Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - M. Wagener’s and other’s opinions about “varispeed” or “multitempo” tracks

Kiwiburger · 28th February 2006

I can do varispeed stuff in Cubase SX, using the offline pitch shifter. This is true varispeed, just like with analog tape - it's a little fiddly, but doesn't require an external variable clock:

Create your guide track - let's say it's in the key of C at 120 bpm.
Bounce a copy to a single audio track.
Mute the original tracks, so you are just hearing the bounced audio version.
Audio process this track with the pitch shifter - e.g. transpose up one tone to D.
Important: turn OFF the time and formant preserving features.
The whole track is now higher and faster - just like tape.
Record your overdubs.
Discard the bounced track and unmute the original.
What you have now is an overdub that is too high and too fast.
Pitch shift the overdub down one tone - still with time and formant preserving OFF.

You can also do this by changing the sample rate - but I find it easier to use the pitch shift. It achieves exactly the same result - a sample rate conversion.

I've pitch shifted up or down several octaves, then reversed it, and compared against the originals and they null very well. Very little damage is done, because the time stretching and formant shifting is disabled.

28th February 2006	#21
Kiwiburger Lives for gear Joined: Feb 2006 Posts: 4,075	I can do varispeed stuff in Cubase SX, using the offline pitch shifter. This is true varispeed, just like with analog tape - it's a little fiddly, but doesn't require an external variable clock: Create your guide track - let's say it's in the key of C at 120 bpm. Bounce a copy to a single audio track. Mute the original tracks, so you are just hearing the bounced audio version. Audio process this track with the pitch shifter - e.g. transpose up one tone to D. Important: turn OFF the time and formant preserving features. The whole track is now higher and faster - just like tape. Record your overdubs. Discard the bounced track and unmute the original. What you have now is an overdub that is too high and too fast. Pitch shift the overdub down one tone - still with time and formant preserving OFF. You can also do this by changing the sample rate - but I find it easier to use the pitch shift. It achieves exactly the same result - a sample rate conversion. I've pitch shifted up or down several octaves, then reversed it, and compared against the originals and they null very well. Very little damage is done, because the time stretching and formant shifting is disabled.