How important is the key of a vocal sample?

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:35 pm

My ears are so shit I could not tell you what key anything is in so I am having trouble working out if everyone has everything matching in tracks or not. Does it matter? if I want to use just a single word it processing, does it have to match anything else in the track?

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:40 pm

Not really, if its just single words, its mainly if you have singing parts what are going over your melody or whatever you have to worry about.

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 12:42 pm

legend4ry wrote:Not really, if its just single words, its mainly if you have singing parts what are going over your melody or whatever you have to worry about.

Thats what I thought. I often try keep any progressions all the same. Ie melody, bass and pads all playing around the same and going in the same direction lol.

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:04 pm

Spoken word is optional I guess. I have a tendency to want to get even that in key because I want it to blend in with the tune. I can't listen to a tune when the notes are all over the place. I may not be able to pinpoint what is wrong with it I just know it doesn't sound right.

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:06 pm

abZ wrote:Spoken word is optional I guess. I have a tendency to want to get even that in key because I want it to blend in with the tune. I can't listen to a tune when the notes are all over the place. I may not be able to pinpoint what is wrong with it I just know it doesn't sound right.

I am the same. I often hear things and think it just sounds wrong

btw, it is not a spoken word, it is a single word I have chopped from someone rapping. Do you think that will need to be in key?

DEMZ · Post by **DEMZ** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:18 pm

If it doesn't sound weird and out of place, you dont need to tune it

serox · Post by **serox** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:20 pm

DEMZ wrote:If it doesn't sound weird and out of place, you dont need to tune it

But I cannot hear if things are in key or not. When I have a keyboard and can pick which notes to play I stick to some simple rules but when I am importing something by som1 else I have no idea!

JFK · Post by **JFK** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:45 pm

Mate, as long as its just a small sample and you dont repeat it loads of times in a 4 bar phrase then it will be fine.

If the sample appears in parts of the track where there are no instruments (like a drum/perc only breakdown for instance) then it will be fine as well.

You have already said that you can listen to things and tell if they sound out of place or not so just trust your ears.

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 1:46 pm

serox wrote:
DEMZ wrote:If it doesn't sound weird and out of place, you dont need to tune it
But I cannot hear if things are in key or not. When I have a keyboard and can pick which notes to play I stick to some simple rules but when I am importing something by som1 else I have no idea!

You have to practice, it can be maddening at first but you will get quicker every time. The easiest way to do it I think is to use like a one note piano melody a measure or two. Take your hit on another channel in a sampler and copy over the midi from the piano part and then adjust the transpose until it sounds the best. I don't think rap vocals need to be in key but sometimes it can be cool to do so.

gravity · Post by **gravity** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:25 pm

ask yourself if it sounds right. if not then its probably not.

if you have trouble hearing if something is in key, you should probably try and get that figured asap. you dont need theory or anything, you just need to be able to recognize when theres a clash. listen to it in the context of the track, rather than on a loop, as if you hear something repeatedly you can sort of trick yourself that its alright.

Hurtdeer · Post by **Hurtdeer** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:32 pm

rhythm is far more important than key when it comes to vocals, particularly spoken word. but then i quite like things going outside of tonality

Japanese Narco Girl · Post by **Japanese Narco Girl** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:33 pm

remember that if it is a small sample like one word then it could be in many keys. single notes only become in key when they are surrounded by other notes, so it shouldnt really be a problem

OlzaMK · Post by **OlzaMK** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:01 pm

I think most popular editors like Recycle or Edison in FL Studio have an option of roughly observing your sound clip and giving you an estimated note.

mmplisskin · Post by **mmplisskin** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:14 pm

or you could be lucky enough to have perfect pitch.

zitanb · Post by **zitanb** » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:17 pm

abZ wrote:Spoken word is optional I guess. I have a tendency to want to get even that in key because I want it to blend in with the tune. I can't listen to a tune when the notes are all over the place. I may not be able to pinpoint what is wrong with it I just know it doesn't sound right.

+1. Spoken word depending on how tonal it is does seem to sit in a particular key.

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