[Dixielandjazz] Correct pitch in recordings. + funny consequence in the Chris Barber band history.

Sat Dec 25 20:49:53 PST 2010

The record companies seldom do pitch correction. Most of them are not interested in art, usually the bigger companies at least, are simply interested in making money.Earlier on more expensive record players had a simple device that could correct it, even some cassette players and tape players can do it.However, on digitalised music this strangely enough is not so easy. It IS possible, but  the problem is that digital correction affects everything including sound quality.So the more you correct it, the more you hear it in the sound quality. Notes start to sound mechanical if you go too far. Effects they use deliberatly on modern artists like Lady Gaga btw : pitch control.
A nice story about consequences :
In the 1950's Bechet's composition : Petite Fleur became famous, so every band had to learn it.So did the Chris Barber band. Their clarinettist, the shortly ago deceased Monty Sunshine (RIP) had a copy or a machine that played it too high, so he learned it in Ab minor, instead of the original key of G minor.Concequence is that the players in that band up till today have to learn it in Monty Sunshine's key, which is much harder on clarinet!
Kind regards,
Bert Brandsma

> From: ulf.jagfors at telia.com
> Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2010 00:36:36 +0100
> Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Correct pitch in recordings
> CC: dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
> To: mister_bertje at hotmail.com
> 
> Bob and Rick
> 
> Perhaps so Bob , but for instance part of the Bix B. program, produced in
> Australia, is more or less out of tune. I guess it was produced not too long
> ago. Rick, that can of course not be corrected by a capo if the broadcasted
> key lays just between the intervals. You have to retune the banjo
> completely. Of course I just ignore those tunes which is quite a few. Just
> check for yourself. 
> 
> However my question was a little broader than just the OKOM pitch quality.
> Do the reissue companies make any pitch correction from old masters? Also I
> know from my own experience that a lot of pianos used in live recordings can
> be quite off in pitch. If OKOM broadcast such an recording it will of course
> be out of pitch as well. The question is of course, should there be any
> pitch corrections made by OKOM. Probably not as this should require too much
> manpower. We have to accept that this is an imperfect world.
>  
> Just an comparison. I wonder how much fuzz it should be from classical
> musicians if a Bach A-moll concert suddenly was broadcasted in near but not
> B. It should probably be a lot of angry comments specially from those with
> perfect pitch. But we OKOM´rs are of course dealing with a less important
> type of music, so who cares? :-).    
> 
> Ulf
> Radio and TV-engineer since 1958 who really very much like the OKOM radio
> idea. Thanks to all of you for all your hard work to get it running. I know
> how it is to run broadcasting services after 42 years in the business.
> 
> -----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
> Från: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
> [mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] För Robert Ringwald
> Skickat: den 25 december 2010 23:26
> Till: Ulf Jagfors
> Kopia: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
> Ämne: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Correct pitch in recordings
> 
> Ulf Jagfors, ulf.jagfors at telia.com wrote:
> 
> 
> (Snip)
> By using the tunes that constantly come up
> on OKOM radio I get a very good practice for both the harmonies and rhythm.
> 
> However very often the tunes played are much out of the regular 440-442 A
> pitch, sometimes up to half or whole tone away. C will be C# etc. That goes
> both for old recordings as well as contemporary ones. The question from side
> is following. How come? Are there a problem in the player equipment used by
> the different programmers? If not, in many cases a piano is involved. I
> always assume that the piano should set the pitch for band at least around
> 440, at least for modern recordings after WW II. Then you have the none
> conform standard of the old 78 rpm records of the 20´s were the different
> recording companies not always recorded in 78 rpm. 
> (Snip)
>  
> Ulf,
> 
> As far as I know, the newer recordings, if done professionally at all,
> should have been recorded at the correct speed.  Thus the pitch, if played
> on a device that is calibrated to the correct speed, should be at the right
> pitch.  
> 
> On Radio OKOM, if the pitch is off, then I would guess that the equipment
> used while producing the show was faulty.  This, especially on the shows
> that were recorded early on, around 2002, before some of the equipment was
> updated.  This would be especially true if the DJ was using a turntable or
> cassette player.  These devices can very easily not be calibrated and be
> running at the wrong speed.  The shows also might have been recorded on
> tape.  That machine could also be off-speed.    
> 
> Anyone on DJML who does shows on Radio OKOM, such as Harry Callaghan, or a
> recording engineer such as Jim Kashishian might be able to shed more light
> on the subject.  
> 
> Best,
> 
> --Bob Ringwald
> www.ringwald.com
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
> 530/ 642-9551 Office
> 916/ 806-9551 Cell
> Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV
> 
> In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. 
> Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.
> 
>   
> 
> 
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