Bouncing with Melodyne bridge

Cubase
#1

I have 8 vocal tracks each with their own bridge to Melodyne. I need to render sections of each vocal track to allow for open channels in Melodyne. Will ‘Bounce Selection’ replace audio with Melodyne bridge edit included or will that only bounce audio with host vst inserts?

I want to avoid exporting mixdown of individual tracks as the vocal tracks are routed to groups, fx channels, etc and lining up audio after sounds like a pain in the ***. I just need small sections of audio, tuned with Melodyne, replaced.

I am sure I could just try it and see but I am new to this and kind of timid about bouncing over recorded material.

Thank you in advance for any info on this.

Jimmy

#2

Sorry Jimmy, you will need to export. Bounce Selection will not do as you need… :frowning:

So, MAKE A COPY of the track you wish to process and mute the original.

On the copy, reset the level to 0db if its not there already. Now, you can route this channel straight to the output master. Solo the channel, set the locators and export. Tick the box to re-import to the pool. Deal with from there as you desire… I would re-import to a new (again copied) track immediately below the one I’ve just processed to keep things tidy (plus it will have all my insert/send/eq settings intact from the original). If it still isn’t quite right, I can delete what I’ve just done, and quickly go back to the ‘process’ track and retry.

Re-assign the routing back to your original group, reset the level to the original, mute the copy track etc…

SB’s VariAudio is cool mind, in that it is so integrated - you can lose a few steps above. I’ve used Melodyne Assistant version and it is pretty sweet though - and you can adjust AMPLITUDE of notes inside it too… :slight_smile: But, it is all a bit convoluted and would be my only gripe with the product - i.e. it won’t render and replace in context, for speed/convenience.

Of course, I’ve now learned to deal with any of this sort of er, ‘help’ that’s required, as soon after tracking/overdubbing is done as possible…! I just quickly go through and check against a single guitar or synth tone perhaps. Phrasing and timing is more tricky to adjust at this point (without the rest of the band/music), but you can at least ensure any pitching malfunctions are sorted… which IMHO stand out more and are harder on the ear to deal with - as opposed to any minor phrasing (performance) tweaks needed…

Anyhow, good luck…! :slight_smile:

#3

Thank you so much Puma! I did find however that I can just add tracks to Melodyne. Still going to export/import to avoid having to run two programs at once.

One more question if you can answer. I would like to use VariAudio but having a problem. The songs I am working on are not “in tune” with the grid CB gives, so quantizing pitch will not work for me. Proper tuning for these songs is somewhere in between what CS says is ‘on the note’. I know I can hold shift while moving notes but then I am guessing whether or not it is perfectly on. Melodyne seems to automatically know where the average is for tuning and puts notes on the grid where I need it. I would love to not have to run another program to accomplish this.

If there is any option I would love to know.

Thanks again!

Jimmy

#4

No probs - and sorry, don’t know about your second question there; sounds interesting - ‘automatically knowing the average’… :wink:

Anyone else…?

#5

The need to be able to set the “tuning” of Variaudio - (rather than be stuck with A=440) was being discussed nearly two years ago in this thread:

http://www.cubase.net/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=115423

#6

I have a great tip, might be maybe a little off the road for you, but it works every time:
Use your ears!

ok

#7

Thanks for the info guys! It seems that VariAudio just doesn’t have the ability to be tuned. The problem was my fault I suppose for trusting a stompbox tuner. Melodyne works just fine. Ease of replacing audio is just hindered in this project.

Onomatope: Thanks for the inspiring words. I am merely trying to find the best way to use the tools that I have paid for, effectively. That way I have time to do the other important things in life like raising my children. “Use your ears” might be appropriate response for someone looking to find a certain sound. In this case, it is only a condescendingly rude gesture coming from someone who obviously has too much time on their hands and no desire to answer a fairly simple question. If using software to make your life easier and more productive isn’t for you, then maybe you should throw away your Cubase, record on tape and do your editing with tape and a razor blade. That would take up the time you spend trolling this forum. :unamused:

Sorry for the rant. :slight_smile:

Jimmy

#8

I haven’t used VariAudio, so I might be about to say something daft. But, in Variaudio is it possible to select all the notes and drag athem up or down by the same pitch? - ie can you drag them all up or down at once by, for instance, a quarter tone or by just a few cents?

If that’s possible, would it be of any use to let VariAudio do it’s narrow-minded thing of tuning to A=440, but then select all the notes and drag them up or down to the pitch you actually want?

If you need to be hearing the accompaniment at the same “target” pitch for the vocal part that you’re correcting, would it be sufficient to temporarily apply a pitch shift to the accompaniment to bring it in line with A=440? (And, then remove the pitch shift after finishing the work in VariAudio.)

I suppose that approach would break down altogether if (in no other way than) you want to adjust only a few notes but leave the rest a little off pitch. Because, then, it’s not possible to end by dragging every note to another pitch - you’d have to drag just the ones that VariAudio had re-pitched, and perhaps they’re too hard to find and select?

Ah, the delights of talking about something you don’t understand. :slight_smile:

#9

Hi jimmy
Here’s another tip: if you don’t use your ears while making music why don’t you make your life even more easy and productive and do a language course or something while you work on your songs?
O

#10

He he. Funny. Not sure why you feel this is an issue about using ears. My ears are what discovered the tuning issues. The guitars on this 60+ track, 3 song project, though in tune with each other, were not tuned to 440. The player is not with us anymore so re-tracking is not an option. All 10 vocal layer tracks had been sung by a talented singer and the deceased guitar player, but fine tuning was definitely needed with 3 part harmonies. The question/answer here is not of the use of ears. It is to find the most efficient way to fine tune the performance while keeping my PC’s processor from blowing up and have enough time to complete the project.

Through this thread with help from others, I have found that there is no way for VariAudio to ‘snap to’ a tuning other than the so called standard A440 pitch. Melodyne is able to accomplish this and I happen to own it, so I’m doing just that.

Chase: Yes it is definitely possible to Move all the notes in the manner you suggested and great idea for a workaround. The biggest problem with that for me was the known issue of VariAudio rendering very slowly and the fact that I am close to reaching the limits of my systems power anyway. CB already getting a bit sluggish on my PC.

In the end, Melodyne Editor was a big help with it’s ability to visually see all the vocal tracks on screen at once in layers thus making fine tuning much faster and accurate. The import/export thing ended up not being so difficult by saving all ten tracks between the locators in Melodyne/importing back into Cubase/lining up 1st replacement track with an original track and the rest with the beginning of the replacement audio. And now there is no additional processing being used for tuning.

Onomatope: Lets just move on. I plan to use this forum to find information as well as possibly lend support for others with questions. Truce? :slight_smile:

Jimmy

#11

Glad to hear you’re sorted and got a workflow going Jimmy…! :wink:

It has been requested of SB to add this to VariAudio - no news or follow up I know of as yet… :frowning:

Does the Assistant edition do this too, or is it only Editor edition…? Hmmm… must read the manual…! VERY useful sounding feature… (s’cuse the pun…) :slight_smile:

#12

I heard that! lol.

I’m not sure about Assistant. I was lucky and purchased Editor from a friend for $50 a year ago. Just now had use for it. Highly recommend. Its pretty amazing how it just seems to know what to do sometimes. I had a few issues with timing that I was able to fix with one click in the editor.

#13

Hi jimmy
Sure man, truce.
Best of luck with your song…
ok