New versions of Melodyne don't come along that often, but when they do, they are usually worth the wait! More than four years on from version 4, Melodyne 5 also offer impressive selection of new features. Version 4 also brings forth some amazing tools for manipulating the tempo of entire multitracks.

It remains one of very few programs that can perform pitchcorrection on Polyphonic sources, and the Sound Editor introduced in Melodyne 4 provides a huge palette of resynthesis and processing possibilities. Of course, both packages are adept in both fields, but Melodyne has some unique capabilities. 'Auto-Tuning', by contrast, often suggests use of pitch processing as a special effect. When producers talk of vocals as having been 'Melodyned', they are usually implying use of non-invasive pitchcorrection. Since its launch 20 years ago, Celemony's Melodyne has joined Antares' Auto-Tune in that realm of ubiquity where people use its name as a verb. In our exclusive review, we explore version 5's new superpowers. Although it's now been around for two decades, Melodyne is still the stuff of science fiction. Note how it ignores the quiet, sharp section at the end of Note and positions it such that the first, loud section is centre. Long Note here is a good example of Melodyne 5's new weight pitch centre Algorithm in action.

Melodyne essential 4