Pitch shift & transpose

In addition to Pro Tools' Elastic Audio time compression and expansion capabilities, you can also change the pitch of entire audio clips by up to +/– 2 octaves using semitones and cents. Whether you need to transpose a vocal, instrumental recording, or a complex audio clip, Pro Tools offers precise control over pitch shifting with Elastic Audio. Here’s how to use Elastic Audio to shift pitch in your sessions:

Pitch Shifting with Elastic Audio

To transpose an audio clip using Elastic Audio, the track must be Elastic Audio-enabled and using the correct algorithm (Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form). Pitch shifting is not available for the Monophonic algorithm. Below are two ways to pitch shift your audio using Elastic Audio:

1. Enable Elastic Audio:

Make sure the track is Elastic Audio-enabled using the Polyphonic, Rhythmic, or X-Form algorithms.
If needed, switch to one of these algorithms from the Elastic Audio plug-in icon (clock icon) in the track header.

2. Select the Audio Clip:

Use the Grabber or Selector tool to select the entire clip you want to transpose.
Ensure the entire clip is selected, as only fully selected clips will be affected.

3. Adjust the Pitch Shift:

Option 1: Using the Elastic Properties Window:

Right-click the clip and choose Elastic Properties, or go to Clip > Elastic Properties.
In the Elastic Properties window, adjust the pitch up (+) or down (–) in semitones or cents to transpose the audio.

Option 2: Using the Event Operations Transpose Window:

Go to Event > Event Operations > Transpose.
In the Transpose window, adjust the pitch using the "Transpose By" settings (semitones and cents) or specify pitch ranges with "Transpose From" and "Transpose To."
Once your settings are adjusted, click Apply to shift the pitch of the selected clip.

Varispeed and Pitch Shifting

When using the Varispeed algorithm in Pro Tools, it links both pitch and time together, meaning any time-stretching applied also affects the pitch of the clip. For example, if you speed up a clip using Varispeed, the pitch will increase, and if you slow it down, the pitch will decrease. This behavior is similar to the way tape machines or vinyl records work.

In contrast, algorithms like Polyphonic and Rhythmic allow independent control over pitch and time. You can change the pitch of a clip without affecting its speed, and vice versa.

If you apply a pitch shift to a clip using the Polyphonic or Rhythmic algorithms, Pro Tools stores this pitch-shifting information in the clip's metadata. When you switch to the Varispeed algorithm, any time-stretching you apply will also change the pitch. However, if you later switch back to the original algorithm, Pro Tools will restore the original pitch-shifting while keeping the time-stretching applied in Varispeed.

Key Points:

Varispeed links pitch and time together (speeding up or slowing down a clip affects both pitch and timing).
Polyphonic and Rhythmic allow independent pitch and time adjustment (you can change pitch without changing speed).
Switching between Varispeed and other algorithms preserves both the pitch-shift metadata and the time-stretching applied.

Removing Clip Pitch Shifting

If you've applied pitch shifting to a clip and are not satisfied with the results, you can remove the pitch shift and restore the clip to its original pitch. This is helpful when you want to revert to the pre–pitch shifted state of the audio.

Here’s how to remove clip Pitch Shifting

1. Select the Clip:

Select the clip that has the pitch shifting applied.

2. Remove the Pitch Shift:

Option 1: Choose Clip > Remove Pitch Shift from the menu.
Option 2: Right-click the clip with any Edit tool and select Remove Pitch Shift from the pop-up menu.

Note: Remove Pitch Shift can only be applied to individual clips, not clip groups. To remove pitch shifting from clip groups, first ungroup the clips, apply Remove Pitch Shift to the underlying individual clips, and then regroup the clips if needed.

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