[AngelCityOutlaw]

Several songs I've been playing, older songs from the early 90s, always seemed to sound a little off. By pitch shifting them and playing along, I've discovered that they are all an 1/8 of a tone higher than the key of the song.

Some examples:
Naughty Naughty by Danger Danger

Bloody Tears & Cross A Fear by Naoto Shibata Project.

Why?

[Flexstyle]

A guess off the top of my head would be that the tape used for mixdown was played back a little faster than it should have been when creating the digital master. That's just an educated guess, though.

[SonicThHedgog]

What flex said is what I remeber tellin yah awhile ago. but a bit more. (Maybe i said somthing on reel speeds or somthing, I dont know...)

But why is 1/8 up pitch a important factor? I mean unless its for learning purposes.

[AngelCityOutlaw]

Originally Posted by SonicThHedgog

What flex said is what I remeber tellin yah awhile ago. but a bit more. (Maybe i said somthing on reel speeds or somthing, I dont know...)

But why is 1/8 up pitch a important factor? I mean unless its for learning purposes.

Did I ask you before? I don't remember.


An 1/8 of a pitch is important because if your guitar is an 8th or god forbid a 1/4 off, you're not really in tune.

[SonicThHedgog]

Originally Posted by AngelCityOutlaw

Did I ask you before? I don't remember.


An 1/8 of a pitch is important because if your guitar is an 8th or god forbid a 1/4 off, you're not really in tune.

yah awhile ago.

[Metal Man]

I'd say the tape playback but if it's the same on CDs well;
It could be tuning... Maybe they tuned to 442hz ?

I tuned to 432hz for some acoustic tunes resulting in 1/3 of a tone lower.

[SonicThHedgog]

Originally Posted by Metal Man

I'd say the tape playback but if it's the same on CDs well;
It could be tuning... Maybe they tuned to 442hz ?

I tuned to 432hz for some acoustic tunes resulting in 1/3 of a tone lower.

442hz is "A 4" yes? I thought it was 440..... man screw it, I got a chart for it..... and everything else I dont feel like I seriously need to engrave in my memory.

[dannthr]

The choice to have A = 440hz is really just an arbitrary one and also one that is highly variable both by region and choice. (In fact even defining it by frequency like that is something from the last 100 years or so).

If you're recording with an Eastern European orchestra, you will indicate to them how you want your tuning--or they will indicate to you what their tuning is and you will have to compensate on whatever accompanying tracks or synths you might be mixing with later on.


The Western Scale as a relative relationship between pitches is not arbitrary, which frequency you start your pitch on IS arbitrary and not universal by a margin.

[SonicThHedgog]

Originally Posted by dannthr

The choice to have A = 440hz is really just an arbitrary one and also one that is highly variable both by region and choice. (In fact even defining it by frequency like that is something from the last 100 years or so).

If you're recording with an Eastern European orchestra, you will indicate to them how you want your tuning--or they will indicate to you what their tuning is and you will have to compensate on whatever accompanying tracks or synths you might be mixing with later on.


The Western Scale as a relative relationship between pitches is not arbitrary, which frequency you start your pitch on IS arbitrary and not universal by a margin.

Alright, that clears a bit up on what I was thinking. big thanks!

[Flexstyle]

Keep in mind that in the past, nearly everyone recorded to 2" tape. We didn't always have Pro Tools, y'know! A lot of artists still record this way even today. So, they could have recorded the tape at one speed, then played back at a slightly different speed when mixing, and then sent that mixed-down version to another tape for mastering, which was then played back at another speed . . . you get the picture.