Walter Wedler

Q: Easy way to change key of a karaoke track in Logic 9?

Hi.
I can't find out how to lower or raise the key of a karaoke track I put into logic audio.
Tried to use pitch in the time and pitch machine in Factory. But while it lowers or raises the key it
changes the tempo too. I am possibly doing something wrong, I can't think this is not
possible. (I used to do it easily in the old Emagic 6 version but that set-up seams to
be gone) Please help. Thank you.
W.W.

MAC PRO4.1 2x2.26 MHz, Mac OS X (10.6.6), 6 GB RAM

Posted on Mar 10, 2011 3:01 PM

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Q: Easy way to change key of a karaoke track in Logic 9?

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  • by Foxboy71,Helpful

    Foxboy71 Foxboy71 Mar 11, 2011 6:18 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    Level 4 (2,363 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 11, 2011 6:18 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    Hi Walter,

    To change the key of a pre-recorded audio, you'll have to record the stuff in Logic again. Send the Audio Track you want to change to a BUS and record to a new Audio track and select this BUS as input. Now if you record, the new audio track get's the original song's output as input.

    What this does is this: Logic will not only record the audio again, but hardcode the *tempo information* into the audio file. Only with this tempo information can Logic change the key separately from changing the tempo.

    Now to access the transposition feature easily, select the newly recorded audio region and go to the region inspector at the left side of the arrange window.
    Check the little checkbox "follow tempo", and bibbidibobbidiboo you'll have the transpose enabled in the region inspector. Doubleclick right beneath the Word "Transposition:" just behind the colon to manually enter the desired transpose value for this track. Done.

    Fox
  • by Walter Wedler,

    Walter Wedler Walter Wedler Mar 11, 2011 8:50 AM in response to Foxboy71
    Level 2 (252 points)
    Audio
    Mar 11, 2011 8:50 AM in response to Foxboy71
    Hello Foxboy.
    Thank you so much for your time and patience! I am confused (I don't understand what Busses are for) and I think I should have been more specific about what I am doing. I am adding an .aif karaoke audio file into the L.E. (9.1.3) Bin. Then I add the .aif via add audio file into the arrange window. Now I want to lower the key of the backtrax, after which I want to record a vocal on a new track.
    I tried to follow your instructions but get stuck and confused when you say "record". I am not really recording anything yet, or do I have to? Please be patient I really appreciate your help!
    W.W.
  • by Foxboy71,Helpful

    Foxboy71 Foxboy71 Mar 12, 2011 4:43 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    Level 4 (2,363 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 12, 2011 4:43 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    Hi,

    i assume you already have your backing track available in the bin and have opened it into a track in the arrange window.

    1. Your arrange window should show the backing track on audio track #1

    2. Now, add a new audio track (track #2)

    3. Now, click on the first audio track to make sure it is selected (highlighted). This makes the track's channelstrip available in the inspector to the left of the arrange window.

    4.
    In the I/O section of this channelstrip, the output should point to "stereo out". We're gonna change this setting. Click+hold on "stereo out" to popup the menu. Go to "Bus" and select whatever Bus you want, but make sure you memorize the number.
    If your project doesn't use any busses yet, select bus #1. Some of the channelstrip presets might have bus 1 and/or bus 2 selected for reverb and delay - so make sure bus #1 is free. Else select whatever number is free.

    5. Your original track will now feed it's audio into bus #1 instead of directly to the stereo out. Think of the bus as a pipe where the audio is fed in.

    6. Now select your second audio track (track #2).

    7. In the Channelstrip of track #2, we're gonna change the input. Look under the I/O section of the channelstrip. Maybe you see "Input 1-2". Click + hold onto this button. In the popup menu, select Bus -> and now select the *same bus* that you selected as output for the audio track #1

    The Signal will now flow: Audio track #1 -> Bus #1 -> Audio track #2 -> Stereo Out


    8. Now, arm Audio track #2 for recording by clicking on the little R in the track header. It should highlight in red. If you don't see a little R, you must select an input device in Logic's preferences first, but i guess you are alright by now.

    9. Now, place the playhead where you want to start recording (usually from the start of the song) and hit the Record Button. The Signal will be played back rom track #1, pumped into the bus "pipe" and will be fed into track #2, where it is being recorded *with tempo information*

    10. After you are finished, follow the instructions in my first post to adjust transposition.

    Fox
  • by Walter Wedler,

    Walter Wedler Walter Wedler Mar 12, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Foxboy71
    Level 2 (252 points)
    Audio
    Mar 12, 2011 9:49 AM in response to Foxboy71
    Hello Foxboy.
    Thank you for your time and patience! I will follow your sugestions and post back.
    W.W.
  • by Walter Wedler,

    Walter Wedler Walter Wedler Mar 12, 2011 2:29 PM in response to Foxboy71
    Level 2 (252 points)
    Audio
    Mar 12, 2011 2:29 PM in response to Foxboy71
    Hello Foxboy.
    You are "the man"! Works as you said. Thank you so much for all your time and patience!
    (What happend to the solved button on your great response I wanted to push to give you credit for this?)
    Please let me know and thank you so much.
    W.W.
  • by Foxboy71,Solvedanswer

    Foxboy71 Foxboy71 Mar 12, 2011 10:24 PM in response to Walter Wedler
    Level 4 (2,363 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 12, 2011 10:24 PM in response to Walter Wedler
    Guess you can't double credit an answer. Try this one instead

    Fox (doesn't really care about credits unless Apple gives him a free MBP for them)
  • by Walter Wedler,

    Walter Wedler Walter Wedler Mar 14, 2011 6:35 PM in response to Foxboy71
    Level 2 (252 points)
    Audio
    Mar 14, 2011 6:35 PM in response to Foxboy71
    Apple should really do that, you are saving them a lot of time and genius power.☺
    Thank you again!
    Walter
  • by timtrax,

    timtrax timtrax Apr 1, 2011 5:52 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Apr 1, 2011 5:52 AM in response to Walter Wedler
    All this might explain why 'time and pitch machine' has never worked for me for the last 6 years.
  • by Ta_Young,

    Ta_Young Ta_Young Sep 8, 2014 4:09 AM in response to Foxboy71
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 8, 2014 4:09 AM in response to Foxboy71

    Hey Foxboy71 thank you for your awesome answer. Is there any way to have more options for transposition besides -12? I have a track that I need to drop down one or two steps for a singer.