Downtuning

[GZW004]

What is the simplest way of downtuning a patch without losing the quality of the patch

[silverhead]

The simplest would be to use the Poly Pitch FX model. It’s very DSP intensive but only you can decide whether or not that would reduce the ‘quality’ of an existing patch. You may need to remove other FX blocks in an existing patch, or be prevented from using all the blocks you would like in a new patch.

[GZW004]

Ok thanx! What is the best postion in the chain and what are the  best settings?

[silverhead]

That’s highly subjective. Experiment. What sounds best to you is best for you.
 

Generally speaking a pitch shifter will work best if it receives a clear input signal in order to best identify the original pitch. I would avoid putting it after FX that add much complexity to the tone, such as modulation, delay, and reverb. Seems to me that less complex FX like compression, EQ, and perhaps even a little distortion would be fine in front of the pitch shifter. It might be OK after a clean amp tone but I’d put it in front of a hi-gain or heavily distorted amp tone.
 

But there are no rules here. Again experiment to discover what sounds good to you.

[theElevators]

Put Poly Capo on the beginning of the chain.  Set the tracking to "X Fast", Auto EQ: 7, Mix: 100%, Level to taste, Interval to -3 for example. 

 

here you go. 

[silverhead]

Yes, that's simpler. I was tricked by the term 'Capo' which in real life transposes up, not down. But I now see that the Ploy Capo can transpose down too, and it's simpler to use if you only want to transpose.

[craiganderton]

On 3/12/2023 at 10:03 AM, theElevators said:

Put Poly Capo on the beginning of the chain.  Set the tracking to "X Fast", Auto EQ: 7, Mix: 100%, Level to taste, Interval to -3 for example. 

 

Yes, Poly block likes clean audio. But also consider inserting a High and Low Cut filter before the Poly Capo. If you're tuning down, trim the low frequencies. There's no reason to make Poly Capo transpose low frequencies into the subsonic rdange (this isn't just about notes, but artifacts below the range of the guitar's lowest pitch). For example, when I downtune -5 semitones, I'll usually set the Low Cut to around 80 Hz. But, just adjust it for the best sound with the least artifacts, given the part you're playing.

 

Similarly when transposing up, I'll use the High Cut filter.

[PierM]

Quality also depends how many semitones you are downtuning. The lower the frequency, the worse it will sound.

 

Downtuning to Eb will work just fine.

[GZW004]

Okay Thanx Everybody!!!!

[themetallikid]

Is there a difference between poly pitch and poly capo?

 

I apologize if this is a dumb question, at work and cant remember which I'm using.  Just know that the recent batch of presets I created seem to have a different feel to them, and it was based on my favorite I had saved....I fight with the poly shifting sometimes from an amp/feel perspective.  Almost like its reducing signal gain a bit going to the amp, havent tested or trialed it, just how the feel comes across at times.  

 

Then i plug in the next day and it feels better....jekyll/hyde sorta thing.  Its definately a feel thing, and not a tone thing, the tone is there, just feels sorta stiffer and harder to play sometimes. 

[craiganderton]

Poly Pitch uses a more complex algorithm because it can do slides. Poly Capo uses slightly less CPU.

 

FYI I've sometimes had good results putting the Poly Capo between the Amp and Cab, as well as after the Cab. This is particularly the case with leads.

[Vulture1]

Looking for some help if someone knows..........what impact is the Auto EQ having on Poly Capo? I seem to get a better result on zero, but want to understand why. Cheers

[josehdx]

On 6/20/2023 at 2:57 PM, Vulture1 said:

Looking for some help if someone knows..........what impact is the Auto EQ having on Poly Capo? I seem to get a better result on zero, but want to understand why. Cheers

 

 

Min 4.27.

 

For low pitch shifts change auto eq higher than 7

 

For hight pitch lower than 5.

 

 

Do your tests and share your results!

[Vulture1]

Hi, and thanks for their steer. Between this guy, Sadites, and eventually finding the release notes I think I understand. Release notes say this........

• Auto EQ—Determines how much compensation EQ is applied to the shifted signal. If the effected signal sounds too harsh when pitched up (or dull when pitched down), adjust this setting to taste. The higher the value, the more EQ is applied at the shift end points; when set to 0.0, no compensation EQ is applied

I think there is still a degree of ambiguity here, (I mean 'more EQ' compensation is what exactly??.......adding or taking away?? - that might just be me reading it wrong) but in testing this with what I'm using it for (which is only shifts +/- 2 to accommodate a female lead singers range for some of our setlist) I've found that applying MORE compensation removes a bit of maybe unwanted high end. So I've settled on higher levels on their AutoEQ setting as working best for me. However, the difference is reasonably subtle to be fair, but maybe that's at lesser shifts.

 

I also tested placement of this in the chain, and whilst I would have said all day long it probably needs to be at the front of the chain to get the cleanest signal, I didn't find that to be the case when creating A/B patches to listen to. The simple challenge of DSP soak on this block means placement hasn't always been as per my choice (I have it AFTER amps and IR but BEFORE wet stuff because i cannot create some patches and get it on path 1). Anyway, in my tests it seems to work OK in that place.

 

Hope this helps others 

[Anderton]

Here's an excerpt from the latest version of my eBook, The Big Book of Helix Tips & Tricks. Hope this helps:

 

Auto EQ (fig. 2.56) Transposing higher gives a brighter sound, while transposing lower gives a duller sound. Auto EQ compensates for timbral changes that happen when transposing pitch. With Auto EQ = 0, there’s no compensation for timbral changes. Higher values apply more compensation (reduced brightness when transposing up, increased brightness when transposing down). 

 

 

Figure 2.56  Auto EQ in action. The top image is the original waveform. The middle image transposes the original waveform up +12 semitones—note the increase in high frequencies. The lower image shows how Auto EQ reduces the high frequencies of the transposed audio to be more like the original waveform.