Ableton Forum

Hi everybody,

Maybe could sounds like a stupid question but I'm trying to get my drums in key...

Does anybody know a good method to find the key of a drum sample (kick, snare, hh or other percussion sounds)?

Thanks a lot for your help.

Dan

Put a distortion or overdrive on them, then listen to them and watch specrum analizer for the fundamental - the largest peak to the left on spectrum grid.

I like to load up analog or operator, play the note (or input it into the piano roll). Then, slowly pitch up or down the drum sound until it is the exact same pitch as your synth.

Pretty simple, let me know if that makes sense.

-Ryan

pitch it up some octaves and check spectrum analyzer.

There was cool little tip in a video – I think it was Tom Cosm, but can't remember which of his vids – where he sort of cheated with this by putting an EQ8 on the percussion, turning the gain on one of the EQs right up, turning the Q right up, and then sweeping the frequency until you find a sweet spot where it's in tune with the song, then just tidy it up by lowering the gain and the Q a bit so it doesn't stick out quite so much.

here it is: http://www.cosm.co.nz/index.php/News/ab ... art-3.html
tip no. 4
there are also some presets for eq8 created for this kind of use in live called formant. you can try to abuse them for your needs.

i use mixed in key for this. not 100% accurate because i think the sample needs to be 2-3 seconds long for the program to work properly but often there are some reverb on the samples that extend the sound so it works. I find that it is most effective with Kicks, Snares, toms, cymbals (all types), open hi hats. less so with rims and closed hihats (ie short sounds)