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Stations with pitched up songs?
- Thread starter 192khz
- Start date
It varies. This subject comes up a lot here, and here's a thread that might have an answer for you:
Do a search here on Radiodiscussions and you'll find quite a few past discussion threads where this was brought up and talked about.
What was never answered was how people with perfect pitch react to changes in "speed".
I think David makes an essential point. Does pitching up (the equivalent of playing an analog audio tape recording at faster speed) change the musicality a sound. Musicality can be heard by people who do not have perfect pitch. Nearly everyone can tell when someone can't sing, and many know when something is a bit off or sour, compared to when it is on pitch.
Someone with knowledge of music theory could post accurate information about how pitching up changes music notes and chords and will a random increase in pitch result in the same chords. That is, does a radio person pitching up something so it "sounds good and better than the other station" run the risk the resulting sound will not be playing notes or chords accurately?
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192Khz- here's a thought. On your computer listen to the streaming of some radio stations, and in a separate window bring up You Tube and listen to the "official audio" of the song from the record company or artist representative. Then A-B (switch back and forth) between the sound of the radio station stream and the sound of the source material on You Tube.
What do you hear? Is the pitch different? Does something else sound different?
Tech folks, I realize that You Tube is medium fidelity and not an accurate representation of the original recording sound, and the radio station streaming is also medium fidelity and not an accurate representation of the radio station over the air sound and processing. And the Internet version mix or recording may be different from the radio station one.
However, the radio station stream will give you a sense of their audio mind-set, and it should tell you if they are changing pitch of the source material.
Even with the deficiencies and uncertainty of Internet music sources, it does provide a reference that you can A-B with radio station streams, or over the air broadcasts. Many times, in the car I hear a song on the radio and think it sounds bad. I pull over and quickly pull up the song on You Tube and A-B it with the radio station. Sometimes the verdict is BUSTED, the radio station sounds horrible. Other times, the radio station is doing a good job with challenging source material.
192Khz from your previous posts I know you are interested in audio processing. Can you afford to subscribe to Tidal, Quobuz or Amazon HD music, and if you are using a PC, can you obtain a high-quality converter to your headphones or audio amplifier? You could start listening and making your own conclusions.
192Khz, have fun and keep thinking about audio and sound!
What do you hear? Is the pitch different? Does something else sound different?
Tech folks, I realize that You Tube is medium fidelity and not an accurate representation of the original recording sound, and the radio station streaming is also medium fidelity and not an accurate representation of the radio station over the air sound and processing. And the Internet version mix or recording may be different from the radio station one.
However, the radio station stream will give you a sense of their audio mind-set, and it should tell you if they are changing pitch of the source material.
Even with the deficiencies and uncertainty of Internet music sources, it does provide a reference that you can A-B with radio station streams, or over the air broadcasts. Many times, in the car I hear a song on the radio and think it sounds bad. I pull over and quickly pull up the song on You Tube and A-B it with the radio station. Sometimes the verdict is BUSTED, the radio station sounds horrible. Other times, the radio station is doing a good job with challenging source material.
192Khz from your previous posts I know you are interested in audio processing. Can you afford to subscribe to Tidal, Quobuz or Amazon HD music, and if you are using a PC, can you obtain a high-quality converter to your headphones or audio amplifier? You could start listening and making your own conclusions.
192Khz, have fun and keep thinking about audio and sound!
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Good observations. If one looks at the statistics, there are enough people with perfect (correctly called "absolute) pitch and along with those who are not but have relative pitch to perhaps be significant in ratings.
Depends on how they do it. Keep in mind that it's not unusual for a record producer to do the exact same thing when they're making records. How do I know? They talk about it. It's a very common thing to pitch up a song before its mastered,
The other thing is its possible to speed up songs without changing pitch.
Also worth remembering---record labels themselves would occasionally pitch up songs. The single version of Bob Dylan's "Tangled Up In Blue" is a few percent faster than the same cut on BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, as is the single of Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street" compared to the track on CITY TO CITY.
Yeah, I use qobuz and have a dac.
It drove me crazy when I was younger. I'm not sure if you were still at 'ERC by the time "Philadelphia Freedom" came out, but it they definitely speeded it up. Being able to hear it on just about every other station in Birmingham regardless of format, I knew what I should be hearing. And I didn't hear it there.
To what extent does pitched/speeded up music change how a listener feels about a recording of a song?
Do you think many people can hear or recognize if a song is out of tune?
Perhaps much of this is the point of reference. Someone's point of reference may be a pitched/speeded up version of the song. Other people may have a musical sense of if something is right or in the pocket.
On You Tube videos, many artists are playing their songs at faster tempo when playing live. Why?
Pitched/speeded up music is a basic way to change the sound of a recorded song. Other things can be done musically and sonically, and the artist made a decision.
People on the back end of the content path do things. Using metaphors, apply this action to other things in life.
Such as the person who soaks genuine Kobe beef in A-1 sauce.
Taste is subjective. What matters to an audience?
Do you think many people can hear or recognize if a song is out of tune?
Perhaps much of this is the point of reference. Someone's point of reference may be a pitched/speeded up version of the song. Other people may have a musical sense of if something is right or in the pocket.
On You Tube videos, many artists are playing their songs at faster tempo when playing live. Why?
Pitched/speeded up music is a basic way to change the sound of a recorded song. Other things can be done musically and sonically, and the artist made a decision.
People on the back end of the content path do things. Using metaphors, apply this action to other things in life.
Such as the person who soaks genuine Kobe beef in A-1 sauce.
Taste is subjective. What matters to an audience?
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yeah mannnn, like when Prince starts sounding like a squirrel, you know you've gone too far!
His vocals on "I Wanna Be Your Lover" were in the key of squirrel with no technological help at all.
Some are gifted with amazing vocal instruments, indeed. Software and smartphone apps can be used to measure pitch of your voice. Be aware some of them may contain adware or be invasive. I think it is interesting just how far apart the notes are in a given scale. I don't sing, but to me A2 and B2 (for example), are clearly very different pitches, a no-brainer. But the rubber meets the road when trying to make those pitches precisely with no reference, consistently. Then try saying words exactly on those pitches, in a specific key and time signature, with a timbre that someone might find enjoyable. Now do this 75 nights a year onstage, sometimes when you can't hear yourself and you are exhausted from travel. Much respect for artists blessed with talent.
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Great album - Stevie Wonder, right?
I think this is it.
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