How Melodyne Is Used In Music Production

DAW - Digital Audio Workstation - can be a home computer running Freeware.
Analogue Recording - Recording direct to a mixing desk in real time.
Autotune - software that corrects tuning errors or otherwise manipulates pitch.
Dongle Port - I am told that it has nothing to do with sailors.....
iLok - a way of storing software registration on line so that multiple computers can run the same program.
Sound On Sound - major reviewer of music equipment and software.

First of all I am going to explain first why I didn't purchase Autotune for my little choral music projects. It can sound quite robotic for one thing, but more importantly for me was the cost of equipment needed. To run Autotune, you need to upgrade all mixing software to the full professional versions to be sure of it working. It works in tandem with most of the major DAWs (digital audio workstation) in a vst environment (virtual studio). This includes Pro-Tools, Cubase and other major digital mixers. Autotune's manufacturers - used to be Antares, but I believe they were taken over by Avid - list suitable programmes on site. Some have limited functionality.

You also need a digital recording desk, a new dedicated Dongle Port and you even need to purchase an iLok key before you can register and use Autotune. This set-up can and will cost you thousands of dollars, not counting the computer itself , the monitors or the instruments. It is all very techy and off-putting to a middle-aged someone who just basically wants to use it as a composer and eventually produce demos of choral compositions.

I didn't want to buy a new DAW - the first and last time I tried Cubase it crashed my computer. I am so tech minded I am not even sure what a Dongle Port is and nobody would tell me what or where to buy an iLok.... Autotune lost the sale for that simple reason. Had they included an iLok, or even explained what a Dongle was I would have bought their programme....

No, not THAT kind of DNA and I have no idea how distantly related I am to THE Mr Gabriel.... DNA means Direct Note Access, a new system offered by Melodyne Editor. Peter Gabriel is one of the enthusiastic Melodyne users who turned my thinking around....

Now, for someone who IS a musician and composer, not a computer geek, the write up comparison in Sound On Sound clinched it for me. Melodyne had an interface that would show me notation as well as annoying little boxes and wiggly lines. I could SEE if a wrong note had crept in and tune that note individually to be almost perfect.

Melodyne will transpose, which makes singing all parts of my choral pieces a distinct possibility so I can produce demos interested choirs can hear. Not only could it tranpose my voice up or down to notes I could never dream of reaching, but it could also make me sound like a bass or a coloratura soprano instead of a light mezzo with an added tenor range....

Banjo-Strummin' Lion Mousepad by stlewis75

My tuning isn't too bad by some standards (hear me out singing Celtic Dream on iTunes - that is not tuned or tweaked) BUT when I am at the extreme of my range I sometimes try too hard and sing sharp. Melodyne offered the possibility of discreetly correcting these errors.

I ordered up the demo version and tried it out. The samples they had were so annoying, but I could see how easy it was to work with and within hours Amazon had the order.

As a practical musician with a taste for subtle orchestrations, I occasionally find myself in the position of wanting a "flute" or "fiddle" added at a later stage. If the guitar parts are recorded live first this makes it difficult to insert the track. Melodyne gives you the ability to insert and quantize. I used it recently however just to determine the speed of a file made with a drum machine. I wanted to write a fiddle part, but could not get the speed right. With Melodyne, I determined the actual speed was 119.916, reset the metronome mark on Sibelius to 119.916, and thus did not have to quantize the song and risk losing subtlety. It is a killer app!

My order arrived next day and I couldn't wait to use it, but for work and then personal reasons it had to wait until the following evening. I then spent a joyful three hours experimenting with the Akon effect, the chipmunk voice and the jolly green giant before I set it to some proper tasks.

Mickey & Friends Donald Duck Singing by disney

The big advantage of Melodyne for me is that I can use this programme in stand alone mode. I can tweak samples I have recorded, then mix them in my cheap and cheerful NCH Mix Pad and Wave Pad software. Finally I can check the complete mix and fine tune anything the effects chain has moved. This is a HUGE advantage for someone who works with budget mixing software. It doesn't require you to upgrade from a free or cheap DAW because it has stand alone mode!

It does take quite a while to load samples as it uses a ton of computer memory at the loading stage, but after that it works like a dream!