What's the principle behind pitch shifting?

[guyman]

Or more specifically pitch shifters/ micro shifters that don't introduce distortion or artifacts when shifted small amounts. I've seen numerous tools and schematics for ways of modulating pitch with delay, or shifting with grains, but there are tools out there like the microshifter, eventide stuff, CMX, that have a really clean pitch shift. What is the mechanism/ process behind this? All the digital stuff I find introduces latency, but wouldn't it be possible without latency?

Salutations.

[martinvicanek]

There are various methods with different characteristics regarding latency, pitch range, formant preservation. Most are geared towards monophonic input - poly is much harder. Stephan Bernsee has a good overview.

[martinvicanek]

lots of info and references in this recent discussion
https://lists.columbia.edu/pipermail/mu ... /date.html