Audio connectivity
How does the MelodyneBridge work?
The MelodyneBridge is a small effects plug-in that connects to Melodyne. The MelodyneBridge allows an application to use Melodyne as though it were a plug-in — even though, in fact, it is running as an independent application.
The Concept
When you run a sequencer, a separate mixer channel is assigned to each of the audio tracks. If any effects are loaded as inserts in the mixer channel, the signal will pass through each of them in turn; this is known as an ‘effects chain’.
To edit an audio track using Melodyne, all you need do is insert the MelodyneBridge at the beginning of the effects chain; this is done by loading it into the first insert effects slot of the mixer channel assigned to the track you wish to edit.
When Melodyne is not running, the MelodyneBridge simply lets the channel signal pass unmodified.
When Melodyne is running, the MelodyneBridge can be used in either of two ways:
- to transfer audio from the sequencer track to Melodyne (RECORD mode) or
- to add Melodyne’s output to the mix (PLAYBACK mode), in which case the original signal from the sequencer track is ignored and replaced by Melodyne's liquidized output.
How it works in detail:
If the MelodyneBridge is in RECORD mode, as the track plays back its audio data is copied to the corresponding track within Melodyne. If you switch to RECORD mode and play back bars 3 to 5, you will get this:
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Now you can use Melodyne to edit the audio signal you have just recorded. If you now select PLAYBACK mode and play bars 1 to 6, the MelodyneBridge will take the audio from Melodyne whenever Melodyne has audio available and the unprocessed signal from the audio track at all other times. In other words:
during bars 1 and 2, it will allow the original signal (from the audio track) to pass unmodified.
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During bars 3 and 4, it will substitute Melodyne’s output for the original signal:
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Finally, during bars 5 to 6, it will again allow the original signal to pass unmodified.
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Tip:
So far we have been using the host application’s transport bar to start and stop playback. If you start playback from Melodyne’s transport bar, Melodyne will send its audio signal through the recording application’s mixer channel, but the two applications will not be synchronized. This means you have two options: you can either solo Melodyne - working on your melody as if the program were running independently (by using Melodyne’s Play button) or listen to your work within the context of the main mix (by using that of the audio sequencer).
