Pitch & Key
Sample Tuner
Got a sample in one key and need it in another? Pick where it is and where you want it to get the exact semitone shift to dial into your sampler, plus the playback-speed change if pitch and time are linked.
Finding the shift
semitones = (target − source + 12) mod 12, or that minus 12 to go down
Count the semitone distance between the two notes around the 12-note cycle. C up to G is 7 semitones (a perfect fifth). If you'd rather drop the sample instead of raising it, that same move is 7 − 12 = −5 semitones down. Both land on the same pitch class, just in different octaves; which one sounds better depends on the sample.
Up or down, and when each sounds better
The most common use is getting a melodic one-shot, vocal chop, or 808 into the key of your track so it doesn't clash. Most samplers let you enter the shift directly in semitones, which is the number this gives you. Cents matter when a sample was recorded slightly out of tune: nudge by a few cents until it locks with a reference tone.
Direction matters sonically. Pitching a sample up shortens it and thins the low end; pitching down lengthens it and adds weight but can expose artifacts. For 808s and sub hits, tuning down toward your root often sounds fuller; for bright percussion and vocal chops, up usually keeps them crisp. When in doubt, try both; this tool gives you the shift for each direction.