Staying in Key

[Shaoshi]

Should screeches and miscellaneous sounds stay in key with the song? Or does it not really matter? I notice a lot of hardcore songs have an out of key sounding kick.

[ljk32]

If the answer to the first question was yes, tell me how you'd keep a screech in key with a track.
Due to the way they're designed, most screeches don't have a particular a tone so I fail to see how you'd even consider keeping them in key. Also, regarding the Hardcore kicks that are 'out of key', you're probably referring to gated kicks which don't carry a tone.

[Black-Out]

Well, I know what Shaoshi means and it's depending on the type of sound in my opinion. Of course the most important thing is to do it with your ears, but in theory it should be in key. For example when you have an uplifting melody with a wrong pitched kick, it also doesn't sound good and that's because of the harmonics you're playing with if you pitching a kick with a melody.

So, I think it's a yes and no awnser. Like ljk32 said with a screech, in fact a screech is a pitched sound, so the harmonics changing along it's sound, but for me personally I like to keep the sounds as most as possible at the same key of the kick. When I doesn't keep an eye on that, my brains and ears are telling me there is something muddy in the mix (of course with exceptions).

[ljk32]

Of course the most important thing is to do it with your ears, but in theory it should be in key.

No, that's wrong. A generic screech will play independently of the key of a track. Because it fits in the track does not make it 'in key'.

For example when you have an uplifting melody with a wrong pitched kick, it also doesn't sound good and that's because of the harmonics you're playing with if you pitching a kick with a melody.

That's a completely different situation and it has no relevance in this case. A pitched kick plays a constant note and so can be pitched to fit or not the fit the key of a track. A screech sweeps rapidly up or down in pitch no matter what note you play, and so the key of the track becomes irrelevant.

[Black-Out]

Of course the most important thing is to do it with your ears, but in theory it should be in key.

No, that's wrong. A generic screech will play independently of the key of a track. Because it fits in the track does not make it 'in key'.

That's why I called a screech an exception.

For example when you have an uplifting melody with a wrong pitched kick, it also doesn't sound good and that's because of the harmonics you're playing with if you pitching a kick with a melody.

That's a completely different situation and it has no relevance in this case. A pitched kick plays a constant note and so can be pitched to fit or not the fit the key of a track. A screech sweeps rapidly up or down in pitch no matter what note you play, and so the key of the track becomes irrelevant.

I know it's a different situation, but that's more an example of why sounds should stay in key.

[Re-Verse]

There's no reason not to keep it in key! it's not that hard and it cant really hurt.

[ljk32]

There's no reason not to keep it in key! it's not that hard and it cant really hurt.

Holy crap, you don't know what you're saying. Tell me how to keep an element with a rapid sweep in pitch in key.

[Black-Out]

Re-Verse: What you mean with 'it'? A screech or..? If yes, I agree, if you meant in general, I disagree at some point.

[Bluemind]

There's no reason not to keep it in key! it's not that hard and it cant really hurt.

Holy crap, you don't know what you're saying. Tell me how to keep an element with a rapid sweep in pitch in key.

It depends on how you mean in key.
Per example, a song in G minor, playing the kick in G in the intro can have a screech in A#, it will sound perfectly in key.

[Echidna]

There's no reason not to keep it in key! it's not that hard and it cant really hurt.

Holy crap, you don't know what you're saying. Tell me how to keep an element with a rapid sweep in pitch in key.

It depends on how you mean in key.
Per example, a song in G minor, playing the kick in G in the intro can have a screech in A#, it will sound perfectly in key.

Harmonics man