Tempo map questions

[Thenewexhibit]

Hey guys,

Hope this is in the right section, but I had a question regarding tempo mapping. Is there a way to have the grid change from say 4/4 to 4/4 triplet, then back to 4/4 again? I'm working on a song for a buddy, and the first part of the song is in 4/4 with a swing/triplet feel in the fills etc., then changes half way through to just straight 4/4.

Thanks in advance, guys. I feel like I should know this already..

Mike.

[Drew Mazurek]

Find the Meter Ruler.

[DetroitT]

Grid Value menu

[Rich Breen]

If I understand what you're asking; no, there's no way to have the grid automatically change to triplet 1/8ths and then back to straight 1/8ths; you'd have to manually change the grid display value.

best,
rich

[nigelpry]

Not particularly elegant, but if the grid is the most important thing you could program a time signature change to 12/8 for the triplet section, that'll give you the same grid effect as 4/4 triplets.

You'll also need to alter the tempo of the same section to suit, you'll need a faster tempo to get 12 quavers in the triplet section in the same amount of time as 8 quavers in the straight section.

You'll also have to create a custom drum part or use a drum loop to keep your timings on track ... if you rely on the click that will make it obvious you are running at a different tempo.

[DC-Choppah]

You have to create a tempo map instead of using just the stock grids.

Let's say we have one bar of straight 4/4 and then one bar of swung 4/4 and then one bar of straight 4/4.

We want a grid of 8th notes. But in the swung section we want the 8th notes to have a swing feel.

Play an 8 note swung part, like a MIDI shaker with the feel you want for the swung bar and straight 8th notes in the straight bars.

Create a tempo map using Tab to Transients / Identify Beat and for the straight bars, identify the 8th notes. 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and.

For the swung measure TAB to Transients to each note but identify them as straight 8ths instead of swung notes. It's just like when you notate something square but play it swung.

Now make the tempo map straight 8ths for the next bar too.

What you have now is a grid that is on all 8ths, but if you were now to place notes on that grid in the swing section section they will swing with the same amount of natural swing that you imparted to your shaker. Or use the drums as the tempo events.

That's how I do it anyway.

You can use natural amounts of swing this way too, not just the full amount of swing that the stock triplet grid gives.

[Benoni]

Try this video bro, it should clear stuff up if I understand your question correctly.

Berklee Online & Avid Present | Pro Tools Tutorials: Tempo Tracks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ddpTFHZS84

[nigelpry]

Originally Posted by Benoni

Try this video bro, it should clear stuff up if I understand your question correctly.

Berklee Online & Avid Present | Pro Tools Tutorials: Tempo Tracks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ddpTFHZS84

Well I made the effort to check out this video, hoping there might be some insight to the OP's specific question that I was unaware of.

Unfortunately, the video is of no help at all.

It is just a very basic video on how to create a tempo map using identify beat, and how to effect a time signature change.

It does not cover the specific question of a song where some bars of 4/4 are played straight and others bars also of 4/4 are played 'swung' with triplet quavers.

OP If you are happy to change the grid in the fly as you work in different sections of the song you can of course do that, but you were (I think) hoping that you could set up the song PERMANENTLY with the appropriate grid in place for the different sections of the song.

I'm not aware of any way to do that other than the workaround that I described. DC-Choppah's explanation works for 'swung' quavers, but not triplet quavers, in that it will not provide a grid line for each of 12 triplet quavers in the bar. In effect, Choppah's workaround would give you grid lines at quaver positions 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 12, giving no grid line for the second triplet quaver of each group of three.