Antares ATR-1 Owner's Manual
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Antares ATR-1 Owner's Manual

Auto-tune intonation processor
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  • Page 2 ©1998 Antares Audio Technology. All Rights Reserved. Antares Audio Technology 11768 Atwood Drive, No.13 Auburn, CA 95603 USA voice: (530) 878-4400 web: www.antares-systems.com Printed in USA...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Chapter 1 Background So what exactly is it? A little bit about pitch Some pitch terminology How the ATR-1 determines pitch How the ATR-1 corrects pitch Program Mode vs. Song Mode Setting Up the ATR-1 Chapter 2 Setting up the ATR-1...
  • Page 4 MIDI page 5 Foot Switch and Detune page Sensitivity and LCD page Owner Message page Creative Applications Chapter 5 Appendix Factory Programs Scale and Chord Guides MIDI System Exclusive message formats MIDI System Exclusive message examples MIDI Implementation Chart ATR-1 Specifications Index...

  • Page 5: Welcome

    Before you proceed much farther, we’d like to strongly encourage you to fill out and return the ATR-1 registration card. As an ATR-1 owner, you are entitled to receive notification of any firmware upgrades, technical support, and advance announcements of upcoming products.

  • Page 6: Tech Support

    Technical Support In the unlikely event that you experience a problem using your ATR-1, try the following: 1. Make another quick scan through this manual. Who knows? You may have stumbled onto some feature that you didn’t notice the first time through.

  • Page 7: A Few Words From Dr. Andy

    What’s more, the ATR-1 is incredibly easy to use (a fact attested to by the thinness of this manual). So fire up your ATR-1, invest a half hour or so in reading the following pages, and prepare to make intonation problems a thing of the past.

  • Page 9: Introducing The Atr-1

    In addition, the ATR-1, befitting its easy portability, includes a number of new features that make it particularly powerful in live performance situa- tions. These include a new Song Mode that lets the ATR-1 follow even the most complex harmonic song structures, foot switch control of Scale selec-...

  • Page 10: A Little Bit About Pitch

    The summation is non- periodic because the individual violins are slightly out of tune with respect to one another. Because of this lack of periodicity, the ATR-1 would not be able to process this sound.
  • Page 11 The ATR-1 was designed to detect and correct pitches up to the pitch C6. If the input pitch is higher than C6, the ATR-1 will often interpret the pitch an octave lower.

  • Page 12: How The Atr-1 Corrects Pitch

    Vibrato The ATR-1 can also apply a vibrato to the input sound. You can program the vibrato depth, vibrato rate and the onset delay of the vibrato (or even control it in real time via MIDI). You can also choose the shape of the pitch variation in the vibrato (sine, ramp or square).

  • Page 13: Program Mode Vs. Song Mode

    Chapter 4 for more details.) Program Mode vs. Song Mode At its top level, the ATR-1 operates in one of two modes, Program Mode or Song Mode. Which mode you use depends upon your application and, to some extent, how radical are the required corrections.

  • Page 14: Song Mode

    ATR-1 in a live performance situation, whether in actual concert or during tracking in the studio. The ATR-1 provides 20 Songs. For each Song, you can program a series of up to 15 Song Steps. Each Step can contain a Program (with associated scale) or one of a number of navigation controls (See Chapter 4 for details).

  • Page 15: Setting Up The Atr-1

    ATR-1. 3. First, connect the power supply’s 7-pin DIN connector to the AC INPUT jack on the rear of the ATR-1. Then plug the power supply into an AC outlet. 4. Connect a balanced or unbalanced audio input to one of the INPUT jacks (see Chapter 4 for details).
  • Page 16 Setting up the ATR-1 An Important Note About Monitoring: If the ATR-1 is used to pitch-correct an artist’s performance in real time, it is very important that the performer is able to monitor their original signal, not the pitch-corrected signal. Trying to react musically to the processed signal will drive them crazy and, in most cases, drive them farther off pitch.

  • Page 17: Front Panel

    Chapter 3: Panel Controls and Connectors As you have almost certainly noticed, the ATR-1 has relatively few controls. We’ll cover them here. The Front Panel 1 Non-existent Power Switch That’s right. There isn’t one. The ATR-1 is designed to remain on continuously. You can, of course, plug it in to a switched power strip or power conditioner if you like, but leaving it on all the time will do it no harm.
  • Page 18 Bypass state will not cause any audio artifacts, so it can be used in performance or in the middle of a recorded track. The ATR-1 can also be placed into Bypass Mode via a footswitch (see below) or by MIDI.

  • Page 19: Back Panel

    1 AC POWER INPUT Plug the 7-pin DIN connector from the included power supply in here. Do NOT use a supply which is not expressly intended for the ATR-1 (even if you could find one with the that weird plug on it). Bad things could happen.

  • Page 20: Flash Screen

    The ATR-1 operates in one of two modes: Program Mode or Song Mode. When powered on, the ATR-1 reverts to the mode to which it was last set. (When initially powered on from the factory, the ATR-1 will be Program Mode.)

