mudgel
Melodyne can be used as a normal VST plugin but its real power lies in using it with ARA integration.
 
Once you have some Audio on a track. Find the top of the track view screen and as you read off the menus, the one on the far right is called region Fx. when you click on that with an audio track selected and some audio data highlighted, you'll get options to "Create Region Fx". select it and your section of or whole track will be placed in the Melodyne editor where you can experiment with all that it can do. Have fun.

 
hey mettalus and cpkoch,
 
you guys rock! seriously, your language is killer!
 
Mike,
 
Just on ARA Integration, what does it mean and how is ARA Integrated, what is ARA?  I mean, I've used the region effects on some audio and used melodyne to fart about with it, but I still don't get where the ARA Integration comes into play - is it simply got to do with the option of being able to select a region of the audio to load into melodyne and apply the fx to it from melo?
 
cheers
jim

http://blog.cakewalk.com/tag/ara-integration/

scook
http://blog.cakewalk.com/tag/ara-integration/

ahhh I see now, you can use a normal instrument like a guitar, or even a flute, record some sounds to an audio track then drag it into a VST instrument's midi track; ARA converts it to midi... Is that right?

cpkoch
I'm the one who bought X3 Basic version after not willing to buy an iLock device needed to get PT to play....

Hey Conrad, to answer your question (in the other forum), YES, I am the very same person that was posting in the class... I must admit that I was not "expecting" you to buy X3, but wanted you to see what was available to you. You are indeed 100% correct in that the people who read and post here are trying to help others... and I will stand by my statement that this forum is a family... we will certainly make digs at one another, but no one here wants to see anyone else fail (by any means)...
 
The folks in this forum have humbled me, challenged me, and instructed me... but not once did they set me up for failure, and my epiphany was taking part in the "Introduction to Music Production" class. I have (very much so) taken for granted the help that has been offered me. Having not used other DAWs, I really did not understand what others are "going through," as it were, so (as I said in the class forum) this is my "moment of shame." (Nothing can humble me more than not realizing what this forum has done for me.)
 
I used to come in this forum often to get answers, and then leave... it was not until X3 that I felt any "competence" in giving back. All the "crap BS" aside... I think the CW forum is the most impressive group of folks I have ever been a part of, so I hope that I can (finally) carry my weight.

JimmyBoy
 Just on ARA Integration, what does it mean and how is ARA Integrated, what is ARA? 

Hey Jim, the link on Celeomny's site it actually very descriptive (http://www.celemony.com/en/service1/about-celemony/technologies?checkLang=1) i.e. the "ARA Audio Random Access"
To boil it down succinctly... most effects only "see" a short time period and act accordingly... ARA allows a much wider "window" for a plug-in to see what's coming, so it sees the "bigger picture."
 
Check out the video above, it gives a very good overview of what "ARA" is.

Anderton
That said, it's 14 years later and I still haven't switched

 
Hehe, I am closing in on 16 years... but I think that is the only thing that I can brag about!!!

I guess I should do the same for the CW crowd... this is the same post I made in the "Introduction to Music Production" forum:
 
"In the interest of transparency, I wanted to link a thread I posted in the CW forums (people can bash me as they like). I make a big effort to try and understand each person's DAW situation from their perspective (not mine) and do not blindly tout "X3" for no reason, but my involvement in this forum has given me significantly more appreciation for what I have (and taken for granted).

Here is the comment I posted (in the CW forums), so others have insight into what I said (feel free to bash me, I am pretty durable).

[This post is not intended to trigger a "bash fest," but simply share a revelation I had by participating in this course. I am very concerned with new DAW users coming online and being able to record effectively.]"

mettelus

cpkoch
I'm the one who bought X3 Basic version after not willing to buy an iLock device needed to get PT to play....

Hey Conrad, to answer your question (in the other forum), YES, I am the very same person that was posting in the class... I must admit that I was not "expecting" you to buy X3, but wanted you to see what was available to you. You are indeed 100% correct in that the people who read and post here are trying to help others... and I will stand by my statement that this forum is a family... we will certainly make digs at one another, but no one here wants to see anyone else fail (by any means)...
 
The folks in this forum have humbled me, challenged me, and instructed me... but not once did they set me up for failure, and my epiphany was taking part in the "Introduction to Music Production" class. I have (very much so) taken for granted the help that has been offered me. Having not used other DAWs, I really did not understand what others are "going through," as it were, so (as I said in the class forum) this is my "moment of shame." (Nothing can humble me more than not realizing what this forum has done for me.)
 
I used to come in this forum often to get answers, and then leave... it was not until X3 that I felt any "competence" in giving back. All the "crap BS" aside... I think the CW forum is the most impressive group of folks I have ever been a part of, so I hope that I can (finally) carry my weight.

Normally there is no reason for me to engage in a thread of this sort. Not that I haven't done so on occasion. But what you said is awfully nice and a little hard for us to live up too. I think we try but we do fail from time to time. However, I do strongly believe that each of us is fanatical about being accurate and truthful. We also strive to be respectful of all members. Our finest times are those that turn a rant posting into one of understanding and revelation. 
 
None the less, we are people just like all other people and subject to human failing. Often though when that happens this forum is self correcting. We do have a lot to be thankful about but its only as good as the next post. Keep us honest and it will stay that way. 

Let me be perfectly clear... this forum has errors (as anything related to "humans" does), but so many have taken the time to instruct (and guide) others without blindly touting "this or that." I think that the "why" is what is the most reflective of "who" this forum embodies... we do (certainly) calibrate each other, but not out of spite (usually ). Even when we argue (and we do), it is not with the purpose of seeing anyone fail.
 
My epiphany has been participating in a "non-SONAR" forum... The moment of "Good God, folks have invested hours in me by replying to my stupid posts" suddenly became apparent to me. Not only that, but I sit back and think "How much would I be able to do without reading others' advice?" Not very far actually... which is simply "fact."
 
"Time is money"... and so many in here do invest time in others... often they do not even see the effect of that investment, but it is there.
 
Example... Just in the time since X3 was released... I "think" I had a whopping 163 posts, and most were from me coming in here, getting information, and bolting. In hindsight I am very ashamed of this... Perhaps it is a personal hiccup; but participation in "something else" has made me realize a LOT.
 

JimmyBoy
 
ahhh I see now, you can use a normal instrument like a guitar, or even a flute, record some sounds to an audio track then drag it into a VST instrument's midi track; ARA converts it to midi... Is that right?

Yes, keep in mind that Essential is monophonic. To perform MIDI conversion on a polyphonic track would require Melodyne Editor. I believe this is demonstrated in the Melodyne Essential video on CakeTV.