Using samples in the right key?
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Old 12-20-2012, 09:11 PM   #1
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Using samples in the right key?

Hey all,

Hope you're all good!

I've got a question regarding music theory.

I began as a DJ before making music and the way i make tracks now is using the majority of samples. I don't really have any musical knowledge at all and don't even use a midi keyboard when producing! I just pick samples that i feel go together and work on that.

Below is my recent track and someone has told me that the vocals are out key with the piano and that i need to work on my music theory a bit, would you agree? And where would i need to start in terms of tuning samples etc?



Thanks!

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Old 12-20-2012, 09:17 PM   #2
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Are the piano and bass both samples that you got from a loop pack or something? Is that melody and bass line exactly as it was in the sample you used?
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Old 12-20-2012, 09:23 PM   #3
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

I always mess the samples up a little bit, either pitch them up or down little, chop them up etc...but there is no set logic, i just do it by ear...and yes i do mainly work with samples and mainly in audio!

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Old 12-22-2012, 02:13 PM   #4
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

To the top, any opinions on my original post please??

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Old 12-23-2012, 02:54 AM   #5
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

in for answers.. im about 2 months into producing and i dont ever change the keys of my samples... so in for answers. never read to do it anywhere
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Old 12-23-2012, 03:20 AM   #6
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Not able to listen to the track at the moment.

But you should know what key you are working in, and follow a certain scale.
If not things will just sounds out of key, which most of the time is not pleasant.

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Old 12-23-2012, 04:24 AM   #7
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

In my limited experience with sampling, its a bad idea to pitch entire chords or melodies up or down.
Although it should work in theory, there's a lot more going on sonically in sampled chords than just 3 notes that will conveniently move up or down the exact number of semitones that you tune the chord. You often end up with something sounding unnatural or nasty artifacts.

Take for example, a flute sound. You have a long, sustained, lower register C. But a flutist knows that the way you shape your mouth, breathe into the flute, etc for a low C is different from how you play a high C. So even if you have the note, tuning it up 2 octaves will not make it sound like a real flute playing a high C, because the flutist is doing something slightly different to play that high C than the low C. These are characteristics of acoustic instruments that you just can't imitate very easily using a computer or a sampled instrument.
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Old 12-23-2012, 04:30 AM   #8
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Quote:
Originally Posted by statisticquill View Post
In my limited experience with sampling, its a bad idea to pitch entire chords or melodies up or down.
Although it should work in theory, there's a lot more going on sonically in sampled chords than just 3 notes that will conveniently move up or down the exact number of semitones that you tune the chord. You often end up with something sounding unnatural or nasty artifacts.

Take for example, a flute sound. You have a long, sustained, lower register C. But a flutist knows that the way you shape your mouth, breathe into the flute, etc for a low C is different from how you play a high C. So even if you have the note, tuning it up 2 octaves will not make it sound like a real flute playing a high C, because the flutist is doing something slightly different to play that high C than the low C. These are characteristics of acoustic instruments that you just can't imitate very easily using a computer or a sampled instrument.
This is where the differences between acoustic insturments and synths come in. A pitched synth is merely a mathimatical difference in the frequency spectrum.

Like +1 octave = Xhz * 2

If I remember correctly.

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Old 12-25-2012, 12:21 AM   #9
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaun Singh View Post
Below is my recent track and someone has told me that the vocals are out key with the piano and that i need to work on my music theory a bit, would you agree?
Yes it's out of tune, the vocal doesn't fit with the piano and yes learning music theory would help you a lot for those things...

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Old 12-25-2012, 09:45 AM   #10
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Your main vocal line is a semitone sharp. Bring it down a step and it should sound better.

EDIT - You're selling a track you're not sure is finished? Seems kinda weird to me, but more power to you I guess.
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Old 12-27-2012, 02:43 AM   #11
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Basic music theory is simple, get a book and dedicate to it. For vocals, if you can play the notes back in piano roll you may get a better perspective to how the notes sound!
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Old 02-03-2013, 06:56 PM   #12
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

You can't 'tune' a tonal sample. Just doesn't work. 261hz played faster gets you a pitched C, not a g5. Maybe try a granulizer or resynthesis vst. Do you tune your drums?
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Old 02-03-2013, 10:34 PM   #13
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Quote:
Originally Posted by page the dj View Post
You can't 'tune' a tonal sample. Just doesn't work. 261hz played faster gets you a pitched C, not a g5. Maybe try a granulizer or resynthesis vst. Do you tune your drums?
Huh? Of course you can tune a tonal sample.

You can tune drums too.
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Old 02-03-2013, 10:38 PM   #14
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Quote:
Originally Posted by page the dj View Post
You can't 'tune' a tonal sample. Just doesn't work. 261hz played faster gets you a pitched C, not a g5. Maybe try a granulizer or resynthesis vst. Do you tune your drums?
And I thought you were just being funny.

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Old 02-03-2013, 11:23 PM   #15
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

If you have Melodyne you could pretty much do whatever you want to melodic samples, including transposing the key.
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Old 02-04-2013, 03:10 AM   #16
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

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Originally Posted by Numerical View Post
If you have Melodyne you could pretty much do whatever you want to melodic samples, including transposing the key.
Lmao. Yes this.

I tune or pitch my drums in cents, not steps. I do not use a sample of a violin playing a F4 transposed to C5. Doesn't work. Always sounds like a sample played faster, not a note. This is why vst's are around, no?
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Old 02-04-2013, 03:15 AM   #17
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

On a related note.. Anyone want to guess how this was done?
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Old 02-04-2013, 09:45 AM   #18
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Quote:
Originally Posted by statisticquill View Post
On a related note.. Anyone want to guess how this was done?
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Multi-track and Melodyne.

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Old 03-27-2013, 06:46 PM   #19
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Re: Using samples in the right key?

Personally, I use Waves pitch correction to figure out the melody/key of a monophonic melody/vocal sample. I'll use melodyne for any polyphoic samples for harmonies. Check out octavian the Ipod app for figuring out the key and scale you would like to use. Once you have figured out the key of the sample/vocal you can figure how many semitones to pitch it up or down.

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