Advisory Notice: This post was written by someone other than myself and contains a “reasonably sensible” bit (at the beginning), a “not reasonably sensible” bit (at the end) and, in between these bits, the transitional “losing the plot” bit. All three bits have been identified (o1, o2 and o3) for your convenience and sanity.
o1. The “Reasonably Sensible” Bit
The author would suggest that you perform a search for this topic in all of the appropriate online Cubase resources e.g., knowledge base, forum threads, etc., as a simple Google search suggests that this issue has been addressed / discussed before.
Since you can set the tuning reference (e.g., A3 = 442Hz) at instrument level (as instrument specific parameters ~ which makes sense as orchestral / all collective tuning in the real world is a function of each and every physical instrument, right?), they seem like prime candidates for Cubase automation (which is a recognised solution, if your instruments support it).
Failing that, Cubase offers a “microtuning midi insert” (sorry, no idea, but apparently it helps, so best look at this too ~ allegedly) and, if you’re up for it, detailed tuning alterations can be scripted; again, not something most people use, but the syntax is quite simple ~ as long as it does what you require.
o2. The Losing The Plot Bit
TBH, the author doesn’t understand how bumping up the 142Hz frequency by 2.6dB in an EQ processor will sort any tuning issue, even a minor (although important) departure from A3 = 44oHz; but, you could still try it.
Please let the community know if it works, cos if it does, guitarists will never have to tune their guitars again ~ ever! In fact, singers will be able to sing out of tune and all other kinds of crazy stuff. All fixable using EQ. Impressive!
o3. The “Not Reasonably Sensible” Bit
Other than that:
-
Give your finished project to an orchestra that plays to the ISO standard of A3 = 44oHz; or,
-
Find some real musicians to play real instruments tuned to A3 = 442Hz and record them using Cubase (which is what the author’s circumstances would deem appropriate); or,
-
Present your project in manuscript form aka Beethoven / Mozart style e.g., clefs, crotchets, quavers, etc.; which completely eliminates the referential tuning problem allowing any orchestra to use the work; or,
-
Get your hands on a state-of-the-art, fully configurable, all dancing, all singing (NPI) auto-tuner; or,
-
At the risk of getting really desperate, record the piece using the standard 44oHz tuning, but at a tempo which is very slightly slower. If you put your “analogue tape” head on, you could use an audio editor to speed the recording up to its actual tempo AND also up the tuning (ALL instruments) to be based on 442Hz! (although digital editors typically modify tempos whilst retaining pitch, unless instructed otherwise ~ indeed if they can actually do this). Anyhow: For example, if your piece is a constant 12obpm, record it at circa. 119.457bpm (appears to be an irrational number) and then speed/tune up the rendered 44oHz project audio file by 1.oo4545 (reccurent) to 1oo.4545% (recurrent) of the original audio file; or,
-
Supply your project at 44oHz and hope nobody notices. I mean, personally, if you played me an A at 44oHz and then the next day, repeated this but at 442Hz, or vica versa, am I going to be able to tell which is which? [Rhetorical]: Unlikely; a bit like determining the pitch of notes below 2oHz, right? Not going to happen, is it?; or,
-
As 6, but instead of hoping that no-one notices, arrange for lots of noise to be made during all performances to ensure no-one can hear any difference.
o4. Concluding Comments
Does this help? Is it even possible in Cubase? Dunno, but here’s hoping. Anyhow, if not, it’ll certainly give you something to think about or, more likely, a damn good laugh.
Be safe.
Anon (the “Forum Hacker”)