When a simple pitch shift for creature vocals isn’t enough, YouTuber Thomas Boykin shows how you can use a surround panner to create a plug-in matrix to dynamically perform and process recorded sounds, not dissimilar to the blend user interface in some iZotope plugins.
Thomas’ use of a surround panner is very clever. It does mean that for Pro Tools users, you will need to have Pro Tools Ultimate because although you are not mixing in surround you are using 5.0 routing and the surround panner plugin, which are not available in Pro Tools Standard, but any DAW that does support 5.0 routing and has a surround panner, even though Thomas demonstrates it using Pro Tools, this trick is very doable on your DAW.
How It Works
Thomas takes a mono track and creates a mono to 5.0 buss with a 5.0 surround panner and routes each of the 5 outputs to a mono Aux track, routed back as an aux return to the stereo mix as a set of aux send and return loops.
He then inserts a different plugin on each Mono Aux Track. Then to ‘perform’ the effect he uses the surround panner to send a variable combination of the sound to each of the plugins. This enables you to produce a dynamic performance effect by sending the track to be able to process differing combinations of the plugins and so have different sounds and emphasises on different words and syllables.
That’s enough chat, watch Thomas Boykin’s video and see for your self how clever this is.
The Plugins Used In This Tutorial
Melda MAutoPitch
MAutoPitch is in the free bundle of 37 plugins from Melda. It is a simple automatic pitch correction plugin designed for vocals and other monophonic instruments.
MAutoPitch also provides creative features such as formant shift and stereo-expansion.
Waves UltraPitch
Waves UltraPitch can transpose, harmonize, modulate, and transform your sound. With factory presets including classic setups, UltraPitch can be used for thick stereo chorusing, doubling, parallel harmonies, vocal slap and spread effects, and much more.
Shift, 3-Voice and 6-Voice modules
Pitch Detector and Voice Character graphs
Random asynchronicity using Animation Amount control
Linked or free formant correction curves
Avid SansAmp
SansAmp PSA-1 provides a wide range of amplifier emulation, harmonic generation, cabinet simulation, and equalization tone-shaping options. SansAmp PSA-1 comes bundled with Pro Tools software.
Add warmth and punch to existing tracks
Free of muddy sound degradation or excess noise
Dial-up any tone imaginable
Waves Doubler
Waves Doubler uses delay and pitch modulation to deliver richness and texture on vocals and polyphonic instruments as well as full mixes.
Double-tracking / chorus plugin
Add shimmer and presence
Create the ‘80s harmonizer and pitch detune effects
Double vocal parts automatically
Add flam-like effects to drums
Melda MRingModulator
MRingModulator is in the free bundle of 37 plugins from Melda. MRingModulator performs classic ring-modulation effects using one or two oscillators.
Its clean interface is designed to give easy access to more advanced controls like the adjustable phase difference and shape features, including editable custom waveforms and harmonics
Waves SoundShifter
Waves SoundShifter is a pitch-shifting and time-shifting processor, you can change keys, tempos, durations, and manipulate the time-pitch continuum.
Real-time component
Pitch component (all major DAWs), Parametric and Graphic components (Pro Tools AudioSuite)
Punchy, smooth, transient, and sync modes
Multiple link, display, and control options
Time, tempo, bars, samples, SMPTE, feet & frames, pitch, interval, and frequency controls
Conclusion
There you have it. Of course, you don’t need to use the same plugins. We hope that this tip will inspire you to be more creative when needing effects that need to be dynamic and change with time.