Is this a possibility?
 

Hi Guys

I recorded a song with live electric guitar on 1 track and a live vocal on another track.

Naturally the tempo fluctuates a bit.

Now I'd like to experiment and overdub some drums from a drum machine too.

Is there a way to map the tempo I recorded at so a click track of my fluctuating tempo is generated?

Then I'd know where the beats are and can match the kicks, snares etc up by eye? I know its a tedious method...is there another idea I'm not thinking of?

I understand the ideal thing is to play live to a click but that didn't happen here.

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Yes. Pro tools can do this.
It's called tempo mapping.

I'm pretty shure you'll find instuctional videos on youtube.

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Here:
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...g+in+pro+tools

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Hi ben
Thank you so much for the info and link. I'll try it! C

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

You know, when you have tempo mapped a session, all rythmic plugins, drum machine patterns, metronome click track, will follow the fluctuations in tempo.

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Hi Ben

I'm not sure I follow...

Do you mean if I write a drum pattern on my Alesis drum machine for the song at say 120 beats a minute and then record the drums to regular audio tracks on the tempo mapped song, the drum tracks will automatically adjust and play to the mapped tempo and not at the straight 120 beats?

or do I have to record the drum tracks as midi somehow?

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

What I mean is that once you have mapped the tempo fluctuations of the guitar/vocal recording, a plugin like Boom or ToontrackEZDrums will follow that tempo map and vary its tempo. And follow the guitar/vocal.

Your Alesis hardware machine will need to be connected via midi and set up to sync to protools and it too would follow the variations. Then, of course, you could record it to an audio track.

Remember to set PT to show the tempo ruler in edit window. It gives a graphic display of the fluctuations.

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Thank you Ben, I think I understand and I'm going to give it a shot.

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

Hi Ben
I mapped the tempo, no trouble.
I attached my drum machine to the computer via midi and everything was wacky.
Its hard to even explain it.
When I play a pattern on the drum machine, it triggers my piano that I usually use for a midi controller. So the drums were playing on the keyboard.
Is there something out there that can show me how the proper connections should be made?

Re: Is this a possibility?
 

No, no. The drum machine should be set to follow incoming midi tempo, so that it starts when you hit play in protools. (I seem to remember the SR-16 had a button and LED indicator called "Sync" but I'm not shure.) Then you feed the audio from the alesis into your interface to record it.

(Added: Not shure how piano controller is being triggered by the alesis. Have you created midi or instrument track with the alesis as input source? Then delete it. It's not needed and could be the cause.)