What is Beat Mapping?

Logic’s Global Tracks includes a Beat Map, which can use an audio or MIDI track as a guide to create tempo and beat/barline maps that follow live and rubato performances. The Beat Map track also affects the Tempo track — the tempo is automatically “reclocked”, so when you use BPM-synced effects, Apple Loops, and edit grid features (copying, pasting, cutting), everything stays locked in relation to the maps. EQ Magazine, March 2005.

 

This is about as close to a non-technical definition of beat mapping as I could find and I still don't get it fer cryin' out loud. I'm freaking out because I have this feeling I'm missing out on an insanely cool feature.

 

I think what I need is a "For example, let's say you wanted to ......" type of answer.

For example, let's say you wanted to record live musicians with no metronome. Beat mapping allows you to insert all the tempo changes to recreate the tempo map that the musicians followed (wich could be 112 for the first bar, 113.2 for the second, 111.8 for the third, 114.8 for the forth, 113.8 for the fifth... you get the idea).

 

Then, you end up with a Logic song that has a live feel, but if you turn on the metronome it sounds in time with the band. You have created a 'tempo map' of the live performance.

 

You can now use your bar ruler to cut, edit, you can add MIDI programming, quantize, use Apple Loops.. all will follow the new tempo map rather than a dumb rigid grid.

Beat mapping allows you to insert all the tempo changes to recreate the tempo map that the musicians followed

 

I'm assuming that means the tempo the musicians played at?

 

You have created a 'tempo map' of the live performance.

 

O.k., I see what it is. It's really a tempo map. Created (primarily) from the recording of a live performance.

 

So then let me ask you this: With a midi track, could I basically achieve the same thing by placing random tempos (within 1-4 bpm's) in the tempo track?

I'm assuming that means the tempo the musicians played at?

Yes, that's what I meant.

 

O.k., I see what it is. It's really a tempo map. Created (primarily) from the recording of a live performance.

Exactly.

 

So then let me ask you this: With a midi track, could I basically achieve the same thing by placing random tempos (within 1-4 bpm's) in the tempo track?

Well... I certainly wouldn't qualify the (good) musician's tempo variations as 'random', but you could definitely reproduce that live effects with MIDI programming. I had a gig programming MIDI songs for Yamaha last year, and when programming Iggy Pop's The Passenger, I beat mapped the original: you can see the tempo of my MIDI file go from 125bpm to 135bpm within 7 bars when the song starts. That's how they recorded it in the studio. You can definitely hear it, it sounds like the band warms up real fast or like the drummer is giving a dirty look at the musicians, getting them to speed up...

That is so freakin cool.

 

What a killer little gig that must've been (Yamaha).

 

Thanks David.

Good ear training exercise

It looks like Beat Mapping is intended for just that, beats. I tried beat mapping a random (non-percussive) file. it's tempo is 119 bpm. I hit "Beats from Rgn" and then clicked "OK" and then I got the bottom message. After I clicked OK on that message the resultant bpm was 125.7365 or something. No biggie, just playing around with it.

Just visually looking at your audio file on your picture, I doubt you can choose the automatic option with that kind of audio file. I recommend doing it manually anyway (that's how I always do it).

I did the 'manual beat map thing' to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Man..that map was ALL over the place, but DAMN it still sound great 30 years later.

I did the 'manual beat map thing' to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Man..that map was ALL over the place, but DAMN it still sound great 30 years later.

 

Yeah, that's an ancient musical concept known as "Feel".

 

It was outlawed sometime in the 80's.

Yes, children, there was a time long ago when a group of musicians playing together all speeding up or slowing down was not considered poor musicanship.

Yeah..just go back and listen to some Emerson, Lake and Palmer for that

 

Feel? Feel? Isn't that what the 'humanize' button is for?? VERY BIG

 

I get into this 'discussion' with the younger people at our studio all the time. They always freak out when I turn OFF the click track and make them track without it.

