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Speeding up a mastered wav file

I was auditioning a finished tune over the weekend on various systems and at one stage it ended up in a CDJ at a mates place, which turned out to be pitched up by about 3 percent.

It was originally 132bpm but it sounded better with the little speed bump, more suited to the style. I'm wondering what the best way to process the mastered wav file to build in the same speed change will be.

I'm using cubase but I don't have much experience warping audio because I don't usually use loops. I want to avoid introducing any degradation to the master and have it sound exactly like it did coming out of the CDJ.. should I be persisting with the cubase audio warp function or using an external wav editor or plugin..? any suggestions ?

If you have the original file in Cubase I think you can just change the tempo there?

If you do it with some other software afterwards it loses some quality.

Yeah i have the project but it has lots of bounced audio and samples scattered around the midi tracks.. so just bumping the tempo up as far as i'm aware will speed up all the midi leaving all the audio out of whack.. unless each audio file is warped aswell, but it just seems simpler to try and apply whatever digital process the CDJ pitch control does to the whole wav file..

As I said though messing with warping samples and audio is not my forte, so i'm definitely open to any and all ideas here..

warp it in ableton is probably your best bet. Even as a single audio file , the results are pretty good.

If your track is finished I wouldn't mess with it tbh. Let the DJs play it faster if they think it sounds better.

quote:

Originally posted by meriter If your track is finished I wouldn't mess with it tbh. Let the DJs play it faster if they think it sounds better.

+1

or just speed it up in Wavelab, also mind you, often increasing speed adds sense of excitement.

oh, im very excited now

warping it as the name suggests, will definitely alter the final quality of the mix, you'll en up with very slight variances in the sound quality, obviously because you is stretching it forwards or backwards...amirite?

quote:

Originally posted by KilldaDJ warping it as the name suggests, will definitely alter the final quality of the mix, you'll en up with very slight variances in the sound quality, obviously because you is stretching it forwards or backwards...amirite?

Can't remember where but I'm sure I read that pitching up wont affect the quality but it will be affected by slowing it down.. Anyway as already mentioned ableton will do it in seconds for you.


Speeding things up slightly almost always makes tracks sound better, the same as the loudness thingy.

Yeah don't have ableton.. tho.

it's only a 3% increase.. So the original 132bpm would be 136, maybe even 138 would be better. I started out writing a more proggressive type tune and it ended up being closer to psy trance so the few extra bpm I think suits the track better, definitely boosts the excitement a little as was said.

I'm wanting it to go up on soundcloud which is why I want to build in the speed change rather than leave it up to a DJ.

I could probably take it round to someone who uses ableton but i'm surprised if it has better algorithms for audio processing than cubase 5?? maybe just easier to use? Haven't got to grips yet with the different modes of warping in cubase, musical mode and free warp.. i've got it to work on small loops well enough but yeah I don't want any damage done to the audio over a long file hence the research.

I used to have a habit of cranking up the BPM on all the music I put onto my MP3 player because I run in the mornings, and I wanted my favorite tracks to motivate me at high speeds.

My technique for doing this was to use Goldwave and use the Playback Sample Rate option. Change it from 44hz to say 48hz or 52hz or just experiment with higher numbers to find the speed you want. Then just save as to a new file, and there is your track at it's new playback speed.

A 2nd option would be to use the pitch plugin for Winamp, adjust to your liking, then record it into the app of your choice.

This render is for soundcloud not DJ's guys so it needs to be pre-processed..

Magnus when I mastered it I converted from 96/32 to 44.1/16 and compared the output files in adjacent tracks, the 44.1 track was half as long, (or twice as fast) as the 96 original, so i'm thinking increasing the sample rate would do the opposite, ie make the file longer and slower? (unless it was because the project containing both the tracks was still set to 96 though..)

Also some players might struggle to play something that isn't 44.1 presumably?

izotope radius looks like it would work but it also looks like its mac/logic only unless i'm on the wrong page or something.

quote:

Originally posted by Osmodiar Yeah don't have ableton.. tho. it's only a 3% increase.. So the original 132bpm would be 136, maybe even 138 would be better. I started out writing a more proggressive type tune and it ended up being closer to psy trance so the few extra bpm I think suits the track better, definitely boosts the excitement a little as was said. I'm wanting it to go up on soundcloud which is why I want to build in the speed change rather than leave it up to a DJ. I could probably take it round to someone who uses ableton but i'm surprised if it has better algorithms for audio processing than cubase 5?? maybe just easier to use? Haven't got to grips yet with the different modes of warping in cubase, musical mode and free warp.. i've got it to work on small loops well enough but yeah I don't want any damage done to the audio over a long file hence the research.

