How much do i have to pitch down a sample to.......

On a turntable. 8% = 1 semitone.
45rpm is actually 1 octave (or 12 semitones) above 33-1/3rpm speed.
Found this out by watching Dj 8-Ball play Iron Man by Black Sabbath on a tone record. It's one of his old routines but he did it at Skratchcon2000.
On my MPC2500 each step + or - is 1 semitone. The cents come within the numbers after the decimal.

djchucknorris wrote:On a turntable. 8% = 1 semitone.

So you think the turntable rotate exactly + or - 8% if the pitchfader is set to +8% or -8% ??

45rpm is actually 1 octave (or 12 semitones) above 33-1/3rpm speed.
Found this out by watching Dj 8-Ball play Iron Man by Black Sabbath on a tone record. It's one of his old routines but he did it at Skratchcon2000.
On my MPC2500 each step + or - is 1 semitone. The cents come within the numbers after the decimal.

tone.mp3 - 0.18MB

1 octave?? Really??

peace

So you think the turntable rotate exactly + or - 8% if the pitchfader is set to +8% or -8% ??

If your deck is calibrated properly and good quality yes. Obviously this is gonna get looser over time. So ideally you wanna be sampling at 33 1/3 and pitching with your sampler.
A tough thing for a lot of peeps is the era in which the record was recorded. There's a specific era in jazz (can't recall the exact years unfortunately) where the reel to reel tape machines weren't running at the correct speed. This created the songs to be off by a matter of cents (or fractions of a semi-tone). According to one of my old jazz professors it made it hell to try and notate any solo's from this era. So that's something to keep in mind when 2 samples really won't tune with each other.

1 octave?? Really??

Straight from the mouths of Dj 8-Ball and Dj Qbert of ISP. Circa Skratchcon2000. Confirmed with a tuner.

Have you listened to my example??

Straight from my mouth: 5 semitones
I dont need DJ 8Ball or DJ QBert to tell me. I dont even need a tuner to confirm. I use my ear and my voice. Everyone with a little bit musical ear hear that it isn' an octave.
I just cant belive what you are saying here. Straight bullshit. Sorry but it is just bullshit that you stay on your point although I posted that example. Its like I would say : This smilie is laughing


peace

Oh maybe you are the type of person who like to do math:

Take a 440Hz tone which means the note A4 at 33 1/3 RPM
Now what frequency will you get at 1 RPM???

440Hz : 33,33333 RMP = 13,20........Hz

So if the Turntable spins with 1 RPM the tone will have a frequency of 13,2 Hz

Now take the 13,20....Hz and speed it up to 45 RPM

13,20 Hz * 45 RPM = 594 Hz

Ok 594 Hz is equivalent to which note?? Oh surprize D5

A4 - D5 = 5 semitones

simple rule of three.

djchucknorris wrote:45rpm is actually 1 octave (or 12 semitones) above 33-1/3rpm speed.

im worried son
try multiplying 33 1/3 with 2 and arriving at 45
not healthy

peterpiper wrote:Oh maybe you are the type of person who like to do math:

Take a 440Hz tone which means the note A4 at 33 1/3 RPM
Now what frequency will you get at 1 RPM???

440Hz : 33,33333 RMP = 13,20........Hz

So if the Turntable spins with 1 RPM the tone will have a frequency of 13,2 Hz

Now take the 13,20....Hz and speed it up to 45 RPM

13,20 Hz * 45 RPM = 594 Hz

Ok 594 Hz is equivalent to which note?? Oh surprize D5

A4 - D5 = 5 semitones

Have you looked at your circle of fifths lately?

oh yeah, five semitones= fourth, right?
but personally, i treat fourths and fifths the same.. theyre each others inversion so to speak (by which i mean that a fourth up or a fifth down/ a fifth up or a fourth down.. is just a matter of octave)

^^^ I wish I had that link 4 years ago,

jonestown massacre wrote:

peterpiper wrote:Oh maybe you are the type of person who like to do math:

Take a 440Hz tone which means the note A4 at 33 1/3 RPM
Now what frequency will you get at 1 RPM???

440Hz : 33,33333 RMP = 13,20........Hz

So if the Turntable spins with 1 RPM the tone will have a frequency of 13,2 Hz

Now take the 13,20....Hz and speed it up to 45 RPM

13,20 Hz * 45 RPM = 594 Hz

Ok 594 Hz is equivalent to which note?? Oh surprize D5

A4 - D5 = 5 semitones

Have you looked at your circle of fifths lately?

The easiest way to test this is using a middle C sine test record, with the addition of a guitar tuner.

(If you do not have a test tone record, but you have serato, use soundforge or any other program to make a middle C tone wave file, and load that into serato).

With the record playing at 0% 33 rpm, the guitar tuner should hold a solid C.

When I use my old samplers like my sp-1200, I have no option for fine tune. The sp-1200 only pitches in semitones(halfsteps) with no way to fine tune. So if you sample out of tune, every note will be out of tune. Being that need to sample in fast to save as much sample time, here is what I do:

Put the turntable on 45 rpm, and using the guitar tuner, go up and down the pitch control (technics 1200) finding the highest speed that gives a *solid semitone* meaning the guitar tuner should be holding still on semitone X, X#, etc. It should not be teetering between two half steps, for example, going back and forth hunting between F and F# (a little sharp or a little flat). You don't want to take a sample and have your sample inbetween two half steps, because then you have to deal with fine tuning, etc. Waste of time.

On a technics 1200 turntable that *has a pitch control in GOOD CONDITION*, you will find that about +4.5% on 45rpm will give you the highest speed on 45 rpm that still falls onto a solid semitone. This translates to a F# (remember, 0% 33 rpm was middle C). F# is 6 semitones up from C.

So if I sample a record (considering the original players had their instruments all tuned), I know that I can sample in at 45 rpm +4.5% and pitch it back down 6 semitones (-6) and be right back in tune with the original record.

When I add synths, keys, or play live bass to my sampled beats, I never have to bother using fine pitch adjustment.

Keep in mind this works on MY 1200's. My 1200's are matched to each other so when I rock doubles, I KNOW that 7% on one table is 7% on the another table. I haven't done it with my Vestax tables. I recommend everyone use a tuner and see what works with THEIR turntables. If you have dirty turntables, or if your pitch controls are not calibrated properly, my values will NOT work for you.

Find a strobe tuner, like a Peterson, if possible. Most accurate IMO.

Somebody will probably say "wtf is this guy talking about" but anyone who has tuned an instrument knows what I am talking about when I say a a tune can be sitting in between two semitones (out of tune, a bit sharp or flat).

If the band/record you are sampling was too lazy to tune their instruments before they started recording, then you are shit outta luck and you need to deal with fine tuning. LOL.

If you have people play music over your tracks (session players), they will appreciate you doing this.

If you sample at normal speeds, don't worry about it.

P.S. I always see people using fine tune in order to make a loop fit. That technique is garbage. Make the track a little faster or slower. Don't mess with the pitch if you know it is in tune. Or chop the loop into pieces and play it back in time so it fits properly.