Is this pitchy?

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todddunnigan
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Is this pitchy?

Post by todddunnigan » Thu Jun 10, 2021 9:51 am

We got a return on this song, the reviewer said we just missed it but the vocals were too pitchy.

Ok, I have Waves tune, I can fix this, which vocals do I fix?

https://soundcloud.com/true-swans/void- ... 3HnypOUxK2

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Zaychi
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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by Zaychi » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:05 am

I'd start with the section right after 1:06 and 1:54. The pitch flows towards the note, rather than hitting it right away. To me it sounds intentional, but the screener might not like it.

It can also be a compositional problem, where the vocal note doesn't fit to the changing bass note, like at 0:26 (and other places) which creates a bit of a pitchy feeling.

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cosmicdolphin
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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by cosmicdolphin » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:55 am

From 1:02 ..with all the FX piled on I'm not sure whether it's a pitching issue or just some dissonance with eh vox and the backing track

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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by eeoo » Thu Jun 10, 2021 10:56 am

I'm hearing the word "free" sounding a bit sour, for example at 1:20 and 2:11. That said, I feel like that high piercing sound isn't doing the vocal any favors, I know this is subjective so if you're attached to it I get it but I'd consider getting rid of that part, especially if you're looking for sync opps as it could potentially get in the way of dialog. To my ear it definitely steps on the vocal. Nice work though, enjoyed that!

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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by johnnyrowing » Thu Jun 10, 2021 11:29 am

Nice track Todd and True Swans.

You've got some feedback from the board. So, I don't have anything other than "nice track" to say.

Way to go!

Johnny

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Telefunkin
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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by Telefunkin » Thu Jun 10, 2021 12:06 pm

Yes, and I agree with Zaychi on where. I hear the highest note as slightly flat every time throughout those sections.

I also feel that occasional B in the bass line isn't a totally comfortable fit, and the vocals lack some clarity (especially at the start). Just my personal opinions though.
Last edited by Telefunkin on Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by feaker66 » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:34 pm

If you could just post just the vox tracks, it would be easy to answer this question. Something after the minute mark is def off.
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Casey H
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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by Casey H » Thu Jun 10, 2021 5:41 pm

It's also good not to react too much on one screener's feedback on a given listing. Feedback will vary. I've had successful songs returned where a screener said the vocal was pitchy in spots. It's not a perfect world full of robots with the same perfect ears.

I see some good comments here. No reason not to adjust some of the easy, low hanging fruit. Now, if you get that feedback from multiple reputable sources (screeners, music publishers, etc.), that's different.

Good luck!
:D Casey

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Re: Is this pitchy?

Post by superblonde » Mon Jun 14, 2021 10:19 am

Yeah it is definitely off. The high notes in the melody are flat in the first verse. Seems better later on. Can it be fixed? I dont know. The entire track seems incredibly compressed or maybe it is just too chorusy (definitely too much even for a shoe gaze). The keyboard solo is not diatonic which also makes it sound off (not in a good way).

Possible fix (not involving autotune)
1. remove all those stacked FX on the vocals which are too reverb/chorusy/wet
2. add an electric piano instrument which follows the intended vocal exactly with a rhythm which matches the recorded vocal (on the grid of 16ths).
3. ride the fader on the electric piano to rise at the problem areas (up to... -12dB?)
4. ride the fader on the vocal to lower drastically the problem areas ("drastically" means... -8dB?)
5. re-add the FX more sparingly

This will substitute an in-tune instrument over the out-of-tune vocal at the expense of losing the lyrics but the lyrics are already not intelligible so there's no loss there.

Would be interesting to see if the fix works. Of course easiest is to re-record vocals but this is assuming that it is not possible.
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