Antares ATR1A AutoTune Rack

Back in 1998, Antares introduced the ATR-1 and made the unlikely claim of "perfect pitch in a box" a solid reality. Based on the technology of our ground-breaking Auto-Tune plug-in, the ATR-1 corrected the pitch of vocals or solo instruments, in real time, without distortion or artifacts, while preserving all of the expressive nuance of the original performance.

Since then, thousands of ATR-1s have found their way into touring racks, live performance rigs, and recording studios of artists and producers like Cher, Reba, Everclear, Al Schmitt, and many, many more.

Now, Antares (never willing to leave a good thing alone) introduces the ATR-1a. Preserving the great sound quality and ease of use of the ATR-1, the ATR-1a adds some significant new features as well as a snazzy new appearance inspired by our AMM-1 Microphone Modeler.

How Low Can You Go
Looking to do some pitch correction in the lower depths of the frequency range? The ATR-1a's new Bass Mode lowers the lowest detectable pitch by a full octave to 25Hz. Since the lowest E string on a bass guitar is about 41Hz, Bass Mode (as its name so ably implies) allows you to apply pitch correction to those pesky fretless bass lines as well as other low bass range instruments.

Working for Scale
If you've ever had occasion to pitch correct a melody line whose key was not exactly clear, or which had too many accidentals to fit comfortably into a conventional scale, you'll appreciate the ATR-1a's new Make Scale From MIDI function.… read more Simply play any line into the ATR-1a from a MIDI keyboard or sequencer and let the ATR-1a automatically construct a custom scale containing only those notes that appear in the line. No muss, no fuss.

How Does it Work
Like Auto-Tune, the ATR-1a uses proprietary digital signal processing algorithms (many, interestingly enough, drawn from the geophysical industry) to continuously detect the pitch of a periodic input signal, compare it to a desired target pitch (more about that in a minute) and, if necessary, instantly,* and seamlessly correct it to that target pitch. And with the ATR-1a's pristine 20-bit data path, 56-bit internal processing, and balanced I/O, the only difference between what goes in and what comes out is the intonation.

What's the *Right* Note
A key requirement for effective pitch correction is, of course, the ability to accurately specify the right notes to correct to. Here, the ATR-1a gives you a variety of choices to ensure that its output is always what you want.

The basic tool for target pitch identification in the ATR-1a is the Scale - basically, a list of those notes to which the ATR-1a should compare the input. The ATR-1a comes with factory Programs for chromatic and standard diatonic scales as well as the ability to use its Scale screen to program any custom scales you may require.

In addition to selecting which notes should be in a Scale, you can also "bypass" individual Scale notes. When the input pitch is near a bypassed note, the input is passed through with no correction. (Having trouble hitting a single note? Bypass all the rest of the Scale notes and the ATR-1a will only apply correction to that problem note.)

Need even more flexibility? Use the ATR-1a's MIDI Note Mode to specify scales in real time via a MIDI keyboard or sequencer. For the ultimate in control, you can even specify the exact melody via MIDI - definitely leaving no room for error.

What About Expression
Of course, a great performance is a lot more than just hitting the right notes. Depending on the style of music, expressive gestures like scoops, bends, vibrato, and more can all contribute to the emotional effect.

The ATR-1a's Speed control ensures that the rate of pitch correction (i.e., the speed at which the input pitch is slewed to the target pitch) can be matched to virtually any style of performance.

A moderate Speed setting, for example, will preserve expressive gestures while accurately adjusting the overall pitch center to be in tune.

A faster Speed is appropriate for a performance with rapidly-changing pitches, excessive pitch variation, or where substantial correction is required.

Set to the fastest Speed setting, the ATR-1a will remove all trace of vibrato or other gestures - extremely unnatural, but great for special effects.

Do it Live
Befitting its easy portability, the ATR-1a includes a number of features that make it particularly easy to use in live performance situations.

Chief among these is Song Mode, which lets you follow even the most complex harmonic song structures by programming the appropriate series of scales and then stepping through them in performance with a footswitch or MIDI control. You can also control most ATR-1a performance parameters with MIDI continuous controllers. And you can control absolutely everything via SysEx.

Check it Out
So if you're still looking for perfect pitch in a box, check out the ATR-1a at your Antares dealer now. Where the song remains the same. Only better.

* In the interest of full disclosure, we must point out that the laws of physics prevent the ATR-1a's pitch correction from being absolutely "instant." However, the ATR-1a's actual processing delay is no greater than 4 milliseconds. (To put that in perspective, most MIDI instruments typically have a delay of 7 milliseconds or greater between the arrival of a MIDI Note On message and the beginning of the resulting sound.) We like to think of the ATR-1a's pitch correction as being instant enough for all practical purposes. read less