  • Page 21: Song Mode Main Screen

    Display Screens and Menu Pages To select a Program, move the cursor to the Program Number field and use the data knob to choose the desired Program. If the Program Mode Main Screen is displayed and MIDI Program Changes are enabled in the SYSTEM menu, a MIDI Program Change command of 1–50 will select the corresponding Program.

  • Page 22: Program Edit Pages

    Program Edit Pages Pressing the PROGRAMS button while the Program Mode Main Screen is displayed will place the ATR-1 in Program Edit Mode. The fields on these pages allow you to set the parameters which control the ATR-1 pitch pro- cessing algorithm.

  • Page 23: Speed Page

    Tune (i.e., the note name appears in the display, but the “By:” field under the note is blank): When the input is near a note set to Tune, the ATR-1 will retune the input to that note.

  • Page 24: Why Set Scale Notes To "Blank

    B and C present in the Scale, as the pitch fell, the ATR-1 would see first C and then B as the target pitch and therefore allow the error to remain. With C and B removed from the Scale, the ATR-1 continues to see D as the target pitch for the entire duration of the note and therefore pulls the phrase up to the correct pitch.

  • Page 25: Vibrato Page

    500 milliseconds will make a transition from no vibrato to the full vibrato. The vibrato is restarted each time the ATR-1 detects a new attack (i.e., input is detected after some finite period of silence). As long as the input is sustained without interruption, changing pitch will not restart the vibrato delay.

  • Page 26: Save Program

    Song Edit Pages As explained in Chapter 1, the ATR-1’s Song Mode is designed to give you an easy and flexible way to control, in as much detail as you require, exactly how the ATR-1 will process each note of a song.

  • Page 27: Song Speed

    Program. All other Program parameters (i.e., Speed and Vibrato) will be ignored. B (Bypass) While this Song Step is active, the ATR-1 is put into Bypass Mode. <- (Loop) When a Song Step containing a Loop command becomes active, the Song immediately resets to Song Step #1.

  • Page 28: Song Vibrato

    -> (Link) When a Song Step containing a Link item becomes active, any Song Steps in the remainder of the current Song are ignored and the ATR-1 moves immediately to the next Song (in numerical order). If Song Step #1 of the new Song contains a “0”...

  • Page 29: Save Song

    Main Page and the original Song remains unchanged. System Edit Pages Pressing the SYSTEM button at any time will place the ATR-1 in System Edit Mode. The System Edit pages allow you to set parameters which affect the ATR-1 globally, independent of whichever Song or Program is currently active.

  • Page 30: Midi Page

    Note On messages. At any instant, the scale used for correction is defined by all MIDI notes that are on. For example, if MIDI notes A, C and E are held, the ATR-1 input will be retuned to an A, C or E, whichever is closest to the input pitch.

  • Page 31: Midi Page

    These next two MIDI Control pages allow you to assign various MIDI con- trollers to set selected ATR-1 parameters in real time. (Note that all MIDI controller data must be sent on the MIDI Channel set on MIDI Page 1 in order to be recognized.)

  • Page 32: Foot Switch And Detune

    The ATR-1 supports a number of MIDI System Exclusive (SysEx) messages using the Antares manufacturer ID. (See the SysEx Appendix for details.) The ATR-1 SysEx device number is similar to the Device ID found in SysEx Real Time and Non-Real Time messages. By setting each unit to a different device number, up to sixteen ATR-1s can be independently controlled with System Exclusive messages.

  • Page 33: Sensitivity And Lcd

    OK, we’re kidding about that. (And those of you who are not in the USA, please forgive the North American-centric references.) Actually, in order to accurately identify the pitch of the input, the ATR-1 requires a periodically repeating waveform, characteristic of a voice or solo instrument.

  • Page 34: Owner Message

    Edit Owner Name: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa This page is briefly displayed when the ATR-1 is powered on. This is where you can show the world just how clever you can be in 20 characters. Enter your message in exactly the same way that you enter Program and Song...
  • Page 35 The effect produced will be a steady backdrop of chanting tones behind the main melodic material. • Don’t be afraid to use just as little of the ATR-1 as you need. It’s quite possible that a performer has really quite good intonation, but fails consistently on one or two notes.
  • Page 36 Creative Applications • The ATR-1 can be used to simulate other singing styles. Many ethnic styles feature exceptional (almost unbelievable) intonation during fast, melismatic passages. Setting the SPEED parameter faster than normal (less than 5), and setting the SCALE to an appropriately exotic mode (for example, G A A C D D F ) can produce exactly this result (if the singer improvises with sufficient global panache.)
  • Page 37 Set a fast Speed and sing a sustained note while playing the keyboard. Go crazy! • While the ATR-1 is not really intended to be a harmonizer, you can create some very high quality close two-part harmony by singing one part and using the MIDI Note function to retune what you sing to the appropriate harmony notes.

