Transcription problem - displaced pitch!

AmundLauritzen · April 2014

I put this thread in category "Repertoire" as it seemed most fitting. Moderators please move it appropriately if needed.

I've been trying to transcribe some solos from "The Alternative One and Only Album" with Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre and Bireli.
I noticed this record is slightly out of tune! Now I'm sure these guitar giants were all tuned up perfectly with each other, no doubt about it. But when I try to play along with it, the pitch is displaced so it sounds horrible playing in unison with it. Of course I made sure my guitar was perfectly tuned.

Is this something that happens during mixing, mastering or production? I noticed this with some Django records as well, and when I ripped audio from youtube videos to transcribe them.

I use the program "Transcribe" to slow down the audio and retain the pitch. It has a pitch displacement feature, but in increments of semitones which is too much to "hit the sweet spot" for these cases.

So I'd like to ask how others have worked around this problem, because learning from records IS the generally accepted way to learn this music, and since that problem is common with the recordings of Django, somebody must have encountered it. Is there a program that can displace pitch in increments less than a semitone?

Thanks for any help or suggestions!

Jazzaferri · April 2014

I bought a program for my iPad called anytune pro. It allows for looping slowing and pitch correction as small as 10 cents which usually takes care of any issues. Fidelity is still good and the sound is good even at half speed.

Has all the functionality that I need for transcribing and is a great tool for learning as well. Probably available for other platforms.

Frank Wekenmann · April 2014

"Transcribe" also allows to adjust the pitch in cent increments. Go to "FX", then "tuning", there you find the possibility to adjust pitch either in semitones or in cents.