Key adjustment

Hey all,

Got an annoying issue, owning the Force for a couple of months but not sure how to circumenvent an issue I have...

I would be glad to get your opinion on the matter

I am ripping samples from Vinyls quite often and obviously I'd like them to be in key of the rest of the song.

I am currently using the Fine-tune option to change the key and get the sample to match the rest of the project.

But I have seen two issues so far :

Either I cannot have the scale to match, the sample is in minor scale while I could only set the plugin or other sample to a major scale...then it sounds ugly. Or the modification of the Key is distording the sample so much that is sounds awful.

Could you share your advices on how make samples matches with each other's ?

Or match with drums or a Force native plugin ?

I am thinking I am missing a point here, I read the manual again, but honestly even if I like very much the Force the manual is quite poor.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

Thanks in advance

You cannot change the scale used in an audio sample (not in the Force at least!), so if it's in D minor then it's D minor, and it's not going to match with a sample in D major. You can however write your song (in MIDI) to match the key of a sample, as long as you are using plugins, keygroups etc. It's normally easier to start with the sample and adjust your MIDI accordingly.

MPC-Tutor wrote:You cannot change the scale used in an audio sample (not in the Force at least!), so if it's in D minor then it's D minor, and it's not going to match with a sample in D major. You can however write your song (in MIDI) to match the key of a sample, as long as you are using plugins, keygroups etc. It's normally easier to start with the sample and adjust your MIDI accordingly.

Thanks a lot for your reply, but I saw that the tune option seems to affect the key of the sample, does that means this is not affecting it ? What is then changed here ? (Sorry if my question might sound silly).

Let's assume you have a C minor piano chord sample - it's in the key of C minor. This would be made up of the notes C, Eb, G. If you use the Force to change the 'key' to 'D' it will tune it up two semitones to D minor, so the notes inside the chord sample are now D, F, A.

You cannot change the key to a D major (D F#, A) as the original Eb needs tuning up 3 semitones to achieve this (while the other notes need to be tuned 2 semitones). Just not possible in the Force, you'd need computer software that can manipulate individual notes inside a sample (Melodyne perhaps?).

When working with chord samples or any melodic sample that infer a minor or major scale, you are stuck with the underlying scale, you can only change the overall key, so you can go from E minor to G minor, but not E minor to G major.

If you use a plugin or a keygroup you can use notes mode to play chords and notes that match the scale used in an audio sample.

MPC-Tutor wrote:Let's assume you have a C minor piano chord sample - it's in the key of C minor. This would be made up of the notes C, Eb, G. If you use the Force to change the 'key' to 'D' it will tune it up two semitones to D minor, so the notes inside the chord sample are now D, F, A.

You cannot change the key to a D major (D F#, A) as the original Eb needs tuning up 3 semitones to achieve this (while the other notes need to be tuned 2 semitones). Just not possible in the Force, you'd need computer software that can manipulate individual notes inside a sample (Melodyne perhaps?).

When working with chord samples or any melodic sample that infer a minor or major scale, you are stuck with the underlying scale, you can only change the overall key, so you can go from E minor to G minor, but not E minor to G major.

If you use a plugin or a keygroup you can use notes mode to play chords and notes that match the scale used in an audio sample.

Thanks a lot, I am starting to get it now Really appreciate your clear explanations on the matter.

If you can play stuff by ear, this is self-evident, and you wouldn't be asking the question. But a minor key and a major key 3 semitones higher are somewhat compatible, they're called "relative" keys. If the sample you recorded is in A minor, and your tune is in C major, the notes won't clash too much. So if you just match the center note of the key and it sounds bad, try + or - 3 semitones, it may sound less bad. Teaching and learning how music works is far beyond the means of internet forums, but if it sounds bad, try +- 3 semitones as well.

HouseWithoutMouse wrote:If you can play stuff by ear, this is self-evident, and you wouldn't be asking the question. But a minor key and a major key 3 semitones higher are somewhat compatible, they're called "relative" keys. If the sample you recorded is in A minor, and your tune is in C major, the notes won't clash too much. So if you just match the center note of the key and it sounds bad, try + or - 3 semitones, it may sound less bad. Teaching and learning how music works is far beyond the means of internet forums, but if it sounds bad, try +- 3 semitones as well.

Thanks a lot for your advices

I also suppose that if the sample is only consisting of one single note, we could probably change it up or down between the same scale or am I wrong ?