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slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I have been using a program call GDT over the past few months and I find it probably the best avaliable on the market.
It slows down music, loops music, and transposes music by pitch shifting. You can even save slowed down music to play in a portable MP3 player, or remove vocals and filter out instruments. You can see the waveform go along and identify the notes and chords being played, look at the phrase shape and where the phrase breaks are. It looks complex but it is well worth taking a look at. It is avaliable for a free trial at
www.renegademinds.com. By the way GDT stands for guitar and drum trainer the name put me off at first as I play fiddle but it will work on the recording of any instrument.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
The new Audio Cleaning Lab has the same feature and is a nice bit of kit for what it is... You can get older versions for under a tenner... But, there are some free programs online too, which I suspect others will tell you about. I use the features in my audio editors and I also have a Tascam Trainer I use for music and dance ~ which is portable enough for me as well...
The new evolutionary step up from the MP-GT1 is Tascam's GT-R1, link previous, which has the lovely added feature that it has microphones and you can record with it...
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
a bit pricey I might add.
Like ten pounds in a five pound bag as it were. I suppose for just snatching things being played. But to do anything for permanent memorializing I don't know.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
It's certainly handy to be able to slow things down on occasion, but why would you spend money on software when there are free alternatives? Windows Media Player will slow things down, and so will Quicktime. They don't have all the bells and whistles for saving things slowed down, etc, but I can't see why I would really need that...
And I have found that it's helpful to work at learning things from listening at speed.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I give up I have all these programs obviously you do not know the significance of how to run a phrase and see the wave form. I wont post again your loss.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
brians, instead of getting your knickers in a wad, why don't you *explain* to us what the "significance of running a phrase and seeing the wave form" is... Does that help you learn somehow? Or are you using this software for things other than learning tunes?
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I'm the author of GDT.
The value in GDT isn't just that you can slow things down. That's just the start really. It's highly visual, and much easier to use than any free alternative.
What takes you 5 minutes in Audacity takes you 5 seconds in GDT.
If you're a professional musician, GDT is a productivity tool that saves time and makes your life easier.
In v4 I put in a stereo 62-band EQ and karaoke features so that you can filter in/out instruments easier. e.g. Remove the bass to practice along with it, etc.
It really all depends on what's valuable to you. At $49.95, it's a pretty cheap piece of gear. That's like 2 music books, or a few magazines. Maybe a night out for beer with the guys. It's not really a lot.
For the Tascam unit, I first heard about it from a customer. They bought the Tascam, found GDT, then returned the Tascam and bought groceries with the extra money!
For SEEING a waveform, it really does help a lot. You can set loop points easier and you can see what is going on. You still need your ear to learn, but the visuals help your ear along.
The EQ visuals let you find notes, which is useful for those of us that don't have the best ear in the world. I'm ok, but it certainly helps me when I need to figure out something. Having it visually in front of me is a huge advantage.
If you've got perfect pitch, it doesn't matter though.
GDT is actually used in a lot of different settings. A music professor at a US university bought 3 or 4 licenses for himself because he liked it so much -- but he uses it for listening to audio books! He doesn't need it for music!
I remember emailing with someone a while back -- they were using it in a studio to bring tracks into range for singers.
I had someone buy a license recently for use in broadcast -- They're doing captioning and use it there.
I forget which one, but a university in Philidelphia is using it for otolaryngology. Don't ask me exactly what they do!
But at the end of the day, it's all about whatever helps you best. A lot of people find GDT useful. And many for different very reasons.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Looks really good, Ryan.
Do you have any more info about how they're using it for captioning? I have a bit of involvement in that and related areas and would like to know more if possible.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Reverend. Seeing the waveform. Not so much the waveform, but I find seeing the spectrum of the audio track (not the frequency analysis) in Audacity informative. Rather than coming here and reading well intended words about , for example, swing or the relative note lengths in jig "triplets" I can see them and measure them if I want. Music -> Picture can be better than music -> expert -> words.
And for my own playing it helps with "this rhythm sounds wrong but I am not sure why". Had a dramatic effect on my bodhran playing - checked up how I was doing, zipped it up in the case and left it there.
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
@Duijera Dubh
They're using it to slow down and loop difficult parts.
I don't know all the details as my emails with the woman were brief.