Able ton warp is why most people use it. Way better than cubase's method. You can do that change with zero perceptible degradation in ableton.

Ok, sounds like I best give ableton a go then!

Cheers for the input everyone

PS wtf am I getting ads and popups while i'm logged into TA nowadays??

Osmodiar, the Playback Rate option in Goldwave is a bit misleading and confusing. The file will still end up at 44hz, but it's only the playback rate you adjust to say 52hz or whatever to speed it up. When you render the sped up track out, it will still be 44hz. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean. In Goldwave, go to the Effects Menu, and choose Playback rate at the very bottom, adjust, and I think you'll find this will quickly get you what you are seeking.

Thanks Magnus, I've downloaded goldwave and it looks useful so i'll give that a try.. Prior to that I tried all kinds of different warp algorithms in cubase and ableton and I couldn't get a satisfactory result over the entire track, so in the end I just decided to leave it at it's original tempo. Sounds like goldwave will be more like the CDJ process though in that it's not actually warping the file as such. I like the evaluation rules as well, fully functional with a pretty generous limit on functions you can do before it starts bugging you.

For interest the track in question is the latest one on my soundcloud page linked in sig, 'Solitary Confinement'. (Named as such because I split with my gf recently and she moved out so I suddenly found myself alone in a pretty dark mood and this tune is what eventuated!)

Would be great to hear some professional advice based on my last few tunes, ideally pointing out what I should be focussing on in order to make the next step in the right direction.. I feel like these tunes are decent efforts but they are still not at the production level I want to be at by now. If anyone's got a few minutes to make comment i'd really appreciate it.

Cheers

use ableton.

This is what you would do say if you wanted to fool youtube audio analyzer to use ripped music. You change the pitch , keep the same speed. No artifacts. Or keep the same pitch and change the tempo.

there is really no better accessible tool. download a crack if money is the issue.


enjoyed the track. The thing I would change is your form. The intro doesn't take advantage of the parts of the track you could exploit more. You have a killer bass groove but you introduce the highend stuff overlapping the bass too soon. that pad also comes too early. By the time the dj has mixed into your track, you are already at that part which just kills the energy. The strongest part of this track is the main bass kick and percussion groove. You need to make sure people get that without anything else. If you notice on a dance floor, it is this part that people dance the most. that and the main drop if it doesn't suck.

Not sure if you uploaded the whole song but the intro seem like it isn't there. Start with a drum beat then that and the bass, then that section with the mid high stuff, as your first mini build,

You have a great foundation. Found the melodies and everything on top to take away from that.

Mix is ok. The kick needs a bit of compression. Taking too much room right now. And the bass with the kick is not working. The kick is especially way too heavy with the breakbeat part. I mean it sounds great but you have to control those parts as they are just overlapping each other. Either side chain compression or automate.

Not a fan of the phygian scale in psytrance. I mean its just way too expected and obvious. The builds need more work. They don't go anywhere. And the builds themselves are boring and empty. As far as your two main drops, they are identical which makes it rather redundant.

Just making observations while i'm listening. The tempo is perfect. Would not have enjoyed it if it was faster but maybe i'm old. bpms are just slower than they used to be. Not really sure why. drugs are not as good ? lol. Just noticed you live in australia. Well that explains the bpm increase. They like their music at 150 bpm. how they shuffle at that speed is beyond me.

Thanks that's great feedback!

It's true the intro was a bit of a rushed afterthought, I had to delete the original beginning because it just didn't fit with where the tune went after I came up with the chords. I'm about to start a new project so i'll focus much more on the initial build this time.

And you're right some other aspects of the tune were a bit rushed aswell, I've had some trouble concentrating (and admittedly drinking) since my breakup but i'm feeling pretty refreshed this week and ready to get cracking.

If you have the time to listen to the couple of tunes prior to that one, Paradigm Shift & Descension, i'd really appreciate it. I took more time with them. but haven't obtained any useful feedback on those yet to apply to future projects. Comments like what you just wrote above give a very helpful perspective.

Psychological dependency was fun and i'm tempted to experiment more with that sort of style, although something tells me I should just pick one and stick with it until I've got it sorted :/ bit of A.D.D there I think !

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