Adjust overall tuning of a stereo audio track

[daerp1]

I have a 2 tracks (one MIDI and one audio) that were recorded years apart. The audio track is saxophone and is slightly sharp (compared to the MIDI piano track). Is there a way to adjust the intonation of the audio track (by a few cents only)? I don't want to change the tuning of the piano because it is in tune with the saxophone track in a different chunk.
Thanks

[mikehalloran]

I have a 2 tracks (one MIDI and one audio) that were recorded years apart. The audio track is saxophone and is slightly sharp (compared to the MIDI piano track). Is there a way to adjust the intonation of the audio track (by a few cents only)? I don't want to change the tuning of the piano because it is in tune with the saxophone track in a different chunk.
Thanks

Yes.

If the MIDI track is in tune to concert pitch, should be easy depending on the complexity of the sax part. Pitch correction tool in DP is a pretty good, powerful tool. I would try it first—after all, it's included.

I have a number of apps that do pitch correction/manipulation but I often reach for Nectar Elements when I want a 'one button, let's see how well it works' in situations like this. It is often all I need when I have a problem passage.
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mix ... rison.html
If that doesn't do it, I have DP, Nectar 2, Melodyne, AutoTune, MachV and other apps that include the functionality.

Nectar, Nectar Elements, DP Pitch Correction etc. are not for special effects manipulation but that's not what you need here.

[Shooshie]

There is an unassigned command in DP for quantizing pitch. Find it in the Commands Window and assign a key to it. I use the "Q" on my QWERTY keyboard. In the Sequence Editor, each track has a number of menu fields associated with it next to the name. The one that usually says Soundbites contains other editable options like Volume, Pan, and Pitch. Select Pitch and the track turns into a piano-roll type keyboard. Changing pitch at this point is similar to editing MIDI. Just drag the pitch indicators to their corresponding line for that note. You can select a large number of pitch markers, entire phrases, for example, and hit your command for quantize pitch, and they all snap in tune. It's lightning fast.

On the other hand, is it ethical to present an undeveloped instrumental player as one for whom pitch is not a problem? That's beyond the scope of this board, perhaps. I use pitch correction for artists who were off on a note or two, perhaps who over-reached or under-reached in the moment. It's easier than bringing them in to re-record. But one who is simply "sharp" throughout? I would have to encourage them to record it again and focus on getting the pitch right. Not my call, but I've been basically uncomfortable with pitch correction since Cher put out "Believe in Magic," back in the 1990s. And yet everyone seems to be using it. Oh well... I guess that's why there is live performance.

Shooshie

[Klaus]

Melodyne 4 was on sale and I upgraded from v1,
and until now, all I can say is
wow…
and the included tempo manipulation ( multitrack too ) is another
wow
for me…
But analyzing takes it's moment and a 16 tr standalone projectfile can easily get 40mb
For vocals only or easy monophonic tracks I still use DP

Klaus

[mikehalloran]

Hmmm...

But one who is simply "sharp" throughout? I would have to encourage them to record it again and focus on getting the pitch right.

I have a 2 tracks (one MIDI and one audio) that were recorded years apart. The audio track is saxophone and is slightly sharp (compared to the MIDI piano track)

I have no problem trying to bring a performance in tune with its new accompaniment or vise versa.

Think of what John Phillips would have done if he were able to use today's tools on Monday, Monday — clearly 3 tracks recorded at three sessions each out of tune with the other two. Actually, the three elements are out of tune the entire song but the tag hits you in the face with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81Ojd3d2rY

[James Steele]

All I know is I want his jacket!!

[daniel.sneed]

My go to tool for global pitch tasks is Ircam Lab TS.
IMOE, the results have been stunning.
The engine is the one used in Mach5.

[daerp1]

There is an unassigned command in DP for quantizing pitch. Find it in the Commands Window and assign a key to it. I use the "Q" on my QWERTY keyboard. In the Sequence Editor, each track has a number of menu fields associated with it next to the name. The one that usually says Soundbites contains other editable options like Volume, Pan, and Pitch. Select Pitch and the track turns into a piano-roll type keyboard. Changing pitch at this point is similar to editing MIDI. Just drag the pitch indicators to their corresponding line for that note. You can select a large number of pitch markers, entire phrases, for example, and hit your command for quantize pitch, and they all snap in tune. It's lightning fast.

On the other hand, is it ethical to present an undeveloped instrumental player as one for whom pitch is not a problem? That's beyond the scope of this board, perhaps. I use pitch correction for artists who were off on a note or two, perhaps who over-reached or under-reached in the moment. It's easier than bringing them in to re-record. But one who is simply "sharp" throughout? I would have to encourage them to record it again and focus on getting the pitch right. Not my call, but I've been basically uncomfortable with pitch correction since Cher put out "Believe in Magic," back in the 1990s. And yet everyone seems to be using it. Oh well... I guess that's why there is live performance.

Shooshie

I think pitch correction should be used rarely, so I agree with your comment, Shooshie. My question pertains to a track that is in tune with itself, no tweaks necessary, but was recorded years ago and I recorded the saxophone track without any accompaniment. I didn't tune to a piano note or any other reference. It turns out that the track is VERY slightly sharp (as I said a couple of cents max). Just enough to be irksome. So I wanted to tune the track (not individual notes) with a very small adjustment. So thanks for the info re the Sequence editor. I had opened a 'pitch lane' and I can see the pitch 'bars', so I want to grab them ALL and "NUDGE" only. I don't want to move much at all. I tried using the down arrow key, but it didn't seem to be the way to nudge the pitch downwards.
Is there a more effective way to make such a minute adjustment?

[rickorick]

I think if you can select the whole track and then hold down the command key and click on one note and pull them all down.

[rickorick]

Also Apple has a plug in I use all the time Pitch it's in the plug in list. It's in cents so 100 cents
is a half step. I use it to transpose songs to standard tuning. Or just tune up songs that are out of tune.

[Shooshie]

Well, did you read my post carefully? I told you about a single command that will fix ALL the pitch in one stroke. You have to set it up. It's unassigned. I used the Q key for it. I select audio, tap Q, and suddenly it's all quantized. The danger in that is that if it's very far off, some notes may quantize in the wrong direction and require manual fixing.

Shooshie

[ggm1960]

Also Apple has a plug in I use all the time Pitch it's in the plug in list. It's in cents so 100 cents
is a half step. I use it to transpose songs to standard tuning. Or just tune up songs that are out of tune.

Oh that was real helpful for what I needed, thanks!

[stubbsonic]

My go to tool for global pitch tasks is Ircam Lab TS.
IMOE, the results have been stunning.

+1 on this. It's a great tool.

I have to export as a .wav file, do what I need to pitch & time and bring back. It's not super flexible in terms of work flow, but it is very adjustable in terms of its' processes and gets fantastic results.