Pitchproof: Harmonization and Pitch Shifting at a New Level
The Pitchproof plugin from Aegean Music is a powerful tool for creative sound work, combining the warmth of classic pitch-shifting pedals with the precision and functionality of modern digital processing. It was designed as a guitar harmonizer pedal simulator, while maintaining the high quality and integrity of your signal.
Whether you want to add subtle harmony to a solo, create impressive octave effects, or simply change the pitch of a vocal or instrument, Pitchproof offers intuitive tools to achieve the desired result.
Main Functions and Features
Blend Control
The Blend control allows you to precisely adjust the balance between the original (“dry”) signal and the processed (“wet”) signal. This allows you to get both a completely altered signal and subtly mixed harmony to the main sound, opening up wide possibilities for sound design and creating complex textures.
Pitch and Harmony Selection
The central function of the plugin is the Pitch menu. Here you can choose fixed intervals for pitch shifting, such as +7 or -7 semitones. But the real magic unfolds when you select “smart” harmonies (intelligent pitch shift effects). These harmonizers are designed to work within a specific major or minor scale.
Intelligent Harmonies and Key
The Key parameter is critical for using intelligent harmonies. If you choose, for example, the key of C (which is also A minor, Am), then to achieve the best harmonized results, you should only play notes that belong to this scale (in this case, A, B, C, D, E, F, G). The plugin “understands” the context of the scale and creates harmonies that musically correspond to your performance. For settings that are not harmonies, the Key parameter is irrelevant.
Detune Parameter
The Detune control allows you to add a slight deviation to the shifted pitch. This is a very useful tool for creating a more natural and less “digital” sound. Even a small amount of Detune can significantly improve the realism of the effect, especially when creating doubled voices or imitating analog devices.
Technical Settings
- Mono/Stereo: Choose mono mode to reduce the load on the central processor, or stereo mode to process stereo inputs.
- Transient Fix: This option (recommended to be enabled) helps to preserve the clarity and attack of transients in the input signal. This is especially noticeable on instruments with a pronounced attack, such as guitar or drums. If strange artifacts occur, you can try turning it off. On signals with a smooth build-up (e.g., pads), the effect of this option will be less noticeable.
Built-in Tuner
A nice bonus is the presence of a built-in guitar tuner. Since the plugin already determines the pitch of the input signal, the developers decided to display this information as a tuner. It can be pinned in the lower right corner of the interface if it doesn’t get in the way.
Why Pitchproof?
Pitchproof from Aegean Music is a versatile solution for musicians and sound engineers looking for a high-quality and flexible tool for pitch shifting and harmonization. It successfully combines the classic character of sound with the modern capabilities of digital processing, offering a wide range of effects – from subtle harmonies to radical transformations. The ease of use, efficiency, and the presence of useful additional functions, such as a built-in tuner, make Pitchproof a valuable addition to any plugin collection.
