Read Time: 2Min

This article will show how to warp the tracks in Ableton to a different key than the original recording. This may be useful in set planning and assigning songs to worship leaders.

Part 1: Terms & Useful Key Commands
Part 2: Changing Keys
Part 3: Best Practices
Part 4: Frequently Asked Questions / Troubleshooting

Before you start:

• It is important to have imported all songs for your set into the session.

Part 1: Terms & Useful Key Commands

	The Sample Box: Where audio clips can be warped and adjusted.
	Pitch Control: Shifts the clip pitch in semitones. The left side changes pitch in semitones. The right side changes pitch in cents.
	Time-Stretching Modes: Changes how Ableton decides to warp clips. Each clip’s time-stretching mode and associated parameters are set in the clip view’s sample box.

Key Commands

• Shift + Click = Highlight everything between click 1 and click 2

Part 2: Changing Keys

• Step 1: Select the clips of the song that need to be warped.
  • Shift + Click all clips per song from tonal to vocal tracks (corner to corner).

• Step 2: Open the Sample Box.
  • Click the tab on the bottom right of the screen.

• Step 3: Move the Transpose Control.
  • Click and drag up or down until the desired change is made.

Part 3: Best Practices

• Don’t change the key signature on the song folder during the set-building process.
  • Changing the key signature on the song folder before transposing it is an easy way to forget to go back and actually transpose the song.
• Try typing in the transpose wheel as opposed to clicking and dragging.
  • Instead of clicking and dragging the transpose wheel up or down, click the wheel once and type out how many semitones up (only press the number key) or how many semitones down (use a hyphen *-* and then a number key) as needed.
• Make sure to choose the correct Time-Stretching Mode.
  • All non-tonal tracks– set to Beats (ie. Perc / Loops)
  • All tonal tracks– set to Complex (ie. Keys / Strings / EGs)
  • All vocal tracks– set to Complex Pro (ie. BGVs / Choir)
• Double-check edits before beginning a service. 
  • Double-check that the song has been set to the correct key by cross-referencing tracks with a nearby piano or guitar. Never begin a service without confirming the tracks are in the desired key.

Part 4: Frequently Asked Questions / Troubleshooting

• Why do the vocals sound like chipmunks/monsters?
  • The wrong time-stretching mode has been selected. All vocal tracks should be set to Complex Pro.
  • You may have warped the vocals “too far.” Tracks should not be warped more than 4 or 5 semitones.
• Why would my perc/loops sound bad after I transposed the song?
  • When selecting clips the perc and loops should not be included. Transposing them results in unnatural-sounding tracks.