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2. Exploring Beatles-style pitch and varispeed techniques

1 Slowing down a tape machine and recording a new part at the lower pitch before returning everything back to the original speed is a classic technique. It’s easy to shift pitch in a DAW, but using this method produces different results. We’ll use this technique to process a vocal and keep it in key with the backing track. Load Backing.wav into a 145bpm session.

2 We’re using Ableton Live here, but the same concept will work in any DAW. Ableton has a warp algorithm called Re-Pitch, which stretches or compresses time but doesn’t preserve pitch. Doubleclick the clip and change the Warp Mode from Beats to Re-Pitch. Now drop the session tempo down to 129bpm and hear how the audio lowers in pitch with it.

3 Load Vocal.wav. This was recorded at the slower tempo and lower pitch. Double-click the vocal clip and change the Warp Mode to Re-Pitch. Now change the master tempo to the original BPM of 145. The vocals are still in key with the backing but have a different tonal quality. Finally, we’ve thrown in a delay and Abbey Road Reverb Plates for some virtual ambience.