Every synth can be re-tuned, using MIDI pitchbend messages:
- Find a (guitar) tuner plug-in with a tuning base parameter, and set it to 432.
- Set a MIDI/Instrument track to Record and route the track to the synth you want to use (if you are using a MIDI track).
- Also, if you use an external synth, insert the tuner plug-in on the input channel (no need to record it though). If you are using an Instrument track, insert the tuner plug-in on this.
- Now, play a note and use the pitchwheel on your keyboard to “tune” the synth, while recording on the MIDI track.
- Stop the recording and open the recorded MIDI/Instrument track part in the list editor.
- Make a note of the value of the last Pitch-Bend entry.
- Insert a Pitch-Bend entry in every Part on any MIDI/Instrument track controlling your untunable synth (preferably a couple of ticks before the first note), and it will be correctly “tuned”. Make sure that the “Chasing Pitch-Bend” is engaged.
You only need to go through this once. If you note down the Pitch-Bend value, you only need step 7 in the future. If you have several untunable synths you may want to check them individually. Just to make sure that react identically to the Pitch-Bend values. Provided they all are set to the same Pitch-Bend value they should, but…
Of cause this precludes you to use the Pitch-Bend as an expression parameter, but there is a way around this aswell:
- Insert an inverted (upwards in this case) Pitch-Bend value on all the other tracks, except the one you will record on, to bring them into concert pitch.
- Record your track with the Pitch-Bend expression.
- Use the Logical Editor to shift all the pitch-values with a value relative to the value obtained in step 6 above. That is the difference between the noted value and Pitch-Bend value for no PB (8192 in Cubase).
- Remove the Pitch-Bend entries form the other tracks.
- See step 7.
A similar “trick” could be used to “re-tune” acoustic instruments aswell, by inserting a Pitch-Shifter plug-in and a Tuner plug-in on the input channel.