Sessions were fine yesterday, now plays back in wrong pitch

[rawbe]

I was making some rough mixes Wednesday and notice my roughs (.wav, mp3) were playing back at a higher pitch. I figured it was because I recorded the band at 48k. My digi 002 is synced optical to my fireface that it the master at 48k also. The roughs had incorrect pitch but the session was playing correctly. The sessions (14 songs) always played correctly.

Well.......I started a session yesterday and now my sessions are playing at a higher pitch. I didn't change anything but different bounce configs the day before. The only thing I have noticed that MAY be different is my digi 002 console's sample rate light is yellow when I THINK it was green before.

Of course the album was suppose to be completed this weekend and sent to mix and the band has people traveling into town to record tomorrow!

Any suggestions or comments would be great.

Thanks,
Robbie

[1ace1]

On the 002r the yellow light is for a 48kHz sample rate where as the green light is 44.1kHz.

So you are playing a 44.1 session at 48. This would result in more samples being played per second and therefore an increase in perceived pitch.

If the light was green when you recorded then it was recorded at 44.1 NOT 48.

Try using the fireface set to 44.1 as the master to slow the session down OR create a new session a 44.1 and import the audio files.

What do mean when you say that the 'roughs had incorrect pitch but played OK'???

A:)

[rawbe]

Thanks for the reply.

I know that a created a templete to be used for each song during the sessions that was set to 48k. When I go to "session info" in pro tools it also states that the session is 48k and 24bit. I have checked the fireface settings also and it is 48k as it has been for the last month.

And for the roughs, when I listened to the songs during the bounce the song(s) played back with no problems, with the correct pitch. As they have for the last month. Only the roughs (.wavs and mp3s) played back with incorrect pitch. I would listen to the rough on ITunes. At that point I would go back, open P.T., open the session of that song I just bounced and listen, it would play correctly.

It was only yesterday I opened P.T. and the sessions themselves (14 songs) were playing back with a higher pitch.

Wednesday: sessions played fine, roughs higher pitch
Thursday: sessions higher pitch, roughs higher pitch

It's crazy!

[1ace1]

It is definitely to do with sample rates and clocking. I know sometimes it can be hard to believe but most of the time it is down to some form of user error (like a physical switch on the back of the master clock set differently to the sample rate of the session or vice-versa).

Have you tried creating a session at 44.1 and importing just one file from the pitched up session? To see if it plays at the correct pitch?

DO this without the fireface plugged in/turned on.

Itunes will play 48kHz pitched up as it deals with 44.1 as standard. So recordings at 48, will play in itunes fast (unless bounced out of PT at 44.1 with dither).

A:)

[rawbe]

I did bounce with dither still fast. I will try your suggestions. It's still odd that the sessions would play fine and one day all the sudden be fast when I didn't change any settings.

[rawbe]

One last question.

Is it possible that if I did have the fireface set to 44k and P.T. session set to 48k that the sessions would play fine during playback and tracking?

[1ace1]

This i believe is that is what has happened.

Normally a difference in clock speed (sample rate) is detected by protools. But I have come across this problem on more than a few occasions when helping colleagues trouble shoot.

Your session is set at 48. the attached master clock overrides this to 44.1 if set with with a physical switch rather than a software command....

With the master clock connected it records and plays fine.... at 44.1 (but you think it is at 48 as that is how you set the session up)

Without the master clock attached and record functions disabled the session reverts to the selected session sample rate of 48. And plays the 44.1 rate faster.

This shouldn't happen, but as I've said I have come across it on many occasions.

Is this a known bug I wonder, or a simple error of setting the mater clock incorrectly?

Anyone know any more on this??

As I said PT normally detects any problem with the digital clocking.

A:)

[Mikeren]

Originally Posted by rawbe

One last question.

Is it possible that if I did have the fireface set to 44k and P.T. session set to 48k that the sessions would play fine during playback and tracking?

Only if it was still clocking externally.
The session rate and external clock MUST be set the same.
Protools will not detect or change an external clock that doesn't match the session rate.
For a fix, you can create a new session at 44.1 and import the tracks with SRC (sample rate conversion) turned off.
The clock determines the recording rate-not the software (unless all clocking is internal).

It is a common thing...it is up to you to match settings everytime you use an external clock source.

MR

[rawbe]

Thanks guys for all the help. I figured out that my fireface a/d converter had a button called "active" and if that isn't pushed the 48k option wouldn't work. Even though the 48k was selected!

So:
1. I created a new P.T. session in 44k
2. Imported the song(s) with wrong pitch's "session data"
3. Selected all the tracks and turned off SRC.


Bam in right pitch. The whole session is there. Lesson learned.

Robbie