I'd imagine she's using the inverse karaoke filtering to filter out other sounds, but I couldn't say for sure.
I wrote a captioning program a number of years ago, and if I did it again, I'd probably start with a lot of the functionality in GDT, but focus more on the EQing and some "instant" inverse-karaoke presets to filter out things above and below human voice frequency ranges.
I also use software ~ but ~ I appreciate being able to throw something in a backpack and take it with me ~ easily ~ portably ~ and anywhere, and it will work on anything, doesn't require a laptop or a desktop and I can, with the one I've got, just throw in a CD, commercial or put together by me for learning, and enjoy it out on the ocean, up a mountain, anywhere I want... But, I value my software options too. I haven't yet had the pleasure of trying GDT, but above are links for others that might want to give it a go...
I also use the Tascam kit in teaching, and for ease and portability it has all my software full of algorithms beat by miles...giving a personal opinion and emphasizing I have no connection whatsoever with the company...
But, I also value my software, which does everything GDT does and more, but is pricier and needs no mention...
slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I have been using a program call GDT over the past few months and I find it probably the best avaliable on the market.
It slows down music, loops music, and transposes music by pitch shifting. You can even save slowed down music to play in a portable MP3 player, or remove vocals and filter out instruments. You can see the waveform go along and identify the notes and chords being played, look at the phrase shape and where the phrase breaks are. It looks complex but it is well worth taking a look at. It is avaliable for a free trial at
www.renegademinds.com. By the way GDT stands for guitar and drum trainer the name put me off at first as I play fiddle but it will work on the recording of any instrument.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by brians
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I use my ancient Audio Cleaning Lab program for this.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Steve Shaw
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
The new Audio Cleaning Lab has the same feature and is a nice bit of kit for what it is... You can get older versions for under a tenner... But, there are some free programs online too, which I suspect others will tell you about. I use the features in my audio editors and I also have a Tascam Trainer I use for music and dance ~ which is portable enough for me as well...
http://www.tascam.com/catalogue;40,21.html
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lMXLsrc2Jhs
GT-R1 ~ their latest bit of kit
http://www.tascam.com/products/gt-r1.html
You can still find good deals on their earlier CD trainers too... (i.e. CD-GT1)
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Demo of Tascam's Instrument Trainers
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNZTZRT74o
TASCAM MP-GT1
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rVpm_CIh4Ko
The new evolutionary step up from the MP-GT1 is Tascam's GT-R1, link previous, which has the lovely added feature that it has microphones and you can record with it...
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by ceolachan
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
you obviousl have not looked at this it is not a peice of kit but a computer program.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by brians
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
a bit pricey I might add.
Like ten pounds in a five pound bag as it were. I suppose for just snatching things being played. But to do anything for permanent memorializing I don't know.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by zippydw
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
It's certainly handy to be able to slow things down on occasion, but why would you spend money on software when there are free alternatives? Windows Media Player will slow things down, and so will Quicktime. They don't have all the bells and whistles for saving things slowed down, etc, but I can't see why I would really need that...
And I have found that it's helpful to work at learning things from listening at speed.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Reverend
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I give up I have all these programs obviously you do not know the significance of how to run a phrase and see the wave form. I wont post again your loss.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by brians
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Audacity is a free program which can handle all this as well
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by swisspiper
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
alot of emotion over a piece of chinese-electronics.....but most everything else is Chinese made these days.
Costs a buck and a half to make with slave labor. Yours for $349 at Best Buy.
And from talking to freinds on this site, alot of places they play are in places that could use the manufacturing jobs.
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by zippydw
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
brians, instead of getting your knickers in a wad, why don't you *explain* to us what the "significance of running a phrase and seeing the wave form" is... Does that help you learn somehow? Or are you using this software for things other than learning tunes?
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by Reverend
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Transcribe does those things too. By the way GDT has been mentioned recently:
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/18477/comments#comment385812
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/18845/comments#comment394911
The waveform is a nice transition from sheetmusic to pure ear learning - like training wheels on a bike...
# Posted on August 28th 2008 by airport
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
I'm the author of GDT.
The value in GDT isn't just that you can slow things down. That's just the start really. It's highly visual, and much easier to use than any free alternative.
What takes you 5 minutes in Audacity takes you 5 seconds in GDT.
