zynaptiq Pitchshift Professional — A Combine Actual-World Overview

New York, NY (January 31, 2025)—Ever marvel why your pitch shifter sounds good on some tracks however not others? Blame it on the kind of algorithm it makes use of; some “algos” inherently sound greatest on drums and percussion, others excel on vocals however not drums, and nonetheless others are first-rate for sound design.

Now you’ll be able to have all of them. zynaptiq’s new Pitchshift Professional plugin presents six totally different algorithms, executing phase-synchronous processing in two (stereo) to 16 channels (for 9.1.6 multi-channel mixes). A mono/stereo-only model of the plug-in, Pitchshift, is obtainable for much less coin however presents simply three algos. I reviewed the Professional model right here.

BASIC INSTINCT

Pitchshift Professional has an intensive management set, however the plug-in’s primary operation is strictly what you’d count on: Alter the big rotary Pitch Shift and Formants controls to your liking, and swap from one algorithm to a different to listen to which one sounds greatest. Activating a Hyperlink swap makes the quantity of formants shift routinely observe the inverse of the pitch-shift quantity to preclude chipmunk and “Strawberry Fields Endlessly”-type results.

Choose the kind of algorithm you need by clicking on one of many alphabetized buttons, labeled A by means of F, within the GUI’s heart. (Sorts A, B and C are supplied within the mono/stereo-only Pitchshift plug-in.) A set of parameter controls particular to the chosen algo then seems on the backside of the UI.

Algorithm Kind A (Hybrid) will probably be your first alternative for pitch-shifting complicated tracks. Mouse-drag its stepped Sign Kind management, and teams of invisible parameters are adjusted to optimally course of considered one of 4 sorts of sources: sound results, drums, full mixes (or any observe containing a mixture of transients and sustained sounds), and harmonically wealthy sources akin to a full orchestra producing few transients. Every of the 4 Sign Kind settings has an unbiased Transients management you could alter to higher protect— or fully eradicate—transients within the moist sign.

The Kind A algo’s Dispersion management acts on the sustained sign (all however the transients), including random modulation to its spectrum; low settings for this management create a bigger—probably big— soundstage in multichannel purposes, whereas excessive settings diffuse and transfer the sound subtly into the background.

Clicking on the Settings button—it appears to be like like a knurled knob— opens a panel with 4 extra controls that respectively activate double-precision (64-bit floating level) decision, alter the crispness of the sound, enhance time decision for top frequencies (transients), and progressively emphasize formant frequencies. Every has tradeoffs, akin to elevated CPU load.

The Kind B (Resynth) algorithm trades snappy replica of transients for a smoother, hotter sound with only a few modulation artifacts. Activating both of a pair High quality settings lends a punchier sound, however on the expense of upper CPU load. A multi-way Punch Enhance management additionally provides assault to the resynthesized sign; its highest setting could add distortion when used on bass-y tracks. The Jitter management provides random pitch modulation to every channel’s moist sign (suppose refrain results).

The Kind C (Stretch) algorithm is an enhanced implementation of zynaptiq’s ZTX Professional time/pitch know-how (licensed by MOTU for Digital Performer, amongst others). It’s greatest used when shifting complicated program materials by a reasonable quantity, akin to when making framerate conversions in sound for movie. This algo has two different modes that have an effect on timing precision.

SPEAK UP

Nineteen Seventies-era pitch shifting comes alive once more in Pitchshift Professional’s Kind D (Granular) algorithm, this time with fashionable enhancements that cut back the comb filtering and echoing of transients that plagued these algos utilized by early samplers. Speech is an efficient candidate for Kind D. Drums and different sources with loud and repetitive transients, not a lot. A 3-way Mode swap offers you two variations on zynaptiq’s fashionable take, whereas a 3rd choice takes you absolutely again to the longer term, warts and all.

