{"id":1630,"date":"2024-10-18T10:32:31","date_gmt":"2024-10-18T10:32:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.julien-nevo.com\/arkostracker\/?page_id=1630"},"modified":"2025-08-22T11:46:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T09:46:42","slug":"using-pitches","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.julien-nevo.com\/arkostracker\/index.php\/using-pitches\/","title":{"rendered":"Using pitches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just like you learned with arpeggios, this tutorial will show you how to create pitches and use the related effects in the patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Before reading this, you should have a basic understanding of AT3, which this tutorial<\/a> will help you get! You should also read about the pitch editor<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Besides volume effects, pitches are probably the most used effects in the sound-chip world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s create some. Start AT3. It opens with a new empty song. A first “Beep” sound is present. Just like with the arpeggio tutorial, open it and make it loop on the sixth bar:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This simple sound will be the starting point upon which we will make our tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a first pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On the left of the screen is the list of instruments (as you can see above), arpeggios and pitches. Press the third icon from the left to open the pitch list (PL). You can also press shift + F5<\/span><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Analogue to the arpeggio, there is only one pitch by default, called “None”. It is always present and is used when you want to stop pitches, but we’ll see that later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click on the \"\" at the bottom of the pitch list, which opens a prompt. Enter the fields as the following and press OK to create the pitch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

“First” appears in the list. Double-click on it, and the Pitch Editor will appear in the center of the screen (you can also press F5<\/span><\/a> to open the currently selected pitch. Opening the editor will also automatically open the list, which is handy!):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is nothing really fancy here. Only one column, and no value in it (0s are not written to have a clearer interface). The value of a pitch is added to the frequency of the sound (to be more precise, it is added to its period<\/em>). We can thus simulate vibratos, slides, or go crazy with strange effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now you should be used to using the bar editors of AT3. Use any mean you know (or one described here<\/a>) to modify the pitch such as to get a nice slide sound during a few bars, with a loop at the last row (which should have a value of 0, else the sound will be off-key):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By using the keyboard, you can directly play the sound (and escape<\/span><\/a> to stop it):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A second pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We will create a second pitch from the AT3 templates (which, actually, “Low attack” belongs to!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know the drill. Right-click an item on the PL and select “Creates at the bottom”, or click on the \"\" icon at the bottom of the list. A dialog opens for our new pitch. Name it “Vibrato” and select the like-named template:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Open the newly created pitch:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It sounds like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the pitches in a song<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The principle is the same as with arpeggios, but the effects are different. There are no “inline pitches”, only “pitch table”. But there are more pitch effects, which we’re going to see just after… Finally, as a bonus, we’re going to mix arpeggio and pitch for an even richer sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pitch table effect<\/a> is the “p” effect. It is followed by the pitch number, which you can see listed in the PL, just besides the pitch you are interested in (00<\/code> to stop the pitch, 01<\/code> for Low attack, 02<\/code> for Vibrato).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing a melody using the pitch is straightforward and follow the same rules as the arpeggios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It will sound like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n