Why was "pitch control" so important they had it on almost every 4 track cassette recorder

[redEL34]

Is it because it`s such an old technique it was a given? There are more modern, and past examples(Beatles), but listening to an old Madonna song, it sounds almost inhuman. She hasn`t sounded like that like after the 2000. Heard any decent Madonna songs lately? I`ve said it before, bumping it up makes the song more appealing. I have EQ and pitch on my 4 track. I think pitch is kind of overlooked as far as song potential goes.

[Vito Corleone]

Those reasons, yes.

 

Also sometimes you might be overdubbing something like a piano that can’t be easily tuned to match what’s already on the recording

[redEL34]

Those reasons, yes.

 

Also sometimes you might be overdubbing something like a piano that can’t be easily tuned to match what’s already on the recording

 

People may think I`m crazy, but I think songs at a certain pitch are more appealing at a higher pitch. I`ve had arguments on songwriting forums about this, but it always proves itself to be true.

 

-certain songs

[onelife]

It was probably easier to put pitch controls on cassette machines than it was to make them all run at precisely the same speed.

[redEL34]

It was probably easier to put pitch controls on cassette machines than it was to make them all run at precisely the same speed.

 

I`m talking about just 1 machine though.I`m thinking more subliminally, I`m trying to remember, is it the 442 tuning that`s supposed to be more "appealing" ?

 

-It`s actually 432 and 528

[jorhay1]

 

People may think I`m crazy, but I think songs at a certain pitch are more appealing at a higher pitch. I`ve had arguments on songwriting forums about this, but it always proves itself to be true.

 

-certain songs

 

Back in the day, this was a common concept. And I believe true.

[redEL34]

 

Back in the day, this was a common concept. And I believe true.

 

I believe there are multiple examples of this. And i`m not talking about "when I`m 64".

[redEL34]

Here`s my argument, yeah it was spiced up on the "hit" version, but the main thing is that it was sped up..Origional

 

 

[redEL34]

This is the one. It`s sped up and sounds a lot better. The beat is different but his voice sounds better. Didn`t the Beatles do this too?

[redEL34]

 

Back in the day, this was a common concept. And I believe true.

 

I`ve argued this concept to death on stutz and they just don`t get it. Sometimes I think I`m the insane one, but play "When I`m 64" at normal speed. I don`t get why this is so hard to understand.

[Opposite Day]

I've always secretly like this one.

 

[video=youtube;FRLHro9EPD0]

 

The chopping up a simple guitar riff kinda works.

[Hoddy]

My Denon TN-D620 has pitch control for both the CD and cassette decks.

 

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[arcadesonfire]

 

People may think I`m crazy, but I think songs at a certain pitch are more appealing at a higher pitch. I`ve had arguments on songwriting forums about this, but it always proves itself to be true.

 

-certain songs

 

Interesting. Do you have perfect pitch?? Or maybe something like almost-perfect pitch?

 

If not that, then I wonder if there’s something about matching songs to keys of favorite songs that are mapped on your brain. (I’m totally playing armchair pseudo-neuroscientist.)

[arcadesonfire]

My Denon TN-D620 has pitch control for both the CD and cassette decks.

 

[ATTACH=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","title":"denon repeat.png","data-attachmentid":32508428}[/ATTACH]

 

How the heck could they do pitch control for a CD???? Weird wild stuff.

[arcadesonfire]

This is the one. It`s sped up and sounds a lot better. The beat is different but his voice sounds better. Didn`t the Beatles do this too?

 

Oh oh. Changing the speed does do something to the timbre. I see.

[Tom Hicks]

 

People may think I`m crazy, but I think songs at a certain pitch are more appealing at a higher pitch. I`ve had arguments on songwriting forums about this, but it always proves itself to be true.

 

-certain songs

 

I remember someone in music school saying that Bach had a theory that different Keys expressed different emotions I guess.

 

D major was supposed to be triumphant.

[E-money]

Sometimes they would adjust the songs speed because making it a little faster would just make the whole thing groove better.

I think I remember that they did this on City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie.

Of course, the by-product of this was a change in pitch. I'm sure if they could have just sped it up without the pitch change they would have often preferred to do it that way, but it wasn't an option at the time.