LPC, the Kind E algorithm’s nom de guerre, stands for Linear Predictive Coding, which some telecom codecs use for speech synthesis. You could be tempted to attempt to pitch-shift a lead vocal or different monophonic, pitched sound utilizing this unpredictable algo, however overlook about it—zynaptiq consists of it so that you can mangle something and every part however. Suppose sci-fi!

Kind E’s Formants management has an prolonged vary of ±24 semitones. The Looseness management provides noise to the algo’s oscillator. If some notes are dropped or soar an undesirable octave within the moist sound, alter the Vary management to optimize the algorithm’s pitch detection. Tweak the Sensitivity management to change the stability of pitched and unpitched elements (akin to breath noises), turning full-throated speech into sandpapery whispers, for example.

The Kind F (Conform) algorithm is the straitjacket of the lot, forcing the enter sound to breed just one particular pitch, which you choose utilizing the Pitch management. Sound design once more involves thoughts. Click on on the Mode button to pick out the Resynth or LPC engine for conforming the pitch; the Formants(-shift) management has a spread of ±24 semitones with both choice.

Damaging values for the Deviation management alter how strongly the processed sound conforms to your chosen pitch, whereas constructive values introduce pitch randomization. High quality and Noisiness controls—displayed within the UI with collection of the Resynth and LPC engines, respectively—carry out equally to the algorithmic Kind B High quality and Kind E Looseness controls.

After Pitchshift Professional shifts the pitch and/or formants of your observe, the processed sign passes by means of user-adjustable highpass and lowpass filters and a Dry/Moist (combine) management. Bypass, mute and solo buttons are offered for every channel in a stereo or multichannel setup. MIDI Study performance and associated interoperability are in depth: You may management Pitch Shift, Pitch and Formants values utilizing MIDI Notes and pitch bend; alter MIDI parameters’ response curves; delimit the useful vary of controls; load presets utilizing MIDI triggers; and extra.

MAN AT WORK

Pitchshift Professional’s algorithm A produced a monster sound, shifting drums’ pitch and formants down a full octave. Boosting the Transients and (within the algo’s Settings panel) Formant Energy controls made the sound crisper, compensating for the smearing impact of nose-diving the formants. I may normally get away with shifting a full stereo pop combine up or down two or three semitones with this algo earlier than part, timbre and vocal/instrument imbalances grew to become too objectionable. Whilst you’ll solely wish to manhandle demo recordings this manner, Pitchshift Professional met the acid check with respectable constancy.

Shift-dragging the Pitch Shift management up six cents utilizing algorithm B, and reducing the Dry/Moist management to 21% moist, lent a good looking refrain impact on electrical piano. I intentionally switched the High quality management to Quick (lowest high quality) and bypassed the Punch Enhance management to de-emphasize transients within the moist sign for a creamier sound. Algorithm B additionally sounded nice when including a touch of perfect-Fifth shift to a lead vocal—ear-candy sweetening.

H2 Audio Helios 5011 — A Combine Actual-World Overview

I produced all kinds of sound-design results utilizing the Kind E and F algorithms on dialog tracks. With totally different management settings, the Kind E algo remodeled the talking expertise right into a Star Wars-like droid, deranged spirit or gargantuan monster, sustaining good pitch monitoring even with a one-octave shift larger or decrease.

Each of the Kind F algorithm’s modes did a very exceptional job constraining a dialog observe to voice just one pitch. LPC mode produced a a lot clearer observe than Resynth mode, however every had a particular sound helpful for radical sound design (at all times incurring very audible phasing). An excessive enhance of the Deviation management, in both mode, produced sounds just like whispering and glottal frying, whereas plunging the management elevated phasing and added an digital overtone to the voice.

My solely criticism about Pitchshift Professional’s operability is that I typically needed to transfer my mouse over a management many instances earlier than the plug-in’s tooltips (textual assist) popped up.

When you work in immersive codecs or in sound design (even in mono/stereo), Pitchshift Professional consists of the options you require. Engineers who produce music strictly in stereo will solely want the instruments within the less-expensive Pitchshift. Both method, you’ll be able to’t go unsuitable!