Tape machine-style varispeed!

[suntower]

No idea how Reaper does it. As I wrote, that’s -my- idea of what would be good. Others may have their own concept. But all I’m after is, basically, pitch shifting… which isn’t exactly string theory. Lots of plugs already do it. Whether it’s done via Plug-In or space-magic, isn’t the main thing. But a plug would provide more flexibility. I just want a way to do it in one step with one knob.

—JC

@Puma0382

Reapers VariSpeed facility is a global function - you engage it, you slow down/speed up the ENTIRE backing; you slow the backing to say F#, Paul hears it and sings it at F# comfortably, then you speed everything back up to your desired ‘normal’ pitch/speed or wherever.

@suntower

Maybe others have a better idea, but the plug-in -I- want would simply be placed as an insert on the master buss (or Control Room Listen) to do the same thing… it would raise/lower the output that Paul -hears- in the cans so he can sing at a more comfortable pitch. Of course, in the Cubase world, afterward, one would then have to apply a ‘speed-up’ effect to Paul’s track to match the ‘tape’.

I can’t quite believe this idea of a plugin working on the masterbuss to allow someone to sing at a lower pitch ‘artificially’ and then to ‘speed up’ that vocal recording to bring it back into the root key with the rest of the backing… thats weird. How would this work with the actual physical passing of time - presuming Paul is the only one ‘hearing’ all the backing in a different key, is anything else playing at a slower speed…? How can that be happening…? Is everything else still staying at its ‘normal’ speed/key…? Are we still talking about varispeed and not artificially just transposing audio/midi…?

Maybe I’m misreading and confusing two concepts…?

[agrpap]

I want a “Tape-Speed” knob. Just like the ones on actual tape machines. If you must, it can be a slider. But if I want to speed up/slow down whatever has been recorded, I turn the knob, record whatever it is at the new speed, return speed to normal after tracking. Hey Presto.

[raytracer]

@lukasbrooklyn

@raytracer

@peakae

I don’t understand the question, if I set my audio files to use the tape algorithm in the pool and I change the tempo of the song, the pitch changes. What am I missing?

In Cubase 6.5 the tape algorithm introduces some odd changes at the sample boundaries, which is a problem for time stretching loops, it sounds broken to me. I don’t know if they’ve changed this behaviour in C7 or C8.

Yes this has been improved since.

Interesting, I’ll have to check it out Cubase 8 in that case.

@lukasbrooklyn

I still need the ability to change the speed in semitone steps…

Changing the speed in semitone steps could probably be worked out with a bit of maths.

[distante]

+1 to this

[JWink]

+1!!!

[woodgrain816]

Is this what you’re trying to do???

1. Make temporary copies of the beat and vocals (or export the whole song with beat+vocals and load the file into the session, but keep it lined up in the correct position and skip to step 4.)
2. Make sure everything you’re speeding up or slowing down has the same starting points. (Press 2 & use the range selector to highlight the entire beat + vocals from beginning to end.
3. Audio → Bounce Selection
4. Audio → Process → Pitch Shift (transpose, take off Time Correction, Process)

5. Record your new vocals to the transposed material with the original material muted.
6. Make sure the new vocals have the same starting point as the material that’s transposed. (see step 2-3. Range Select & Bounce)
7. Transpose new recordings back to the original pitch. (Audio → Process → Pitch Shift (transpose, take of Time Correction, Process). If you did -3, now transpose +3)
8. Line up the material with the original and discard the temporary copies from step 1.
9. Unmute original speed audio and play the tape-style transposed recording.
   Done

[lukasbrooklyn]

my related request is along those lines, except it reduces the 9 steps to 2 (1/ infoline-transpose down 2/ infoline-transpose up): info-line transpose to perform resampling / elastique-tape - Cubase - Steinberg Forums

[agrpap]

I don’t want time-correction. I want to speed up/slow-down the playback speed just like a tape machine. I know all the Cubase workarounds; I just don’t like them.

[agrpap]

And, Incidentally: I have the Waves ADT plugs. They do a pretty good job at convincing ADT. I generally dislike their plugs but those are pretty cool.

[woodgrain816]

Tough crowd, lol. In my example, it IS like a tape machine. I have “Time Correction” disabled in my screenshot. I got it down to 7 steps depending on how you do step 1, lol. I thought I was letting someone know who might not know how to achieve the result.

[claesbjo]

My suggestion is that SB copies the Logic Pro X implementation of varispeed. It´s perfect.

[suntower]

@woodgrain816

Tough crowd, lol. In my example, it IS like a tape machine. I have “Time Correction” disabled in my screenshot. I got it down to 7 steps depending on how you do step 1, lol. I thought I was letting someone know who might not know how to achieve the result.

FWIW: It’s not that you had a -bad- suggestion. However, some of us (me included) HATE, HATE, HATE getting responses such as:

Have you tried this helpful workaround!!!

We want what we want. Which is why we take the time to type in a F/R… in the feeble hope that the Gottermenschen on the Heilige Steinberg will take some small notice of our pitiful cries… Help Me! Help Me! It takes on average like FIVE YEARS to get suggestions implemented. (No fooling).

This topic is a classic example. Users want a ONE BUTTON solution… like the ‘competitors’ already have.

Cubase already does everything except deliver a pizza. It’s just that most of the time, it takes 4hrs to get the thing delivered. To my mind, F/Rs should be reserved for F/Rs… and not ‘handy tips!’

The only exception would be if the requested feature was -clearly- already in the box. And in that case, a friendly reminder is warranted (as opposed to an ‘RTFM!’), followed by a suggestion that the user re-post as a ‘handy tip’ in the general forum.

Others may disagree of course.

Best,

—JC