Berkley Integrated Audio Software (BIAS) has announced that PitchCraft EZ, a powerful alternative to the popular pitch correction and special effects tool popularized by many of today's leading musical artists (i.e. Antares' Auto-Tune), is now shipping. As a plug-in for popular audio host applications on Mac and Windows computing platforms, PitchCraft EZ is both easy to use and highly effective, according to BIAS. It has an MSRP of $99.
"The popularity of automatic vocal tuning and processing software these days is undeniable", said Jason E. Davies, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for BIAS. "Whether utilized in songs by leading music artists - or in various popular videos circulating the Internet - pitch processing has evolved considerably from it's original 'behind-the-scenes' application to compensate for an out of tune vocalist. Through maximizing the correction values, or conforming spoken words to musical scales, the technology is often employed specifically for the special effect by which some artists are now defined. PitchCraft EZ employs state-of-the-art algorithms in an easy user interface to deliver this very effect at a breakthrough price in time for the holiday season."
BIAS first developed advanced pitch correction and modification technologies for the Master Perfection Suite - a plug-in suite for Mac OS X and Windows that includes PitchCraft (also available in the company's flagship Peak Pro XT audio editing, processing, mastering, and delivery software application exclusive for Mac). Using essential algorithms from PitchCraft, PitchCraft EZ offers many core features while focusing on ease of use and quick, pro-quality results. The pitch, transposition, and formant preservation DSP algorithms employed ensure natural sounding pitch correction and transposition, while offering additional options not found in other low priced solutions.
BIAS says that PitchCraft EZ minimizes the learning curve typically associated with advanced solutions at higher price points. Rather than dominating the user interface with analysis graphs and a plethora of parameters, PitchCraft EZ maximizes accessibility with a streamlined "sports car red" interface. BIAS says it chose carefully to include important features normally reserved for solutions priced several times higher. In addition to pitch correction and scale conformation, PitchCraft EZ offers a variety of scale types with customization (via mouse or MIDI keyboard input), as well as independent formant and transposition control (offering control over the "cavity size" as well as pitch shifting intervals). The addition of independent transposition and formant control offers the ability to create both natural and "super-natural" effects such as "gender-changing" (transforming a male voice to female or vice versa) as well as "aging" (transforming an adult voice to a child or vice versa), and "resizing" (making a smaller person's voice sound bigger or vice versa).
While many will acquire PitchCraft EZ for musical applications, the additional transposition and formant controls can be easily employed by sound designers to create "alien" sounding voices, "chipmunks", and other more bizarre sounding special effects. Video and filmmakers can also employ PitchCraft EZ to help disguise a subject's voice in cases where anonymity is preferred.
Pricing & Availability
PitchCraft EZ is available for Mac OS X and Windows in VST, Audio Units and RTAS/AS plug-in formats.
PitchCraft EZ is now available through the worldwide network of authorized BIAS resellers and distributors as well as directly from BIAS at an introductory suggested retail price of $99. The standard edition of PitchCraft is currently available for $149 and is also included with the Master Perfection Suite ($599).
