Changing the Actual Key of a Sample?

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ctoth666

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I'm not asking about re-pitching a sample, but actually altering the key in which it is played. Maybe this can or can't be done, or maybe I'm asking the wrong question. Anyway, this is a good example of what I'm meaning: soundcloud.com/breakonacloud/deadmau5-xmas-stuff-i-remember

When compared to the original recording, the vocals playback at a slower clip, but it sounds like the pitch is preserved and the key is just different. How is this effect achieved?
 
Well no not really. Let's say I throw a longer sample into Ableton Live. I can transpose it up or down a semitone (re-pitching) but is it possible to change the key from say C to G or D major? For reference, Auto-Tune sort of does this, but I'm wondering does any software analyze the whole file?
 
all a semi tone is is a step down on the keyboard meaning if a sample is in C and u take it down 2 semi tones its now A# pitching the sample is based entirely on keys of multi samples.
 
I appreciate your responses but I understand these concepts well enough. It's a simple task to transpose a sample from C to A#. To be more specific, let's say that I have a particular vocal sample that is maybe 10 seconds in the key of C major. How can I make it A major? The original sample would have NO accidentals, and the key of A major has three sharps. Would I manually have to transpose each note the vocalist hits up or down one semitone? So that there can be no confusion, I have two songs that I've downloaded. They each contain the same vocal recording, yet one song is in B flat minor and the other D major.
 
ctoth666 said:
I appreciate your responses but I understand these concepts well enough. It's a simple task to transpose a sample from C to A#. To be more specific, let's say that I have a particular vocal sample that is maybe 10 seconds in the key of C major. How can I make it A major? The original sample would have NO accidentals, and the key of A major has three sharps. Would I manually have to transpose each note the vocalist hits up or down one semitone? So that there can be no confusion, I have two songs that I've downloaded. They each contain the same vocal recording, yet one song is in B flat minor and the other D major.
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the movements in key are the same number of steps regardless of scale. So even if u moved from C to A major it would still move backwards to a using the exact same formula of counting whole step whole step half step whole step whole step whole step. Ie if we go from C to all we would do is move the notes backwards to A and then do the exact same pattern. All major scales are built this way meaning again just pitch it via semi tone. To further my example since the notes are never going to move and if we have a riff say going C, D, E, F and we pitch it down its still going to make the same movements just pitched down say to A as the root so now the notes should play back as A, B, C, C# because that 4th note still only moved a half step and we just pushed it down further to force it to do another scale. try it it generally works though u may have to do some fine tuning because stretching notes on a sampler is a science.

---------- Post added 01-29-2012 at 12:07 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-28-2012 at 11:50 PM ----------

A major scale may be seen as two identical tetrachords separated by a whole tone, or whole step, the new set of steps "Whole:Whole:Half:Whole:Whole:Whole:Half"(in Semi-tone 2 2 1 2 2 2 1). Each tetrachord consists of two whole steps followed by a half step. Western scales do not skip any line or space on the staff, and they do not repeat any note with a different accidental. This has the effect of forcing the key signature to feature just sharps or just flats.

Major scale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am posting that to hopefully make what I am trying to say clearer basically scales are road maps based on the same pattern over and over again on the keyboard just from different starting points. That being said all notes will be effected the same way as they were before just from different starting points.
 
^Okay, I see you!^ Thought the boy ain't know no music theory lol.
 
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Nevermind. These forums are anything but helpful. Ok Xabiton, I have played classical violin since the age of five. I am not ignorant of scales. You still do not quite follow me. Here goes a last ditch attempt: if I move a sample down even one semitone, it will lower the frequency of the entire sample and all of the notes. If I have the key of G major and I want to move down to A major, do you suggest I could just move it down 10 semitones? Are you being entirely serious? That is a horrible misunderstanding. If I do this inside of Ableton, the frequency just lowers, so forgive me if you use some magical software that actually changed keys. Antares Auto-Tune is pitch correcting software, in which you can set a scale from a drop-down menu and then the software will change the pitch of incoming notes based on that selection. This is more alone the lines of what I want to do, except not exactly, which is why I started this thread. Do you understand this at all?
 
The best part of all this is you think you know exactly what you're talking about and that you're correct and I'm not. That's a great attitude. I'm not saying you're wrong, but that's simply not what I'm asking. In fact, I doubt highly that you could even do what I'm asking. Take an a cappella in one key and mix into a song in a different key without destroying the a cappella. I dare you.
 
Lmao, then what makes you think YOU can do it!? You're askin for some 'magical' technique/software. If FP ain't helpful then get the fuk off lol.
 
FP is helpful. That's why I started the thread on these forums. It just hasn't been helpful for this particular problem/question. If you don't understand the question, don't offer a response but instead ask for clarification. I've explained it 3 separate ways, and even given an example. What else do you expect? I'm not saying I can do it. That's why I asked if was even possible. Maybe there isn't any software, but are there techniques? methods? tricks? etc...

It is my fault, though, for expecting any decent help when the moderator himself replied that "pitch and key are the same." Is that a serious comment? I sure hope not.
 
ctoth666 said:
It is my fault, though, for expecting any decent help when the moderator himself replied that "pitch and key are the same." Is that a serious comment? I sure hope not.
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Lol.... 'But they know everything.!' Headass.
 
Just for anyone who might view this thread and want to know the solution, the Snap to Scale tool of Melodyne Studio achieves the effect that I'm asking. Thread closed.
 
this is crazy. your question has been answered.

So if I take a sample, as you asked, from C major to G major:

The original sample would have these notes A, B, C, D, E, F, G

The distance between C and G is 7 semitones

A + 7st = E
B + 7st = F#/Gb
C + 7st = G
D + 7st = A
E + 7st = B
F + 7st = C
G + 7st = D

What scale contains these new notes, G,A,B,C,D,E,F# you ask??? That's right - G MAJOR.

So, how do you take a sample from C major to G major, ask you asked? You pitch it up 7 semitones.

Case closed.
 
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LOL I'm going to respond only because I'm in my browser right now. At World Wide: You are completely right. I'm not arguing that. But when I go into Ableton and I transpose a sample up 7 semitones, it creates the chipmunk effect and distorts the audio. You know, if I moved it up 19 semitones from C, I'd get G as well. Great. I don't want to change every note, just adjusts the notes that are NOT in the desired key up or down a semitone from the original key. Get it?

 
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^^^ youre backpedaling now son. That is not what you originally asked. Don't try to play it off.
 
Actually no. That's exactly what I asked. Now I'm just spelling it out. I said I wanted to change the key, not the pitch, not the octave, not anything else. I even gave a bloody example. Why would anyone ask how to transpose a sample? That's literally the most basic function of any sampler. Maybe I should've included a drawing?
 
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