smbPitchShift Bumped Up to Version 1.2
October, 2006 — We’re happy to announce the immediate availability of version 1.2 of our smbPitchShift code. Version 1.2 fixes some long standing minor issues with initialization bounds, unused variables and sound quality when upshifting the pitch by larger factors. If your project uses the code make sure you replace the old version with the new one available from our download page. If you did not change the code from the original distribution this should be a simple replace.
OctaveShifter MacOS X AudioUnit by Frank Schoep
October, 2006 — Frank Schoep of “Forever For Now” has just released his OctaveShifter AudioUnit plug in which is based on our smbPitchShift code. This is what he has to say about it: “With the success I had with my previous Audio Unit, the Reverse Sampler, I set out to create another one. This time I wanted to do a realtime pitch shifting effect with a range of plus or minus one whole octave. Initially I thought it would be the easiest to make an effect that could only shift exactly an octave up or down. I tried several variations to create a decent pitch shifting algorithm but I couldn’t get anything to sound anywhere near a decent quality pitch shifter. […] I decided to stick with the pitch shifting code available on Stephan M. Bernsee’s DSP Dimension website. In record time I had implemented his code in my Audio Unit […]” Make sure you read the full story and download the free AudioUnit from his web site.
Autodesk Releases New Products Using Dirac
September, 2006 — Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) launched new versions of its visual effects and editing systems: Autodesk Inferno 2007, Autodesk Flame 2007, Autodesk Flint 2007, Autodesk Fire 2007 and Autodesk Smoke 2007. Focusing on connectivity and productivity, these latest versions streamline workflow and provide artists with more time for creativity. The products, which have been used to create breathtaking content for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, X-Men: The Last Stand and Lady in the Water, now include the DIRAC Time Stretching and Pitch Shifting Technology from the DSP Dimension. Get more info on their products from here.
DiracLE 1.29 Released
May, 2006 — Today the DSP Dimension would like to announce the immediate availability of DiracLE version 1.29 from our Download page. Version 1.29 offers the latest bug fixes from the commercial versions and now supports Universal Binary projects on MacOS X. The Windows version fixes several memory allocation issues that could cause a crash on deallocation of the Dirac object. We highly recommend downloading this version from our Download page.
Steinberg Adopt DIRAC Time Stretching Technology for WaveLab 6
February, 2006 — We are happy to welcome Philippe Goutier (the author of WaveLab) as a new licensing partner amongst the licensees of the critically acclaimed DIRAC time and pitch manipulation software released by the DSP Dimension in 2005. Goutier/Steinberg have adopted our novel DIRAC time stretching and pitch shifting technology for the latest version 6 of their popular WaveLab audio editing software for Windows which is in stores now. Read about the feature set of WaveLab 6 here. “DIRAC is among the most advanced algorithms for time-based manipulation of audio material available today. Excellent audio quality, outstanding performance and maximum precision are among the superlative qualities this technology brings to WaveLab 6. Its flexibility allows it to be used on a huge range of audio material including vocals, drum loops and classical string ensembles to name just a few”, says the Steinberg web site.
WaveLab is undoubtably one of the most popular audio editing tools on the Windows platform. Together with other leading software products that already use DIRAC, such as custom-tailored high-end audio and video systems presently being used at the Paramount editing facilities, DIRAC has quickly become accepted by the leading developers in the audio industry as the standard for high end time and pitch manipulation. Currently, we have many more inquiries by leading companies and we expect to announce new licensing partners very soon.
DIRAC has been designed from the ground up to deliver optimum quality with any audio material. This means it is optimized to process both musically monophonic and polyphonic material with equal ease and success. Its innovative formant correction keeps the tone and color of the processed sounds unaltered even for large pitch shift ratios, making it an ideal tool to transpose lead vocals or entire scores at very high quality. Its unique pre-scheduling feature calculates dynamic time and pitch envelopes independently of the host software, which makes it possible to edit the audio material on a sample-accurate level without actually implementing envelopes in the host.
Employing the latest technology for adaptive time frequency transforms, DIRAC is presently the only technology that can have the coherence and precision of time domain methods while preserving the excellent resolution of frequency domain methods for polyphonic material over a wide range of stretch ratios, without reverberation artifacts and echoes. In case you have not yet checked out the DIRAC product page we’d like to welcome you to our DIRAC product page. DIRAC is available in 3 different varieties at very competitive licensing fees – the LE version of the technology even comes entirely free of charge. Full ANSI C/C++ source code is available as a special licensing option.
DIRAC 1.1 Now Includes Automatic Pitch/Intonation Correction
July 18th, 2005 — Being an ideal tool for sung or instrumental tracks that aren’t in perfect tune, DIRAC 1.1 now incorporates an advanced way of improving intonation on instrument and vocal tracks. Its automatic pitch detection and correction lets you automatically correct notes that deviate from their closest key on the piano keyboard. The DIRAC pitch correction is a lightning fast process that makes this application faster than realtime and ideal for A/B comparison sessions. Contrary to other pitch correction schemes on the market today that sound rather synthetic and lend a robotic quality to the processed tracks, DIRAC’s advanced intonation parameters allow for a natural result that is indistinguishable from the orginal track. Due to the fact that it doesn’t use granular synthesis like many of the other pitch correctors it does not produce any distortion or artifacts, and it doesn’t rely on the underlying signal being 100% periodic to produce a musical result. When you enable pitch correction you can adjust the pitch correction strength and capture range as well as the slur rate that defines the time until the note settles at the correct pitch. Much like a singer who adjusts the note while he sings, DIRAC adapts to the signal and smoothly shifts it to match the predefined pitch. Of course, DIRAC gives you full control over the reference tuning to match your recording. You can get the library and updated documentation from our download page.
miniAIFF 1.51 Posted
July 4th, 2005 — Version 1.51 of the free miniAIFF library is available for download from our downloads page. Version 1.51 adds support for MacOS X Universal Binary format and is compatible with the upcoming Intel-based Mac models. Xcode 2.1 and MacOS X 10.4 or later is recommended.
DIRAC 1.05 Posted
July 1st, 2005 — Version 1.05 of DIRAC LE is available for download. Click here for a detailed version history and changes in this version.