Create harmony in Cubase with Vari-Audio

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through creating artificial harmony using Vari-Audio in Cubase. Vari-Audio is a powerful tool for manipulating audio, particularly for vocal tracks, allowing you to create harmonies seamlessly from a single melody. This technique can enhance your music production by adding depth and richness to your tracks.

Step 1: Open Your Melody Track

• Launch Cubase and open your project.
• Import the melody track you want to harmonize.
• Make sure it is properly aligned and edited to avoid any timing issues.

Step 2: Access Vari-Audio

• Select the audio track containing your melody.
• Open the “Sample Editor” by double-clicking on the audio event.
• Click on the “Vari-Audio” button in the Sample Editor to activate the tool.

Step 3: Analyze the Melody

• Once Vari-Audio is activated, Cubase will analyze the pitch of your melody.
• Review the detected pitches shown as blocks in the Vari-Audio interface.
• Adjust any incorrect pitch detections manually by dragging the blocks to the correct pitches.

Step 4: Create Harmonies

• Use the “Add Note” feature in Vari-Audio to create harmony notes.
• Select a pitch above or below the original melody to generate harmony.
  • For example, if your melody is in C, you could add an E for a third harmony or G for a fifth.
• Repeat this process for each section of the melody where you want harmony.

Step 5: Fine-Tune Your Harmonies

• Adjust the timing and pitch of the added harmony notes as needed.
• Use the pitch and formant controls to modify the sound of the harmonies.
• Play back the track to listen to how the harmonies blend with the melody.

Step 6: Apply Effects and Mixing

• Once satisfied with the harmonies, consider adding effects like reverb or delay to enhance the overall sound.
• Adjust the levels of the harmony track in relation to the original melody to achieve a balanced mix.

Conclusion

Creating artificial harmony with Vari-Audio in Cubase is a straightforward process that can significantly enhance your music productions. By following these steps, you can turn a simple melody into a rich, harmonized track. Experiment with different harmonies and effects to discover what works best for your music. For further practice, consider applying these techniques to different genres and styles to broaden your skills.