If you're a professional musician, GDT is a productivity tool that saves time and makes your life easier.
In v4 I put in a stereo 62-band EQ and karaoke features so that you can filter in/out instruments easier. e.g. Remove the bass to practice along with it, etc.
It really all depends on what's valuable to you. At $49.95, it's a pretty cheap piece of gear. That's like 2 music books, or a few magazines. Maybe a night out for beer with the guys. It's not really a lot.
For the Tascam unit, I first heard about it from a customer. They bought the Tascam, found GDT, then returned the Tascam and bought groceries with the extra money!
These are some of the comments that I've gotten from people: http://tinyurl.com/58tesq
For SEEING a waveform, it really does help a lot. You can set loop points easier and you can see what is going on. You still need your ear to learn, but the visuals help your ear along.
The EQ visuals let you find notes, which is useful for those of us that don't have the best ear in the world. I'm ok, but it certainly helps me when I need to figure out something. Having it visually in front of me is a huge advantage.
If you've got perfect pitch, it doesn't matter though.
GDT is actually used in a lot of different settings. A music professor at a US university bought 3 or 4 licenses for himself because he liked it so much -- but he uses it for listening to audio books! He doesn't need it for music!
I remember emailing with someone a while back -- they were using it in a studio to bring tracks into range for singers.
I had someone buy a license recently for use in broadcast -- They're doing captioning and use it there.
I forget which one, but a university in Philidelphia is using it for otolaryngology. Don't ask me exactly what they do!
But at the end of the day, it's all about whatever helps you best. A lot of people find GDT useful. And many for different very reasons.
Cheers,
Ryan Smyth
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by Renegade Minds
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Looks really good, Ryan.
Do you have any more info about how they're using it for captioning? I have a bit of involvement in that and related areas and would like to know more if possible.
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by Duijera Dubh
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
Reverend. Seeing the waveform. Not so much the waveform, but I find seeing the spectrum of the audio track (not the frequency analysis) in Audacity informative. Rather than coming here and reading well intended words about , for example, swing or the relative note lengths in jig "triplets" I can see them and measure them if I want. Music -> Picture can be better than music -> expert -> words.
And for my own playing it helps with "this rhythm sounds wrong but I am not sure why". Had a dramatic effect on my bodhran playing - checked up how I was doing, zipped it up in the case and left it there.
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by david_h
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
@Duijera Dubh
They're using it to slow down and loop difficult parts.
I don't know all the details as my emails with the woman were brief.
I'd imagine she's using the inverse karaoke filtering to filter out other sounds, but I couldn't say for sure.
I wrote a captioning program a number of years ago, and if I did it again, I'd probably start with a lot of the functionality in GDT, but focus more on the EQing and some "instant" inverse-karaoke presets to filter out things above and below human voice frequency ranges.
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by Renegade Minds
Re: slowdown and pitch change program for use in learning tunes
GDT = Guitar & Drum Trainer v4 RC1
Renegade Minds
http://renegademinds.com/
Slow Down Music, Pitch Shift, Remove Vocals & Filter Instruments...
http://renegademinds.com/Default.aspx?tabid=65
"Guitar & Drum Trainer slows down music without changing the pitch to help learn and transcribe music faster and easier."
Screenshots
http://renegademinds.com/Products/GuitarDrumTrainer/Screenshots/tabid/115/Default.aspx
Buy ~ $49.95
Too bad brians is so tightly wound up...
I also use software ~ but ~ I appreciate being able to throw something in a backpack and take it with me ~ easily ~ portably ~ and anywhere, and it will work on anything, doesn't require a laptop or a desktop and I can, with the one I've got, just throw in a CD, commercial or put together by me for learning, and enjoy it out on the ocean, up a mountain, anywhere I want... But, I value my software options too. I haven't yet had the pleasure of trying GDT, but above are links for others that might want to give it a go...
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by ceolachan
I hadn't realized this was just another 'advertisement' and took it from the 'title', rather than the considerably limited promotional spiel...
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by ceolachan
I also use the Tascam kit in teaching, and for ease and portability it has all my software full of algorithms beat by miles...giving a personal opinion and emphasizing I have no connection whatsoever with the company...
But, I also value my software, which does everything GDT does and more, but is pricier and needs no mention...
# Posted on August 29th 2008 by ceolachan