Out of tune

[JeffBlazing]

I wonder if any recording guitar players have had this problem. I use Band in a Box to write my tracks and record them onto the DP24. They are in tune. Then I try to add my live guitar tracks to the recording. The guitars are perfectly in tune. But now the guitar is sharp with the recording...very sharp. Is there some way the DP24 has altered the pitch of the original recording? It hasn't happened on every track.

 

[Phil Tipping]

What method do you use to "record them onto the DP24"?
When you say they are "perfectly in tune", is that when you are playing them back on the DP24?
I think more detail is needed showing the exact steps you are using.

 

[-mjk-]

Is there some way the DP24 has altered the pitch of the original recording?

Short answer: It's not supposed to change the pitch of anything it records.

 

[JeffBlazing]

I'm going to have to go back and make sure Band in a Box is in tune. It WAS in tune....A440....when the song was in the key of C, but I lowered it to Bb before I recorded it. I record from computer to DP24. Maybe somehow Band in a Box is not A440 somehow.
By "in tune", I mean A440 on the guitar, and A440 on the computer side. Sorry I was ambiguous, and I should have done some more checking and investigating before I posted the thread. Sorry again.

 

[20 Years of Tascam]

If I've understood you correctly, the basic issue is this.
There's a noticable difference in pitch between the previously recorded Garage Band tracks & the new guitar track you're attempting to add.
Regardless how those previously recorded tracks were generated, they are what they are once you've recorded them onto the Tascam deck.
The challenge is getting additional tracks to match the existing pitch.
My advice ...trust your ears.
Since I don't know which instruments you're generating via Garageband, let me suggest this.
In addition your necessary Garageband tracks, record a sample tone on a separate track...something with a frequency range close to the guitar parts you'll be adding....a single guitar note, keyboard, whatever.
Purpose being to give yourself an easy point of comparison, something to help you match the pitch of the existing recording.
Tune your guitar as you always do, then before you begin recording, compare the pitch to your sample track & adjust accordingly.

Matching pitch on stringed instruments can be a real bi*ch ..too many variables!
Some of my songs contain 3 & 4 guitar tracks recorded at different times on different days.
And then you have overdubs.
Every new track I added, I went through a process similar to the one I suggested above.
Start by tuning to a digital tuner, then tweak it to make certain it was a good match to the tracks I'd already recorded.
Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Mark Richards]

Agree. Old school, but worth trying. Back in my studio days working with analog tape, I made sure that before a session started, certain things were always done to make the session more efficient.

@JeffBlazing, one of these was at the start of each song (both the multi-track master tape and the 1/2 track stereo master tape), we recorded a 1kHz calibration tone at 0VU, and an "A/440" tone. This facilitated playback calibration of the tape when played on a machine other than the one used to create the original recording.

Placing a tuning tone at the start helped assure the musicians can be in tune with the initial recording, particularly if the multi-tracking will occur at different times, locations, or using different machines.

Placing a unity gain/0dB level tone at the start provided a standard to help assure all instruments and vocal levels will be consistent, particularly if the multi-tracking will occur at different times, locations, or using different machines.

Doing the same on the stereo mix master tape helped the mastering house in the same way.

 

[20 Years of Tascam]

One more thought ...if the intonation of your instrument isn't spot-on, that can make a noticable difference.
Open form chords can sound quite a bit different than a lead part played at the 12th fret.
When I did my final tweaking to match pitch to my existing tracks, I took that into account.
If the guitar part I wanted to record involved open chords, I used open strings for my pitch match.
If I was getting ready to record leads up around the 12th fret, I matched pitch using fretted notes in that area of the neck.
It's a little thing, but depended on how meticulous you are with your guitar maintenance, it can make a difference.