Modular Concepts: Perspectives on Pitch [Bitwig Studio | The Grid]

Summary

This video script from Bitwig's 'The Grid' series delves into the concept of pitch in sound synthesis. It explains pitch as the highness or lowness of sound, using the piano keyboard as a reference. The script explores various ways to control pitch in The Grid, including ratios, semitone offsets, and Hertz offsets, and discusses the effects of pitch on oscillators and filters. It also touches on the use of keyboard tracking and the impact of pitch on the oscilloscope and sample rate reduction, offering insights into creative sound manipulation.

Takeaways

• 🎼 Pitch is defined as the highness or lowness of sound, but it's a vague definition that can also relate to timbre changes in synthesis.
• 🛠️ The Grid in Bitwig offers multiple ways to control and adjust pitch, all color-coded in orange for easy identification.
• 🔢 Ratios are used to create even intervals in pitch, allowing for quick relationships to be set between two oscillators.
• 🎹 Keyboard tracking can be enabled or disabled to adjust the pitch of an oscillator to a base frequency or to follow the keyboard input.
• 📐 The semitone offset is useful for making slight adjustments to pitch, but it behaves differently across various octaves.
• 🔊 Linear Hertz offset provides a constant beating or speed of pitch change regardless of the octave being played.
• 🔉 Detuning in stereo can create an interesting effect where the left and right signals are detuned by the same amount but in opposite directions.
• 📊 The oscilloscope in Bitwig responds to pitch changes, allowing for visual representation of the sound's frequency and phase effects.
• 🎛 Filters can also track the pitch, with the filter cutoff following the pitch input directly, and can be adjusted for precise sound design.
• 🛎️ Envelope generators can be used to modulate filter cutoff in semitones, creating dynamic changes in the harmonic content of a sound.
• 🔑 Keyboard signals in Bitwig are not limited to instruments but are also passed to processing devices, affecting the entire signal chain.

Q & A

What is the basic definition of pitch in the context of sound?

In the context of sound, pitch is defined as the highness or lowness of a sound, which can be somewhat understood by looking at a piano keyboard where different keys produce sounds of varying pitches.

Why is the definition of pitch considered vague?

The definition of pitch is considered vague because it pertains to perceptual qualities, which can be subjective and vary from person to person.

How can a change in pitch also be a change in timbre in synthesis?

In synthesis, what might initially seem like a pitch change could actually be a timbre change due to the complex interplay between the harmonic content and the envelope of the sound.

What is the significance of ratios in controlling pitch in The Grid?

Ratios allow for even intervals in pitch adjustments, making it easy to set relationships between two oscillators quickly by multiplying the frequency by a certain factor, such as doubling or halving.

What does disabling keyboard tracking do to the pitch of an oscillator?

Disabling keyboard tracking ensures that every note played will be tuned to the base frequency, regardless of the pitch of the note being played.

How does the semitone offset feature work in The Grid's oscillators?

The semitone offset feature allows for slight adjustments to the pitch of an oscillator, making it handy for fine-tuning the sound to achieve a desired effect.

What is the difference between semitones and linear Hertz offset in pitch adjustment?

Semitone adjustments can vary in effect depending on the octave, leading to inconsistent beating speeds, whereas linear Hertz offset provides a constant speed of beating regardless of the octave, offering more predictable pitch adjustments.

What is the purpose of the stereo detune feature in The Grid?

The stereo detune feature allows for the adjustment of pitch in a stereo field, where the left and right signals can be detuned by the same amount but in opposite directions, creating a rich and dynamic stereo effect.

How does the oscilloscope in The Grid respond to pitch changes?

The oscilloscope in The Grid is set to pitch mode by default, meaning it listens to the notes played and adjusts the size of the oscilloscope to match the pitch, providing a visual representation of the sound's frequency.

How does the filter in a synthesizer use pitch information?

The filter in a synthesizer can use pitch information to adjust its cutoff frequency in response to the notes being played, allowing for dynamic changes in the timbre of the sound based on the pitch.

What is the role of the Sample & Hold module in pitch manipulation?

The Sample & Hold module takes an incoming signal and resamples it at a rate defined by a connected clock signal, which can be pitch-tracked, allowing for dynamic changes in the sample rate based on the pitch being played.

How does the FX Grid utilize keyboard signals for pitch-based effects?

The FX Grid can receive keyboard signals and use them to control various parameters, such as the movement of a filter peak, allowing for pitch-based modulation of effects.