making sure you're in tune...

[andanywhere]

so, im a total newb and with that newbness... i don't really know much about intervals/scales/keys, etc.

i do know the basics as ive taken piano lessons...however...

i'm perplexed as how you make sure something is in tune

here's an example:

i have a lead playing D notes with 3 osc's. OSC 1 has 0 detune. OSC 2 has +3 st detuned. OSC 3 has +7 st detuned.

next, my bassline is just a simple sine sub-osc and a square wave playing D notes at an octave lower than the lead.

is this in tune? it sounds good to me, however ive noticed when i start to play around with oscillator detunements on the lead ill send the track to a friend and he'll say something sounds like it's off. i've also had trouble tuning toms/congas and other elements that have pitch qualities to them along with this basic structure.

is there any resources that could help me just nail this down as i see it as a pretty basic and mechanical skill needed to make a good track. perhaps i just need to spend time with it over and over until finally it becomes second nature to where i can tell 2 pitches apart and be able to ballpark what key they are..

[Stomper]

Truth is, it can change between synths. it can sound tuned on one synth but same setting on another one will sound off.

if it sound good to you than thats the end of it IMO. check with fresh ears to make sure.
are you sure its the diffrences in the lead and bass that sounds off to your friend? maybe its something else.

[4am]

imho it always depends on the context. in an appropriate context you can justify every interval. it depends on the rules you have decided to apply. for example dodecaphony has strict and well defined rules that can really sound frightening.
at the end you should trust your (fresh) ears and your instinct!

[s.k.]

i've also had trouble tuning toms/congas and other elements that have pitch qualities to them along with this basic structure.

its the opposite, they dont have a pitch, and thats why you have trouble tuning them.

as for the lead sound, 3semitones and 7semitones is not detuning, these are just different notes... you are playing a minor triad, which shouldnt give alot of 'offness' because the oscillators will come in sync periodically. its called detuning when you, well, detune it but either with a very small amount - say 1/8 of a semitone.

[AK]

You are playing a D minor chord with the semitone shift on the synth and the bass is playing the root of the chord so it should perfectly fine. You could always try an add more notes for the bass, like obviously the F & the A or a C or G too if the repetitious 'D' starts sounding odd. But yeah, unless there's something going on you haven't told us, there's nothing that should sound off there.

[andanywhere]

cool thanks, yeah it was with another track that i had made with the same lead patch..the bass was not playing the root notes i dont remember.

this clears up a lot, so simple once you finally get the answer

[kwality]

i've also had trouble tuning toms/congas and other elements that have pitch qualities to them along with this basic structure.

its the opposite, they dont have a pitch, and thats why you have trouble tuning them.

as for the lead sound, 3semitones and 7semitones is not detuning, these are just different notes... you are playing a minor triad, which shouldnt give alot of 'offness' because the oscillators will come in sync periodically. its called detuning when you, well, detune it but either with a very small amount - say 1/8 of a semitone.

Good advice. But I'm pretty certain congas/toms do have a pitch.

[O.Vince.]

if all is well tuned, maybe the feeling of de tuning could be caused by different timbrical qualities of each instrument.