Eternal Newbie question

B

BillyFurnett

New member
I'm new to my Tascam 38 and would like to know:
What is the pitch control used for?
I used (on my 4 track) to try to do like backing harmony vocals with the pitch, but for some reason I never wondered what it was REALLY for. I have a misguided (Likely funny) notion that it's used to maybe fine tune ever so slight variations from a tracked guitar to one being tracked, but I don't know.

Ok, let me have it!
 
The pitch control has a few uses. The one you mentioned is definitely one of them.

I use it for creative purposes like singing in a much higher or lower key them I could naturally. If you want to sound like Bowzer from Sha Na Na, record your beds at normal speed then when doing the vocal track, pitch it up and sing your part. Then on playback, return the pitch to normal and voilà! instant Booming Bowzer!

The reverse scenario works for hitting the high notes.

It can be used also to play a really fast guitar solo that you couldn't do at normal speed.

Just make sure you tune the instrument in question to the pitched settings and then on normal playback, it will be in tune.

Get the picture?

Cheers! :)
 
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For tuning purposes also, I have found it best to let the 38 play in its pitched position for a few minutes first so that the speed stays steady. The vari-speed is not as stable as the normal 15ips default so give it time to settle in first on any serious tuning work.

Cheers! :)
 
Well, yeah, there's the creative use of pitch shifting, font,...

like to do a higher harmony than you're actually capable of, etc.

Also, a biggie is to enable you to shift the pitch for basic pitch matching of instruments. F/I, you may use a guitar tuner on all your tracks, bass too, and your keyboard even may verify as a perfect pitch instrument. Then, when you go to do the ACOUSTIC piano track, all of the sudden there may be 1/4- or 1/2-step difference in pitch between ALL of your previously recorded tracks, and the PRESENT pitch of your piano. Sure, the best solution really would be to tune the piano with the same tuner reference as the other instruments, but realistically, that's not always feasible. The solution is then to pitch shift the tape speed, and basically match pitch to the live instrument's tuning.

You know, everyone wants their acoustic piano in perfect pitch, but often times that's not the case. Any other instrument with a more fixed pitch may have to be pitch matched when recording, such as live acoustic brass horns, clarinet, woodwind, etc.

You'll use pitch [shift] knob for matching purposes, as a matter of practicality in the studio.

And, like font said, it's fun for stretching your range, or fun effects.

FAME,... FAMe,... FAme,... Fame,... fame,... fame,...
;)
 
Yeah I've done the harmony thing here and there on my four track, but I didn't realize I was actually right (For once!) in my notion of pitch matching. Seems logical now.

How about drums? Can you (as an effect) raise it and get a lower pitched snare? Pitch match a tom track?
Or is it more practical to EQ some low into a snare and/or just tune the tom by hand?

Now that I think of it, there's a song, "Lights" from Journey that going into the guitar solo ( at 2:04) sounds like they did something with the pitch while maybe tracking a low Hammond or guitar note. (Could just be the instrument alone though)

If one of you guys are familar with this tune and part can you tell me what I'm hearing there please???

(Man, Neal Schon's guitar tone gives me a "Thank God for analog!" moment everytime... The drum sounds from Infinity are dubiously "Plain" , but in tunes like "Feeling that way" they fit the song so incredibly well, especially the snare!! I Love it)
 
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That deep, resonant Ringo sound on Strawberry Fields Forever,...

was done with pitch shifting. Likewise, Lennon's voice was pitch shifted down.;)

It's a real life saver on odd instruments that are difficult to tune.

It could save the track, if necessary, maybe save a remote session, where you're playing someone else's piano.

Of course, our own studio pianos should be tuned to standard pitch, and mine is, but that's another thread.;) However, I think the average household piano is not in perfect pitch or tune.

Pitch shift can be used out of necessity or creativity.
 
I'm gonna try to keep my foolish inexperienced Tascam questions in this one thread, so if one of you could please take on my next one I'd appreciate it greatly.

(Ok this one hurts, so get ready to laugh)
I've threaded a few reel machinces no problem, but on my 38 I can't tell by the manual pic if the tape goes over or under the two post that are just under the center head.
Do tell wise ones.
 
Thank you sir. ( A few of you guys should put together a buyers, collectors and operators book on these machines. Invest like 2k each and have 1000 made, then sell'em on Ebay for 20 bucks a piece... I'd buy one!)
 
Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free?

But, if you want to front us the money, strickly as high risk, venture capitol.......

Cheers! :)
 
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Yeah, but it's all been written before.

McCartney already wrote "Press to Play", and Aerosmith already wrote "Just Press Play". Ian Anderson already wrote "You're never too old to Rock & Roll, if you're too young to die!".

I mean, what else is there to say?;) ;)
 
But then, the furtrapper,... who was strictly from commercial,...

"strictly commercial"!... ;)
Had the unmitigated audacity to jump up from behind my igloo,...
"peek-a-boo, woo-oo-oo!",...
And clubbed my favorite baby seal, with a lead filled snowshoe!
I said,...
With a lead,...
Filled,...
Snowshoe,...
He said PEEK-A-BOO!
;)
 
It's a damn shame that the powers which be (to me) seem to (even posthumously) keep the greatness of Zappa hidden away like some dirty little secret from todays (Often deemed "Misguided") musical youth.
I can't understand how Zappa could have made so many far out albums with pretty incredible players and yet the guitar magazines will go "Deep inside the mind of Korn" or offer the same transcriptions of "Paranoid" that they've been kicking aroung forever.
I get a feeling that even if he were still alive the reverse vultures of "Pop cultures" (that have force fed the American public things like the Osbournes) would STILL miss the boat with Zappa or just not know how to handel a guy that could not only entertain but may have actually made people think alittle if he had a show. (And oh what a far out show it could have been!!)
Everytime (Hardly ever!) I see ANYTHING about him it seems approached much the same way as poking something dead with a stick from a safe distance is.., then they quickly mention that his kids have "Weird" names, drop the stick and run off to the safety found in things such as the selfless creative genius bestowed upon humanity everytime Tommy Lee marries a blonde chick!
Shows like Ed Sullivan, SNL and (If you can find it in your heart to forgive Lip Syncing then) American Bandstand (Among many others) were an important vehicale for visually aided music, but a damn line should have been drawn in the sand!!
Now that LOOKING at a television for cool things to LISTEN TO has taken hold, guys like the last generations Arthur Brown (Marlyn Manson) become the "Deep left field intellectuals" while guys with the body of work Zappa left behind just become "Frank who?"



P.S. I have nothing against Ozzy (I like Sabbath), Korn, Tommy Lee or Marlyn Manson... I just don't like their music.
 
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Ok guys, set your "Try not to point and laugh" devices to 10 'cus I'm coming at you Newbie Style with another question...


In the last few weeks I have taken on learning about mixers without having one to experiment on and considering I'm not very bright to begin with I think I'm doing ok (Yeah right!), BUT I STILL don't know how to get two or more mics (Lets say using a close mic on a guitar cab AND a room mic for it as well) on to one channel so I can send it out to a single track.

I just want to believe you either press a button and assign a second channel to a sigle tape out or it's a simple patch cable procedure, but I don't know.

I basically have the same question (and lack of experience) about putting several mics (Drum kit) onto two channels (with "pan-abilty") to go out to two tracks.

When you guys are done laughing if you can please laugh a bit more, THEN explain it I'd be grateful. :)
 
Billy,

To get the two mic's to go to the same chanel, just assign them to the same buss number and leave the pan either in the middle or in the direction of the track. 1 = left pan, 2 = right pan.

As for getting a whack of chanels assigned to a stereo drum kit and recorded them in stereo to tape, try this.

Chanel one - Kick drum panned centre.

Chanel two - Snare panned just right of centre.

Chanel three - Top of hats, panned left of centre.

Chanel four - Tom 1, panned 2 o'clock

Chanel five - Tom 2, panned 10 o'clock

Chanel six - Floor Tom panned 9 o'clock

Chanel seven and eight - Stereo overhead mic's panned at 10 and 2 o'clock.

All chanels strips assigned to the two busses you wish to record to like, 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6 or 7 & 8.

Recording this way, will give you a stereo recording of the drums but it will lock the mix to the two tracks. If it comes out to wide sounding on playback, you can collapse the stereo field in from hard left and right pans to something closer to the middle. But, if you set the levels poorly before you hit the record button, you will have only the eq to try to level correct the sound. This is where having an engineer in one room and the talent in the other comes in mighty handy to get things right the first time.

If you are working by yourself, you may need to do a few trial and error test recordings to get the sound to your liking.

Hope that helps a little!

Cheers! :)
 
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