Arboretum Releases Formant-Based Harmony Software

(Click for a close-up)

January 28, 1999 -- Arboretum Systems debuted the new Arboretum Harmony pitch processor and harmonizer software for MacOS at NAMM show in Los Angeles today. Arboretum Harmony contains the first implementation of Arboretum's new formant-based pitch processing technology and features a unique graphic interface for controlling pitch and harmony.

Arboretum Harmony is the world's most powerful software pitch processor and harmonizer. Proprietary formant-based pitch shifting technology creates breathtaking lifelike harmonies from any vocal line. Arboretum Harmony will fix pitches, create new vocal lines and allow the user to arrange complex independent parts with a click of the mouse. No other software or hardware harmonizer has this type of intuitive graphic editing.

Arboretum's formant-based pitch shifting provides new levels of realism and unprecedented control over the processed vocal sound. It's more realistic, less metallic and less "chipmunked" over greater transposition ranges than other conventional pitch shifting schemes. Arboretum Harmony leaves singers' natural vibrato sounding rich and realistic. The user can even move the formant up or down to change the size of the vocalist's "throat!"

Automatic Pitch Correction and Harmonization snaps tracks right into key and generates new parts instantly. Unique Note Edit screen lets one draw in vocal lines or edit pitches with a simple mouse drag. Calculate up to eight separate voices, or use fast Preview mode to hear parts as you work.

Arboretum Harmony is like a word processor for vocals, offering a new level of sound quality and groundbreaking flexibility in manipulating pitch and harmony.

Professional applications for Arboretum Harmony include:

Vocal Production: Correct the pitch of the most tone-deaf singers and build lush multi-voice harmonies with a click of the mouse.
Music Recording: Not just for voices, Arboretum Harmony does sophisticated pitch processing and generates multiple harmony parts from any monophonic melody line.
Sound Design: Separate Formant and Pitch controls make possible outlandish vocal treatments.
Special Effects: Generate dazzling science fiction, techno or industrial voices.
Voiceover: Create distinctive character voices for cartoons, games or multimedia.
Dialog Editing: Change pitch inflection with a few mouse clicks.

Highlighted features of Arboretum Harmony include:

Creates complex multi-voice harmonies, generates up to eight realistic voices with full melodic independence.
Allows separate Formant and Mix settings for each voice.
Formant-based pitch shifting sounds more realistic over longer ranges.
Easy graphic editing allows one to draw in accurate pitch changes and harmony parts.
Automatic pitch correction snaps singers into key while preserving natural vibrato.
Move formants up or down to change size of each voice's "throat."

Familiar Mixing window for volume control Arboretum Harmony requires a Power Macintosh computer 200 MHz or faster with MacOS 8.0 or later. Arboretum Harmony has a suggested US retail price of $349, international pricing may vary.

Arboretum Harmony is the first stage in a new series of cutting edge vocal processors from Arboretum Systems. Coming next: Formant-based Vocal Personality filters.

For more information, visit Arboretum at www.arboretum.com.