Character Voice pitch change

[cinetj]

Hi,

I'm working in the mix of the dubbing of a tv show. I have some problems now with one of the voices. It's the voice of a boy (6 years old) performed by an actress. The director asked me to raise the pitch. Using the digirack pitch shift seems not to work. All ends up kind of robotic.

Any input on this one?

[nucelar]

Originally Posted by cinetj

Hi,

I'm working in the mix of the dubbing of a tv show. I have some problems now with one of the voices. It's the voice of a boy (6 years old) performed by an actress. The director asked me to raise the pitch. Using the digirack pitch shift seems not to work. All ends up kind of robotic.

Any input on this one?

The only acceptable solution I know is to hire another voice. You can try melodyne and all other pitch and formant manipulating plug-ins out there but you'll be wasting your time. Even if it's cartoon.
Good luck

[Rick Sanchez]

Originally Posted by cinetj

Hi,

I'm working in the mix of the dubbing of a tv show. I have some problems now with one of the voices. It's the voice of a boy (6 years old) performed by an actress. The director asked me to raise the pitch. Using the digirack pitch shift seems not to work. All ends up kind of robotic.

Any input on this one?

I have not found a pitch shifter yet that can go up more than a 1/2 step or so on spoken voice without sounding getting squirrely. If it's for animation, you can often get away with it.

[smurfyou]

Yes, small steps will work. But I've often found when the director is asking for a "pitch shift" that really means they are unhappy with the performance/casting and desperate to change it. In which case pitching won't do any good.

But if its for animation go ahead and try it. I actually like Digi's pitch shifter on voice. In fact I use it for a couple of animated voices.

[jimlongo]

Originally Posted by cinetj

Hi,

I'm working in the mix of the dubbing of a tv show. I have some problems now with one of the voices. It's the voice of a boy (6 years old) performed by an actress. The director asked me to raise the pitch. Using the digirack pitch shift seems not to work. All ends up kind of robotic.

Any input on this one?

Do it all the time in animation (especially female actresses for kids) . . . try vari-speed instead of just pitch shifting.

[cinetj]

Thanks Jim

I'll try it with varispeed then and see if it works.

[Uncle Bob]

I've had some luck with the Pitch/Formant in Digital Performer. I did a rap track a number of years ago where I turned a bunch of guys into little kids.

[VoiceManMike]

vari-speed is the best way to go especially in animation.

[cinetj]

Ok, obvious question. It should have been made earlier. How to keep sinc with varispeed?

[astronmr20]

Hire Nancy Cartwright.

[E Baxter Put]

I recommend varispeed as well. If you do it, then you'll have to do it before they start animating. I worked on a well known animated show and we used varispeed on a DA88 tape machine to get the voices a bit higher in pitch. We recorded with machine slowed down and played it back at normal speed.

[jimlongo]

Originally Posted by cinetj

Ok, obvious question. It should have been made earlier. How to keep sinc with varispeed?

Oh yeah, well that's not gonna work.

[cinetj]

bump!

[soundguydave]

Try a demo of Pitch n Time. Their voice algorithm is great.