Looking for Tempo Map Tip

[Fezzler]

New to Pro Tools 2018.1.

I do covers of '50s, '60s and '70s songs. I like to drag a copy of the original song to the top track in a project to use as a reference track and template.

I also like to do my covers with a consistent tempo.

As you know, the tempo drifts on many of the older songs. I know how to analyze a few measures, set transient markers and create a tempo map in other DAWS. Then I quantize the tempo map to my grid or a consistent tempo.

I'm not asking for a step-by-step tutorial here, just some direction.

In Pro Tools, would I be using Beat Detective to do this? Does Beat Detective create a tempo map? I see many YouTube videos using Beat Detective for drums but I typically have to do a lot by hand.

Thanks.

[mandal]

Set cursor (slip mode) on every beat and press:
Ctrl + I

...and adjust the value in the popup.

Now, the grid will adjust to your tempo!!

[Fezzler]

Originally Posted by mandal

Set cursor (slip mode) on every beat and press:
Ctrl + I

...and adjust the value in the popup.

Now, the grid will adjust to your tempo!!

Ah, thanks! But after I map the drifting tempo of the imported song, I want to map its varying tempo to my grid set tempo and stretch (elastic?) the audio.

[64GTOBOY]

I think maybe you could use digigroove templates for this. I haven't actually done it just read about it. You turn your map into a digigroove template that can be saved and applied to another track. Hopefully someone who uses this can chime in

[mandal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0xl...MUmzw&index=68

[Ben Jenssen]

Originally Posted by Fezzler

Ah, thanks! But after I map the drifting tempo of the imported song, I want to map its varying tempo to my grid set tempo and stretch (elastic?) the audio.

Tempo mapping equals having the grid line up to the varying tempo of a recorded piece, by inserting tempo changes in the tempo ruler in PT.

You want to adjust the recording to fit a fixed tempo, and that means using elastic audio and manual work.

The basic procedure that I use at least goes like this:

- Find the appx. tempo of the track by playing it, click on the tempo field in transport window, and tapping 'T' key. You'll see the tempo value will change to match your tapping.

- Find a good bar one in the track and place it on the grid on, say bar five. turn on the metronome and the tempo should match for a few beats until the recording starts to drift.

- Turn on elastic audio polyphonic and set the track to ticks instead of samples.

- Set the track to warp view.

- Place a warp marker on your bar one.

- Find, say bar one of verse two, and place a warp marker there too. If it's not on the grid line, drag it there.

- Find bar one of verse three, place warp marker and line it up to the grid.

Repeat until the end of the song, and you will have the audio roughly adjusted to match the grid and the tempo you chose in step one.

Play the track and the click, and insert more markers and fine tune it until you're happy with the song matching the click.

At least this is how I do it.

Oh, and here's a lot of tutorials on this on youtube.

[wwittman]

Originally Posted by Fezzler

...

I do covers of '50s, '60s and '70s songs. I like to drag a copy of the original song to the top track in a project to use as a reference track and template.

I also like to do my covers with a consistent tempo.
...

this is, of course, the secret to making " covers of '50s, '60s and '70s songs" sound and feel nothing like " '50s, '60s and '70s songs"

[64GTOBOY]

^^+1
I misunderstood- I thought OP was trying to copy original groove to new production, which I think is a pretty cool idea actually. I completely missed this "I also like to do my covers with a consistent tempo."

[albee1952]

One option; run the originals thru Melodyne(stand alone version) and flat-line the tempos.

[midnightrambler]

Originally Posted by wwittman

this is, of course, the secret to making " covers of '50s, '60s and '70s songs" sound and feel nothing like " '50s, '60s and '70s songs"

OP might just want to do cover versions with a modern feel and I for one don’t really see what’s wrong with that. It certainly doesn’t deserve a catty pointless response like this.