  • Page 38: Factory Programs

    Factory Presets Appendix Factory Programs The ATR-1 comes from the factory pre-programmed with the basic chromatic, major, and natural minor scales in Programs 1–13 as listed below. You are, of course, free to overwrite these as you desire. PROGRAM MAJOR SCALE...

  • Page 39: Scale And Chord Guides

    Scale and Chord Guides Here are some of the most commonly used scales, modes and chords, and their associated ATR-1 settings. All spellings use sharps because the ATR-1 software uses sharps to describe all accidentals (the black notes on the keyboard).
  • Page 40 Scale and Chord Guides Scales/Modes reference chart MAJOR NATURAL MINOR C D E F G A B C D D# F G G# A# C /D C D F F G A C C D E F G A B D E F G A B C D E F G A A C D /E...
  • Page 41 Scale and Chord Guides HARMONIC MINOR DORIAN PHRYGIAN MIXOLYDIAN C D D F G G B C D D F G A A C C D F G G A C D E F G A A C D E F G A C C D E F G A B C D E F G A B C D F F G A B...

  • Page 42: Midi System Exclusive Message Formats

    <message bytes> <F7H> <manufacturer> = <0 1 26H> <device num> = one byte in range 0 to 15. Must match SYSEX DEVICE NUMBER set in the ATR-1. <message bytes> = <0> to select program mode. <1> to select song mode. <2><14><system data>...
  • Page 43 Transmitting <system data> causes values to be immediately used in the ATR-1. Transmitting <program data> or <song data> causes the data to be put into the ATR-1 permanent memory, but the values do not take effect. To have those data take effect, you can: from the front panel: in Song Mode: a new Song must be selected.
  • Page 44 Vibrato Delay table Vibrato Delay Table The following table identifies the MIDI controller values required to set each of the possible Vibrato Delay values: MIDI VALUE VIBRATO DELAY (milliseconds) 1140 1340 1575 1850 2170 2550 3000 3500...

  • Page 45: Midi System Exclusive Message Examples

    MIDI System Exclusive Message Examples The following examples are Scripts from Opcode’s Galaxy. They show System Exclusive Messages which communicate with the ATR-1. This message will cause the ATR-1 to select Program Mode. Put $F0 into Sys_Ex; Put 0 1 $26 into Antares;...
  • Page 46 MIDI_Note Pitch_Bend Mod_Wheel ¬ Foot_Switch Speed_Controller Vib_Rate_Controller ¬ Vib_Delay_Controller Step_Controller Sensitivity ¬ Detune Detune_Direction¬ End_Sys_Ex; This message sets Program data in the ATR-1. Put $F0 into Sys_Ex; Put 0 1 $26 into Antares; Put $F7 into End_Sys_Ex; Put 0 into Device_Num;...
  • Page 47 Put “My test name.” into Name; Put 10 11 12 0 $7c $7d $7e $7f 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 into Programs; Send Sys_Ex Antares Device_Num Mode Msg_Length ¬ Song_Number Speed Vib_Type Vib_Depth Vib_Rate ¬ Vib_Delay Name Programs ¬...

  • Page 48: Midi Implementation Chart

    MIDI Implementation Chart MIDI Implementation Chart Model: ATR-1, version 1.00 FUNCTION TRANSMITTED RECOGNIZED REMARKS Basic Channel Default 1–16 Memorized Changed 1–16 Mode Default Modes not used Messages Altered Note Number 0–127 True voice 33–96 Pitches retuned Velocity Note On Note Off...

  • Page 49: Atr-1 Specifications

    Specifications ATR-1 Specifications Data format 20-bit linear 56-bit internal processing Sample rate 46.875 kHz Frequency response 10Hz–20kHz, +0.06dB/-0.23dB Distortion + Noise Less than 0.005% (@1kHz) ADC 20 bit 103 dB Dynamic Range (A weighted) 97 dB S/(N+D) DAC 24 bit...

  • Page 50: Index

    Chassis ground 19 Chord reference chart 40 Hertz (Hz.) 10 Circuit board ground 19 heterophonic effects 35 Creative applications for the ATR-1 35 Hildebrand, Andy 7 Cursor buttons 17 Introducing the ATR-1 9 Data entry knob 17 Detune 32, 35...
  • Page 51 Sensitivity and LCD Page 33 Owner Message Page 34 Sensitivity parameter 33 setting display contrast 34 Sensitivity parameter 33 Setting Up the ATR-1 15 SIGNAL LEVEL Meter 18 Song Edit Pages 26 Song Items Page 27 Song Mode 14 Song Mode Main Screen 21...
  • Page 52 Song Step Items 22, 27 ## (A Program Number) 27 -> (Link) 28 <- (Loop) 27 0 (No Program) 28 B (Bypass) 27 E (End) 27 Song Vibrato Page 28 Specifications 49 Speed 12 Speed Page 23 Speed parameter 31 Sustain parameter 30 SYSTEM button 18, 29 System Edit Pages 29...

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