Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

Hello everyone!

My client wants to speed up a song after the mastering. What would be the best choice? What is your experience?


Sincerely,
Bracelet Z

That's a weird request. I'd strongly discourage them from doing so. Time stretching is possible but it is a pretty artifact prone process, particularly if you want to make a big change in duration.

It seems like a rather odd request to me. If that wanted it short and fast why didn't they play / record it that way? I suppose it may be they can't play that fast but if that is the issue then why didn't they speed it up during tracking before mixing. Doing it after mixing is asking for trouble.

That is my advice though I gather it might not be what your client wants to here.

Cheers,


Paavo.

Well, I know I'll have to do so. What is the best software or plugin for this purpose?


Sincerely,
Bracelet Z

I can't answer that one. The only one I've used is the one in Adobe Audition but as far as I'm aware they all use basically the same strategy for time stretching, which as I mentioned before, is a process not without artifacts.

Maybe someone else has more experience with the tools you're interested in. I seem to recall the latest release of Pro Tools had time stretching built in though maybe my memory is tricking me.

Cheers,


Paavo.

I agree with Paavo, wrong time to make that decision.

However... Melodyne is probably the best software for this kind of application.

While I use the 'Studio' version, you may be able to use the least expensive version called 'Essential' for this time compressing job.

You could also try loading the audio file into a sample-player and by using a Pitch Bend wheel (or preferably a specific PB MIDI value), pitch up the track and re-record it. In fact, I occasionally do it in Pro Tools using Soft SampleCell. It works fine if you are not being too drastic and it's better to pitch up rather than pitch down.

Ok, what do you think, is it better to speed up a song after limiting or before limiting? I have a particular situation. All the EQ and Dynamics are already done with the hardware.

Thanks,
Bracelet Z

Before limiting and with adequate headroom to spare so no clipping results from the speed alteration (say 3dB or more). You can make that up with limiting afterwards.

Paavo.

If you use protools version 7.0 or above, digidesign has two "new" plugins that it seems quite proud of. You can download this for free:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?nav ... temid=4942

Or this for $500:
http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?nav ... temid=4954

I've used the free and it's ok, but definitely distorts. The other I'm sure is better but $500? (or it is packaged as a bonus when buying some versions of protools).

Of course the earlier in the chain you time-stretch, the better your results (best on individual tracks). But, even used on each track individually, the free one isn't great.

Good Luck.

I use Cubase.

Waves SoundShifter vs Melodyne? Which one is better for the whole mix Speed up results?


Bracelet Z

Keep in mind...

If you do it the 'old-fashioned' way (i.e., pitch bend up via a sampler), obviously the pitch goes up.

The thing Melodyne can do BETTER than Pro Tools is to keep the pitch the same.

You can download a demo version from the Celemony site to see if it'll work for you.

I'd strongly suggest altering the speed/pitch BEFORE limiting or mastering.

* * * *

A side note, check out the upcoming version of Melodyne Direct Note Access, whereas you can alter/tune individual pitches WITHIN a chord.

Video

These guys are light years ahead of Digidesign.

Thanks, I'll try!

I need to speed up 3 BPM.


Bracelet Z

You might check out Izotope's Radius.

Hi ,

Recent plugs that do either pitch-shift , or time-stretch are called 'Elastic Audio' ... DIgitech's just brought out a plug , Sonar introduced it natively ( ?? in version 7 ) , and Samplitude has had it native for a while ...

Cheers ,

Evan .

Hi all, I use Gold wave software to do a little time shifting before mastering but the draw back is that it screws up the 44.1 rate. To correct that I had to use Sound Forge. I hope this helps.

If you have (or know someone who has) WaveLab 6 there is an extraordinary time stretcher/pitch shifter processor in this program. I had to time stretch a file almost to half speed and I was amazed at the quality. To my ears it was as good as anything Melodyne was doing.

Karl