Need to change the KEY of a song.....

[zarific]

I need to change the key of a song that I'm working on to fit a female vocal. The crappy news is that the track is finished and I have to rasie it up a full step, fom D to E. I guess my options are to remake the track (it has lots of synths and will probably turn out a lttle different) or try using a Pitch shift plug in. I have already researched and downloaded the demo of Pitch ' N Time Pro but I'm having trouble getting it authorized, I'm waiting to here back from the company. And I think the stock pitch shift plugin in PT sound like terds so I'm gotta try something else.

So that's my problem, I'm just curious what everyone else has done in this situation. And if anybody likes or dislikes pitch shift plugins.

I don't know, I was also thinking about quiting music and getting a job. Help me decide!!

[chester]

Originally Posted by zarific

I need to change the key of a song that I'm working on to fit a female vocal. The crappy news is that the track is finished and I have to rasie it up a full step, fom D to E. I guess my options are to remake the track (it has lots of synths and will probably turn out a lttle different) or try using a Pitch shift plug in. I have already researched and downloaded the demo of Pitch ' N Time Pro but I'm having trouble getting it authorized, I'm waiting to here back from the company. And I think the stock pitch shift plugin in PT sound like terds so I'm gotta try something else.

So that's my problem, I'm just curious what everyone else has done in this situation. And if anybody likes or dislikes pitch shift plugins.

I don't know, I was also thinking about quiting music and getting a job. Help me decide!!

did you used vst synths ? or synths with midi option...you should have to backup those midi

from the D to E is a small step maybe it works without a big mess....

bye ches

[Gear Tramp]

Try the newer Digi Time Shift plug instead... it has a better pitch shift.

Or, if you have GarageBand '08 you can audition different keys on the fly...

Take note, this is why God invented made Adam and MIDI.

[Tibbon]

Print to tape, then just adjust the speed. No digital artifacts. A few Beatles songs were changed by more than just a step.

[filterayok]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Print to tape, then just adjust the speed. No digital artifacts. A few Beatles songs were changed by more than just a step.

yea but now the song will faster correct?

[Tibbon]

Can she really not sing it in that key?

A compromise would be for her to come down a half step and you go up a half step.

Yes the song would be shorter.

[Alex Niedt]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Can she really not sing it in that key?

A compromise would be for her to come down a half step and you go up a half step.

Yes the song would be shorter.

Agreed. I'd hope to raise it as little as possible. Hopefully it's a pretty fat sounding track so raising the pitch of the entire thing won't thin it out too much?

[filterayok]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Can she really not sing it in that key?

A compromise would be for her to come down a half step and you go up a half step.

Yes the song would be shorter.

yea i would think they'd want the tempo the same. I'd go midi where possible, and if you can believe it, on the version of PT that i use (6.1.9 i think) the standard 'Pitch" plugin is actually pretty damn good... just dont forget to pitch your drums, or things will sound off.

for your drums, you can take off the check next to 'time correcion' ---but you'll have to re-fly them onto the grid.. (shouldnt be hard for a rap/hiphop song) that way your drums are pitched without artifacts thus preserving a more natural attack, ESPECIALLY for low end sounds

[TonyBelmont]

Try MELODYNE!!!!!

[nukmusic]

I would change the MIDI settings(pitch) then re-record the audio. Some plugins pitch don't work too hot..IMO They tend to add a little something to the audio SOMETIMES.

and as touched on above....before you re-record it, see if she could sing in that key. You might need try another key.

[zarific]

Thanks for everybody's help and advice. Since I started this thread a few hours ago I just remade the track. Wasnt that complicated. I don't use midi for recording my parts I just play them all live. Apperently not many people do that. Any feedback on Pitch 'n Time Pro?

[Tibbon]

If your studio is by the hour (as it should be for just about everything), then you're making a mistake. Just retrack everything, and charge the client. Maybe I'm evil, but I like making a living. Doing things too fast is bad for business. If I could make an entire Steely Dan album in 3 hours, then there would be no point in being in business. You gotta have hours to make money.

[matthew.sawicki]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

If your studio is by the hour (as it should be for just about everything), then you're making a mistake. Just retrack everything, and charge the client. Maybe I'm evil, but I like making a living. Doing things too fast is bad for business.

I think this is the problem with our industry...

It's fine to get hours, but to intentionally prolong a clients session for no other reason than to make more money because you can is just greedy. I mean, I know it's the American way and all, but jeez...

Originally Posted by Tibbon

If I could make an entire Steely Dan album in 3 hours, then there would be no point in being in business. You gotta have hours to make money.

The point in being in business would be because you enjoyed it. I love what I do, not the money I make doing it.

[swisha31]

Originally Posted by matthew.sawicki

I think this is the problem with our industry...

It's fine to get hours, but to intentionally prolong a clients session for no other reason than to make more money because you can is just greedy. I mean, I know it's the American way and all, but jeez...



The point in being in business would be because you enjoyed it. I love what I do, not the money I make doing it.

yeah, getting paid handsomely while doing something you love is always the plus and IMO shouldn't be glamorized because then everybody thinks they can do it.

[IIIG]

+1 for Melodyne. Seriously insane pitch n time capabilities.

[The MPCist]

Melodyne or Pitch n' Time. Both work well for +1/-1 tranposing audio.

[Stiff]

I lowered a song an entire step with Pitch n time, worked fine. The new Digidesign will probably work as well.

[jbuehler]

If the whole point of this debacle is just one vocal that REALLY can't be sung in the right key than I would do it like this.

1: Pitch the song up. Record vocals.

2: Pitch vocals down and sync them to original beat.

This way the rhythms and punch of the track will stay untouched and that takes a lot more work to get right.

This seems pretty simple though I have never done it. Anyway have anything wrong with the above practice?

[rokuez]

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

Try MELODYNE!!!!!

!!!yes!!!