Cubase Audio Mixdown half a step up in key from original recording

  • Thread starter Thread starter gitlvr
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gitlvr

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Hi,
I'm in the mixdown phase, trying to mix my tracks down to WAV to transfer to CD. mixed my first track down, but when I listen to it, it is a half step up in key from where I originally recorded it.
I have searched the manual for anything related to pitch, song key, etc. Cannot find anything. I looked over the Cubase screen and see nothing for project key, pitch, etc.
Can anyone help me?
 
43 views and nobody knows, huh? Ah well....
I have searched and searched the manual, tried every setting/explored every button/window/menu, with zero explanation or help.
This has ruined an entire project for me. I was trying to do a short album(8 songs) for my Mother in law's birthday tomorrow. I have everything recorded and mixed, but Cubase mixes the audio down so I sound like a chipmonk and the songs are twice as fast. I have no more time in reserve.
This has soured me on Cubase, right from the get go. If their LE software is meant to introduce me to their product with an eye toward my purchasing the full program, they failed miserably.
I will go back to my Home Studio 2004 software. At least that software works.
Meanwhile, no project for tommorrow's birthday.
I tried joining and posting on Steinberg's LE forum, but they will have to review my post before it is allowed on the board, and that will be way late to do anything about my problem.
Thanks, Steinberg. I won't need any reminders to avoid your product like the plague from now on.
 
You may have inadvertently changed sample rates on mixdown, or something like that
 
Almost certainly a sample rate issue. If the difference is only a half step, then I'd suspect that you've gone from 44.1 kHz to 48 kHz. Try specifying 44100 as the sample rate when mixing down.

I would think that cubase would do the upsample or dithering, surprised that it would alter the pitch at mixdown. There's gotta be a setting somewhere to override that behavior.
 
Definitely sounds like a sample rate mismatch. Check your project settings.

43 views, most of them are bots. Don't make assumptions based on views.

Most DAW programs have one quark or another. Each have a learning curve, it's just part of the territory.
 
Thanks for the replies. Much appreciated.
I record at 48k/24bit. On the mixdown options, I specified 44.1k/16bit, cd specs.
Can I mix down to WAV at 48k/24, same as I recorded at, and can i then burn that WAV file to CD?
 
Nope. Rendered at 48k/24 as it was recorded, still a half step up.
I don't see how sample rate could do this. People are recording at 96k/24bit and higher(192), and rendering to 44.1/16, and I've never heard of anyone having this problem. Never even heard a mention of it.
 
I think somewhere the 48 to 44.1 is getting messed up - it's pretty common. As to what you're doing to cause it, no idea. If the export setting is 44.1, 16 bit in the export from cubase, mine does exactly that. Have you tried re-importing the file you are using to burn the CD and having a look to see what cubase thinks it is, once it's in the pool. If it imports as 44.1, then the burning software could be the problem - what are you using to burn the CD? Is there some tag that says the file is 48 somewhere? Maybe the software then does the conversion, when it's not needed?
 
UPDATE
It was indeed a sample rate mismatch. My interface(Lexicon Alpha) only operates at 44.1K. I somehow have Cubase LE5 set at 48k. I found that out by going to "Project Template" and looking at the settings there. Set sample rate to 44.1, recorded a scratch guitar track, rendered that to WAV and VOILA! Rendered to correct pitch and speed.
There is nothing wrong with Cubase, just the IDIOT running it.
I cannot find the settings to set Cubase' default rate. I set it to 48k somehow when installed, but I cannot find it, and the manual doesn't help.
But as long as I start out with a Project Template with the proper settings I should be good to go.
That won't save my project this time, but I won't have this problem in the future.
Thank you for your help, patience and kindness, and please forgive my small rant earlier. I've been stuck in the studio 12 hours a day for several days, only to render my project files and find all that work down the drain. Frustrating.
I have devised a really primitive way to save it.
I will run the output of my interface to a cassette deck, record them to tape by playing them back(they play in the project in the proper key), and transfer that tape to Audiograbber, and burn that to CD. It'll still be a day late, but at least all the work won't be lost.
 
In Cubase 8, there is a big section of preferences for all sorts, but the problem isn't with the project settings - I never record and edit at CD sample - usually 96K with 32 bit floating point, and the export function does the conversion - and you can convert from format to format, and get a little warning asking if you want to change the file or make a new version? I wonder if the issue is audiograbber? Is that what you are using to convert the wav to the CD? I don't know if LE5 does it differently, but worth maybe trying something else to burn the CDs, in case it's misreading the format? The cassette option sounds simply dreadful, to be honest.

Have you tried taking a file in Cubase, and then exporting it as different types of mp3s and wavs and then bringing these back into a new project to check cubase has the right codecs installed. In the audio pool you should see all these different formats and see what cubase identifies them as, and then if you try to edit them and 'use' them, see if any warning messages pop up? I'd still tend to suspect the CD software. You can't master to cassette as a solution.
 
I'm not using any cd software to render the tracks down. They are rendered in Cubase. I play the WAV file Cubase rendered straight from the computer, from the folder it is rendered to, not burned down to a cd, and it is a half step up BEFORE it is burned to disc.
But I found the problem. My interface does not support sample rates above 44.1k. As long as I record to Cubase with Cubase's record setting at 44.1k, there is no problem.
As for the cassette option, that is just to get these 8 songs I have recorded down onto a cd for my Mother in Law, at the proper speed and pitch. She's 96, and won't mind a bit of degradation in sound quality.:) From now on I'll set my project sample rate properly before recording, and won't have this problem again.
Thanks a lot. Very much appreciate your help.
 
I often find that my troubles with Cubase are simply a screw loose behind the keyboard.:facepalm:
 
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