How to use this workflow
Choose the musical goal
For a singing key, change pitch. To practice more slowly in the same key, change speed independently. For a rate-shifted effect, change linked playback rate.
Use the matching control
The pitch changer has separate semitone and speed controls. Slowed + Reverb uses a linked playback-rate control and optional reverb.
Compare the same passage
Keep the original file, try a short phrase and listen for changes in attacks, vocals and sustain. Generate a file after the settings are final.
Three operations, three different results
The examples below use an ideal 440 Hz tone lasting ten seconds. They are calculated descriptions of the intended transformations, not recordings or measured benchmark results. Real musical signals can also acquire processing artifacts.
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| Operation | Frequency in this example | Duration in this example |
|---|---|---|
| Pitch +12 semitones, speed 100% | 880 Hz | 10 seconds |
| Independent speed 50%, pitch 0 | 440 Hz | 20 seconds |
| Linked playback rate 50% | 220 Hz | 20 seconds |
The arithmetic behind a linked rate change
With a linked rate multiplier r, frequencies multiply by r and duration divides by r. The pitch interval in semitones is 12 × log₂(r). A rate of 0.8 therefore lowers pitch by approximately 3.86 semitones; it is not exactly a four-semitone transposition.
Independent time stretching and pitch shifting require additional processing to separate those changes. They can preserve the intended pitch or duration relationship, but they do not promise that every transient and vocal texture will sound identical to the source.
Choose a workflow by the result you need
A singer usually wants an integer semitone shift at the same tempo. A player learning a fast passage may want slower tempo at the same key. A slowed or sped-up effect often deliberately uses the pitch change caused by rate.
Be explicit when sharing settings: “80% linked rate” and “80% speed, 0 semitones” describe different sounds. The two tools also use different slider steps, so do not assume a setting available in one interface exists in the other.
Common questions
Is changing pitch the same as Auto-Tune?
No. A uniform pitch shift moves the whole recording. Note-by-note correction requires a different process and is not a feature of these controls.
Why does my slowed recording sound lower?
You may be using linked playback rate. Use the independent speed control with pitch at zero if you want to slow down while keeping the intended key.