (well, I did quantize my playing as I'm not a good player....):
(didn't bother tweaking for maximum transient preservation or avoidance of correction "flutter" --- quick and dirty FTW )
Also, we're implementing a mode where the MIDI keys pressed define which of the instruments are being let through while the rest is muted using our content aware mute filters ---- press the keys that an instrument is playing on, and - ta-da! - it's isolated. Kind of like mute automation on a mixing desk .
Hey Denis - will this export MIDI notes to a file as well?
No, it doesn't do that. That's a feature we'll be looking into for a later version, we've been getting a lot of requests for that, so we'll see wether we can accommodate for that.
You also say you are recognizing drums in order to avoid processing them.
Please would you make me a Conductor Program, driven off rhythm guitar, outputting some MIDI time code or some such, for stage use. I guess you have already created most of the codes to do one.
I'm not quite sure I understand what you're describing. You're looking to control sequencer/DAW playback based on recognition of what an instrument, in this case a guitar, is playing, yes?
Ok, I just listened to the midi controlled demo, and I litteraly started to cry...
This is an absolute game changer, and I might go the extra line and say this might actually revolutionize music production.
Being able to use the inherent qualities of a recording, be it the instruments, the arrangement or the mix and use that as source material to actually play in realtime your own melodies is just, and let me emphasize this the way it deserves to be :
BLOODY INCREDIBLY AMAZING !
Right now, my brain can't stop thinking of all the creative possibilities this opens up.
Just imagine the revolution for hip hop sampling : you can manipulate samples to a whole other level (heck, what will happen with copyright clearance ? i mean, you sample the arrangement and sound quality of a mix, not the composition anymore, and you can make it impossible to source back).
heck, what will happen with copyright clearance ? i mean, you sample the arrangement and sound quality of a mix, not the composition anymore, and you can make it impossible to source back
You'd still be violating the copyright of whoever owns the rights to the master recording from which you're sampling . .
I wish I'd had this when I was still doing lots of remix jobs. Would have been minutes instead of hours (or days) to fit some cheesy vocal and/or instrument track onto a cool tune. Literally minutes.
And when doing film scoring or commercials....you know, the type of job where the director will come to your studio and go
Quote:
Originally Posted by clueless director changing his mind after the fact
Hmmm, yeah, the orchestra/guitars/whateverYouRecorded sound really great --- that's exactly what we wanted!! --- but can we change that chord here and that melody there?
after having given you the "GO!" on your layout and it's all finished ....this would ease the pain, for sure
...
PITCHMAP is priced at USD/EUR 399,- and a limited-time introductory price of USD/EUR 269,- is available until April 1st, 2012 (prices in EUR inclusive of 19% VAT).
Hi Denis,
Will you offer the intro-price to us VST and AAX users
when those versions are ready for release ?
Yes and yes....the procedure is described in the manual. Basically, insert pitchmap on a return. Put your audio on an audiotrack and set that track's output to "sends only". Set the level of the send that goes to the return that has PM on it to unity. Create a midi track, set its MIDI ouput to send to PITCHMAP. Then open the PM GUI and select MIDI MAP in the lower left of the GUI...done. If that does NOT I'll have to look into it tomorrow when I can look at Live in the studio, I may have forgotten something in that description ;-)
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). The Strict algorithm makes tuning dead-tight, removing even small vibratos, sacrificing a little transient detail.
We've put so much work into this already, that we just don't want to cut a single corner. This needs to be just right and rock-solid.
