tick-based, sample-based?

[Carles Vila]

Hello,
In Protools, audio regions are "sample-based" and midi data is "tick-based". That means that when I change the BPM, Midi data gets shifted accordingly to stay in tempo, but Audio regions stay at their fixed sample position.
Why this different behaviour for audio and midi?

Is there ANY way to make the Audio Regions behave
Tick based??
Thanks,
Carles

[PTUser NYC]

If you simply made the audio regions tick based, you'd encounter several problems.

1) If you did nothing else, the pitch of the audio would vary with the tempo, but of course the MIDI would not - then you'd be back here asking a similar question "Why can't MIDI data change pitch when you change the tempo?" and I suppose it probably COULD, but it would be sloppy - probably screw up all the pitch bends. Besides, then you'd just have a tape machine...

2) If you DID time compress the audio so it followed tempo changes, then you'd get some coloration of the audio - just as you always do with time compression or pitch shift. For fidelities sake, I usually would rather chop up correct speed non processed audio and drag it around than deal with time compressed tracks. There are times that I prefer time compression, but its easy enough to do with the audio suite plugs or the ] tool with the clock in it.

Here's a really easy way to do it.

In your old tempo, with a grid, hi-lite the audio track across what will be the new tempo section. Make sure the entire section is selected on that track, even if the audio itself doesn't start right at the beginning, or doesn't continue all the way to the end. Process it for the new tempo with an audio suite plug, entering the old and new tempos to set the time compression amount. Change tempos, and drag the new audio suite time compressed file to the downbeat of the section.