Change vocal pitch to suit project inquiry

Cubase
#1

Hi,

I have a project in key of D and I want to add a female voice to it but it is a bit too low for her. F# is more her key.

What is the best way to have her record so that her natural female sounding voice is still there rather than the lower pitch when I tried to change her key from F# to D.

Hope it makes sense :slight_smile:

Thanks

oz

#2

So a) record in D and have her strain for the low notes (not ideal), or
b) record in F# and pitch it down (shouldn’t alter the voice too much with elastique pro algorithm, but try others), or
c) compromise and record in E (which will likely sound natural), or
d) record what she can in D and just sing the low notes up a third to individually shift.

If it was just the odd note that was too low, I’d tend to go for d). Otherwise I’d be happy to shift a 3rd, but my definition of “natural” may be different to yours :slight_smile:

#3

Thank you ieaston.
I think i will go d) too.
The thing is I have a full 12 track project already recorded and was just adding her to the backup vox.
As I am not that experienced in the extras with CB, this is what i did. Maybe crazy but still…
Upped a copy of the project to F# and recorded her.
Exported her track, placed in Audacity (which I know well) and pitched her to D… (vox sounds bassy and deep)
Placed the track into the original D project. But not that happy with it.
Maybe should have just shifted the pitched back to D in the whole copy project.

#4

It’s worth trying Cubase for the pitch shift before rerecording the track. There shouldn’t be too much variation in timbre (ie not too bassy). Let us know how you go.

#5

Don’t know if you can get your hands on a Melodyne program. It’s pretty good with a 2 whole tone shift but if the vocal sounds a little bassy coming back down it has a formant correction that brings it back into perspective.

#6

Thank you guys. I’ll give it a go in a day or two and will also check out that Melodyne program.

#7

Keep in mind that Cubase also has pitch shifting with formant preservation, if you check the right boxes.

#8

Would that be variaudio? Didn’t realize it has formant adjustment.

#9

I guess there must be a reason you don’t want to change the pitch of the Project yet that is what I would always do (not the vocal).