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Varispeed Recording


dubsak

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Hey gang, quick question: I'm wanting to try to record at half speed to up an instrument and octave when played back at normal speed. This is a common technique on tape though I'm having trouble replicating it in Logic (things end up sounding super wonky using the Logic Varispeed). Any tips or tricks?
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That's a LOT of speed variation so you're pretty much bound to make it sound wonky. That technique is the same used to create cartoonish voices. When recording music, I've seen tape being slowed down during a recording, but no more than about 2 semitones perhaps. Anything more and you're starting to fall into the special effect kind of sound.

 

What instrument is it?

 

Alternatively you could try using Flex in "Speed (FX)" mode and drag the upper-right corner of the region toward the left to shorten it by half, which will make it play twice as fast and sound an octave higher.

 

1526936389_speedfxmode.png.9d0d1fdebcdd7ca8ae7bad2944262709.png

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It is exactly the "chipmunk" effect. It's a common trick that Lindsey Buckingham uses on his guitar that I'm attempting to replicate. Problem being, record playback has to be at half-speed (like 15 ips) so that I'm still strumming along in time when being played back at 30 ips to create the effect. Not sure Speed FX will do that. Maybe bouncing out at 1/2 speed and recording along with that and they using speed FX. Not sure if that's possible? I'll keep digging.
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It is exactly the "chipmunk" effect. It's a common trick that Lindsey Buckingham uses on his guitar that I'm attempting to replicate. Problem being, record playback has to be at half-speed (like 15 ips) so that I'm still strumming along in time when being played back at 30 ips to create the effect. Not sure Speed FX will do that. Maybe bouncing out at 1/2 speed and recording along with that and they using speed FX. Not sure if that's possible? I'll keep digging.

Yes, that's completely possible, just use Speed FX to stretch your bounced-out playback track at 2x length (half speed) and record to that, then reimport recording in your project, and Speed FX to compress at 1/2x length (double speed).

 

Ok so if you're looking for that chipmunk effect then yes, that's the way to go. It's hard to imagine what you're hearing that you feel sounds "wonky" exactly, without hearing it.

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Generally, I find Varispeed worse in quality than Flex in Speed mode. So instead of recording in Varispeed, I'd do this:

 

- Bounce a mix of your song and put it on a new track (not necessary, but highly recommended for ease of use)

- Solo that new track and enable Flex in Speed mode

- Divide the Tempo by 2 (if you have a Tempo Map with several events, duplicate that map and use Tempo List>Options>Tempo Operations>Scale Tempo to scale all tempo values to 0.5)

- Solo your recording track.

- Record the instrument to the low speed.

- Activate Flex in Speed mode on the recorded track.

- Switch back to the old Tempo or Tempo Map.

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- Bounce a mix of your song and put it on a new track (not necessary, but highly recommended for ease of use)

- Solo that new track and enable Flex in Speed mode

- Divide the Tempo by 2 (if you have a Tempo Map with several events, duplicate that map and use Tempo List>Options>Tempo Operations>Scale Tempo to scale all tempo values to 0.5)

- Solo your recording track.

- Record the instrument to the low speed.

- Activate Flex in Speed mode on the recorded track.

- Switch back to the old Tempo or Tempo Map.

Smart workflow! I like it. I shall try it next time I need to do this. :D

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Let us know how you get on! I'm a fan of Varispeed as an effect, mostly on vocals. It's also been handy in helping me reach those impossible high notes... used in only a spot or two, one can get away with it. I'm a relatively recent convert to Tusk-ism, too, so all the more curious how far you might be able to push Logic via Varispeed or Flex-pitch etc...
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