Axehole

If you have any any doubts about Melodyne’s power as a tool for production and remixing, the polyphonic demos should eliminate them.

Celemony has prepared a variety of sound examples to demonstrate their new algorithm for the editing of polyphonic signals or entire mixes.

They’ve got a Flash-based interface that lets you easily explore the effects possible with polyphonic material using Melodyne. In addition to the typical application areas such as 10% faster/slower or 2 semitones higher/lower, they have also provided extreme values of up to ±2 octaves and 25 or 400%.

In most cases, speed changes sound more realistic at extremes than pitch changes. If you raise the pitch of an orchestral sample an octave, instruments may be playing out of their natural ranges, for example, instruments may be out of their natural ranges. The sound of brass and wind instruments pitch-shifted an octave is also very different than their real sound, too.

Nevertheless, the demo showcases the musical effects possible at these extreme ranges. While they may not always be realistic, the can still be very cool. Check out the effects possible with drum loops for ideas of Melodyne’s potential for remixing.