TAPE-STYLE VARISPEED

Yes I think so.
But it’s not so convenient/creative workflow to go and do this for every single track. Plus it asks about Tempos and BPMs. Would be nice to work in Cents and Semi-tones.

I dont think so. I just switched over from Cubase 6 and it didn’t have it there. I bet they were confused by something similar to Elastique Tape. It might of technically been there via something like that…but not what we are describing we want with a single knob showing semi-tones/cents adjustment for entire track.

Only DAW i have that supports it is Logic X so I could do it there.
Or I just use my actual tape machine with varispeed to do it…but only goes ±10% which is ok for some stuff but not extreme fx, however this would almost guarantee things wont line up if I was using bpm or a grid. The wow/flutter would put it out of sync.

For clarification, I believe this response is wrong/misleading.
The tape-style time stretch process itself (I believe) is similar to what we are asking for… except with a totally different application/interface of it.
We want it in a different way.

Ah yes, I understand, thank you for explaining further.





Well, various people have said Cubase 5.1, not Cubase 6. Maybe someone with Cubase 5.1 or with a good memory can weigh in.




Thanks for that. Reaper apparently has that as well.






I appreciate your taking the time to answer, thank you.

I have to admit, I had used the musical mode tempo changes to cover a few difficult guitar track parts and then returned them up to normal speed. I went from like 140 down to 85-90 and my fingers were able to do it correctly then.

So from my group of vintage arthritic friends

+1

You must of done this with one of the algorithms that doesn’t change pitch? (NOT the Tape Mode)
Otherwise you would have had to do some math/experimentation to figure out how to transpose the BPMs to Semi-tones?

You are right…it would have been more complex…my mistake

But it worked great

Of cause it works in Cubase, just use the audio pool, select everything and enable musical mode and set the original tempo.
If they all are selected it will change it for all. Chose the algorithm while you are in the pool, tape style is really not that usable when it comes to slow down for tracking purposes, you would have to retune your instrument and who wants to do that when it not necessary. The algorithms are not simple, they are quite advanced, chopping audio up in tiny bits and reassemble them to fit the tempo. After recording your track and setting tempo back it will only be that track that is affected by the algorithm.
And there are artifacts on that track.
Cubase 5 did not have anything that got removed, nor did C3 or C4, maybe Cubase VST 5.1 but nothing I ever used, it might have had.

So I guess for now on PC it’s either maybe VST 5.1 (no way that can be accessed or used on a modern computer, is there?), or Reaper?

(Though Reaper’s is not calibrated in cents it appears. There must be some conversion of percentage slowing down/speeding up to cents, but I actually had a hard time finding out with Google)

Ok you are thinking vocals where the singer can’t reach the note ?
If you have an iPhone there are tons of Music calculators than can covert most music related things.

Oh btw, if I had a singer that had a problem getting up there, I would do a mixdown and slow that down tapestyle.
Once finished, speed up again and delete the mixdown track.

No iPhone here. No luck with Google for conversion of “per cent Varispeed slow down/speedup to cents/semitones”.

Right, thanks. I have done that in the past. Having one single knob to slow down/speed up the project instead, as mentioned above, does seem a lot nicer.

And it’s not just for notes that can’t be reached, it’s for creative purposes as well, examples given of Beatles tuning up 1-2 half steps for a different timbre.

Alexis…I did find what you need.
http://www.thewhippinpost.co.uk/tools/tempo-pitch-calculator.htm

BPM to Semitones and Semitone to BPM, is what you are looking for.

HOWEVER we still want it in the DAW!

Wow. This topic has been completely hijacked, so I will continue the hijacking.

Even though the OP asked for a single knob to control tempo, people are asking for different things here- all of it involves changing the playback speed using the tape algo, but the purpose is different.

My workaround is for recording at a slower tempo in a project with a tempo changes in the tempo track:

Create a new track version of the tempo track by duplicating the existing one.
Scale the entire tempo track slower

Now you can switch between the two tempi using track versions. (make sure all tracks you want to change tempo for are set to Musical Time Base)

I think we all agree that a single speed knob is a good idea, tape-style and otherwise.
So to be clear
+1

Awesome! … Great job!! … Thank you!!!


Yes! Saves the big project bounce.

Thanks again!

Soory, wrong link, but they’re both very useful!
http://mp3.deepsound.net/eng/samples_calculs.php

Yes indeed! Thank you, Mr. Soundman!

Brandy, thanks for a very clear answer. I can see where this kind of program feature might be interesting.

However, for nearly every use you mention, apart from creative sound design with Veri-speed tape-style material a la George Martin, shall we say, I have been able to do nearly everything you mention with the features Cubase provides, along with some additional 3rd party plug-ins, instruments and sample material. A more audio-based approached would make this kind tempo/pitch tape-style operation a good feature to have if needed, but, at least for me, it is not a top priority and its absence is not an impediment to my work. Perhaps we can talk about some of this in another thread in the Lounge at some point. I think it’s an interesting idea. The Laws of Media say that a new communications technology will retrieve and enhance aspects of the one it replaces. Perhaps, as Cubase advances it will retrieve more of the good things linear tape recording offered, and, in doing so, further obsolete the magnetic tape medium – which, for good or ill, is nearly extinct now. Time will tell. ProvenModels - four laws of media - Marshall McLuhan

I find it interesting to see the many different ways people use Cubase. Thanks for taking the time to post.