[Tom Hicks]

Sometimes they would adjust the songs speed because making it a little faster would just make the whole thing groove better.

I think I remember that they did this on City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie.

Of course, the by-product of this was a change in pitch. I'm sure if they could have just sped it up without the pitch change they would have often preferred to do it that way, but it wasn't an option at the time.

 

soloists in symphony orchestras have been known to tune a few cents sharp.

 

in fact orchestras worldwide have been drifting sharp for decades. it's not 440 anymore.

 

there are even Renaissance Revival musical groups who tune to what was the lower pitch standard in Mozart or Bachs era.

[Tom Hicks]

And of course famously the two sections of Strawberry Fields by The Beatles were actually in different keys. They were bodged together with tape speed trickery.

[SteinbergerHack]

Honestly, I may be the odd man out on this view, but I absolutely DETEST hearing a recording that has been sped up or slowed down. It's like fingernails on a chall board for me.

 

The poster child for worst of this was a particular chain of radio stations back in the late 80s that sped up nearly everything they played and cut down the intros and outtros to get "more songs per hour" while keeping just as much ad time.

 

I remember hearing Aerosmith's "Rag Doll" played about 15% faster than normal and wanting to throw the radio across the room.... :angry47:

[Zooey]

That's my reaction hearing it at normal speed.

[redEL34]

 

Interesting. Do you have perfect pitch?? Or maybe something like almost-perfect pitch?

 

If not that, then I wonder if there’s something about matching songs to keys of favorite songs that are mapped on your brain. (I’m totally playing armchair pseudo-neuroscientist.)

 

Oh I would never claim that. I`m just talking about humans in general. The hypothesis that songs are more appealing in different temperaments(did I use the term correctly..?)

[Vito Corleone]

 

Oh I would never claim that. I`m just talking about humans in general. The hypothesis that songs are more appealing in different temperaments(did I use the term correctly..?)

 

Well it’s all relative I suppose. I don’t generally prefer to hear songs sped up that I’m already familiar with at another speed or pitch. And unless you have the “correct” version to compare it with, how do you even know it’s been sped up?

 

And what makes a song that is sped up more appealing? The faster speed? The higher key? Vocal cords that are vibrating a bit faster than they would naturally otherwise?

[redEL34]

 

Well it’s all relative I suppose. I don’t generally prefer to hear songs sped up that I’m already familiar with at another speed or pitch. And unless you have the “correct” version to compare it with, how do you even know it’s been sped up?

 

And what makes a song that is sped up more appealing? The faster speed? The higher key? Vocal cords that are vibrating a bit faster than they would naturally otherwise?

 

That`s the mystery..The example I posted earlier in the thread by the band Cornershop, the song was at normal pitch and didn`t do much. Sped up, the song reached #16 on Billboard. I guess, to rephrase the question, is there a "magic key" or "tempo" that is more appealing to humans than others. I think there is! Madonnas first few albums wouldn`t have cut it without the un-naturally high vocal. She`s more of a baritone than anything.

[Vito Corleone]

 

That`s the mystery..The example I posted earlier in the thread by the band Cornershop, the song was at normal pitch and didn`t do much. Sped up, the song reached #16 on Billboard. I guess, to rephrase the question, is there a "magic key" or "tempo" that is more appealing to humans than others. I think there is! Madonnas first few albums wouldn`t have cut it without the un-naturally high vocal. She`s more of a baritone than anything.

 

I remember reading once many years ago that the key of Bb is the most appealing to humans.

 

I have no idea if that is indeed true or what the science might be behind it, but I’ve never forgotten that. In fact, a band I was in at the time was writing a song we wanted to be very upbeat and jaunty (it reminded me at the time of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”) so we purposely put it in Bb. It didn’t become a hit (so much for that theory perhaps?) but hopefully it made the few people that did hear it happier in that key.

 

in the case of Madonna, I would argue that the nature of those songs required a higher pitched voice and one that was in vogue (pun intended) at the time. So that the producers would have worked to make her voice sound as fashionable as they could is not at all surprising. And if the technology made it easier, of course they would have used it.

 

She’s not a baritone, however. That’s a lower-register male voice like, say, David Bowie.