elastiquePitch 2.5.0 — Mac build

Version 2.5 supports up to 16 audio channels, which is a practical ceiling for most mix and post-production work. elastiquePitch is a 64-bit real-time pitch-shifting plug-in that also adjusts formants as you shift, so vocals don't turn into chipmunk chatter or mud without you telling them to.

1. Insert the plug-in on any track in your DAW.
2. Dial in the pitch shift — semitones or cents — and listen to the formant follow in real time.
3. Layer a pitch-shifted echo by blending the wet signal back into the same track.
4. Route up to 16 channels of multichannel audio through it for surround or stem-based pitch work.

The ÉLASTIQUEPRO algorithm inside version 2.5 handles frame-rate conversion jobs and vocal pitch correction without the artifacts older shifters leave behind. It runs as VST3, AU, or AAX native on macOS 10.15 and later, Intel and Apple Silicon both.

Pulling a flat voice-over up two semitones

I drop the plug-in onto a voice-over track that was recorded a half-step flat. The session is in Logic, but the steps are the same in any AU or VST3 host. I pull the pitch up two semitones and play the first line. The formant shifts with it — the voice keeps its natural body, no hollow sound.

Next I route a stereo synth pad through an auxiliary channel with elastiquePitch on it. I set a mild pitch shift, maybe +7 cents, and blend the dry and wet signals to create a detuned layer behind the original. The echo feature builds a pitch-shifted repeat that I time to the BPM of the track. I freeze a grain of the pad's sustain at a certain point, which gives me a static tone I can use as a bed underneath the next section.

For a surround mix I send a five-channel ambience recording through the plug-in. The multichannel support means I shift all channels together without needing five instances. I adjust the pitch by one semitone to match the key of the scene, check that the formant follows on each channel, and move on.

Installing for VST3, AU, and AAX in one go

Open the disk image and run the standard installer. The plug-in appears in your DAW's list under the manufacturer name zplane. If you work with multiple formats — VST3 in Reaper, AU in Ableton, AAX in Pro Tools — install each version from the same installer. The 64-bit architecture means it will show up in your 64-bit host without problems.

Start with a single vocal track. Shift by small amounts first, three to five semitones, and listen to how the formant behaves. The real-time response means you can adjust while the track loops. Try the freeze function on a short sound like a cymbal crash or a pluck. Move the pitch slider while frozen to hear how the grain changes before you release it.

If you use the plug-in for frame-rate conversion — say, PAL to NTSC — load a reference tone at 48 kHz and pitch it by the required amount. Check that the resulting frequency matches the target. The ÉLASTIQUEPRO algorithm keeps the timing accurate enough for dialog sync work.

Workflow: pitch-correcting a vocal phrase

1. Insert elastiquePitch on the vocal track.
2. Loop the phrase that needs correction.
3. Adjust the pitch shift until the note lands in the correct key. Use cents for fine-tuning.
4. Listen to the formant. If the shift is more than a few semitones, the formant follows automatically, but you can also separate the two if you want the timbre to stay closer to the original.
5. Add a pitch-shifted echo at low volume to blend the corrected note into the mix.
6. Bounce the track or record the output to a new track to commit the correction.

Pitch shift, formant, freeze, and echo always visible

The redesigned interface in version 2.5 makes the main controls — pitch shift, formant shift, freeze, and echo — visible without digging into submenus. The English-only interface keeps labels clear and direct.

Multichannel support works up to 16 channels, but you do not have to use all of them. A stereo track sees the same controls as a 7.1 bed. The plug-in scales to what you route into it.

The freeze function works on any source material. Try it on a held vocal note or a sustained instrument tone. The sound grain stays static until you release it or change the pitch while frozen.

The echo function is not a separate insert. You set it inside the plug-in, which keeps your session's routing simple. The pitch-shifted echo uses the same algorithm as the dry signal, so the timbre matches.

Musicians needing high-quality real-time pitch shifting sometimes evaluate elastiquePitch.

• macOS 10.15 or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon
• 64-bit host DAW