Yes I agree with you all ..........THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE REAL THING

 

 

Computers help for sure, and sometimes, their the ones who take you for a ride!

 

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If you record a live musician using a click track - especially a drummer and they are slightly off or around the click. You use beat mapping to detect the transients, then draw the Beat Map track to match what was actually played. Then all of your MIDI and intrsument tracks will line up correctly when quantized.

 

It's really a cool feature but not as cool as Beat Detective where you can actually manipulate the audio itself to be in time with the click. So with Beat Mapping in Logic you are adjusting the click to the audio, and in Beat Detective for Protools you are adjusting the audio to the click. I'll say it again, Logic 8 really needs a Beat Detective like feature.

It's really a cool feature but not as cool as Beat Detective where you can actually manipulate the audio itself to be in time with the click. So with Beat Mapping in Logic you are adjusting the click to the audio, and in Beat Detective for Protools you are adjusting the audio to the click. I'll say it again, Logic 8 really needs a Beat Detective like feature.

Well it's really two different features altogether. Beat mapping allows you to have your machine follow the tempo variations of a human musician (or group of musicians), while Beat Detective allows you to have your human performance quantized to the rigid grid of a machine. The results are opposite.

 

If you want to do Beat Detective in Logic, use Strip Silence to cut your Regions and then quantize their positions.

Indeed.

 

Is there an easy way to do that (Strip Silence)?

 

I've tried using strip silence but it was so time consuming.

 

If I could get that to work right, I would ditch Protools.

Strip Silence can be easy on some files, trickier on others (depending on how obvious the attacks and the silences are). I .. just don't mind doing it manually. (call me crazy!)

Greetings

 

I use beat mapping a huge amount to transcribe/ arrange audio tracks.

 

 

Some things I have found useful to get an accurate score that corresponds to the actual bars of the music.

 

1 - Use a different midi drum sound for each beat of the bar. So in 4/4 you might just play the notes on a keyboard C, Eb, F, G ( each assigned via general midi or whatever to a separate sound). They do not actually play those pitches - instead you are using the different notes to trigger a distinct drum sound with each sound corresponding to a different beat of the bar. It is good to have a heavy sound for the first beat which helps your ear to hear the first beat of each bar, and then lighter sounds for the other beats of the bar. Also when you check your drum map of beats in the matrix before 'reclocking' or 'beat mapping' - you will see a regular uniform set of 'notes' on the grid. It is very important that you go through and check that there are no extra notes that you have accidentally played when doing the map - delete these so you have a clean map and then when you do the reclock, the bars will correspond very accurately to the audio you have been playing to.

 

2 - Trim the audio and using 'catch clock' get it to line up exactly with 00-00 bars on the left of the arrange page. If ther is a count in to the music ( ie it doesnt start on beat 1) then trim a bit of audio and join it at the front so that you have the count in bar trimmed exactly to where the music starts.

 

3 - Below on the midi drum template track, use step input to put a strong beat one right up front on bar one beat one. Then loop about 8 bars so that you can hear the first part of audio cycling in time.

 

4 - Play in a beat for each beat of the bar, and then open Matrix and play around with them until the beats lie accurately across the music as you hear it.

 

5 - Once you have your own lead in, then start recording through the whole piece playing in the beats according to the tempo.

 

6 - Once you are satisfied that your template corresponds accurately to the music then you can 'reclock' or 'analyse' it ( Logic 7 new term) - the drum score template you played in should now look totally symmetrical with the same note on each beat of the ba as if it were a metronome track.

 

7 - If you have time signiature changes then you need to add extra beats in those place BEFORE you reclock. So that the note you used for beat 1 remains consists. After reclocking, you can look through the score and add the time signature changes. If you have played every thing in correctly the score will correspond perfectly to the audio you have been playing with.

 

* * *

 

This system is only as good as your understanding of the music and your ability to play in time an accurate time template. It is amazingly good musical training. I have been using this in Logic for many years and have been able to produce scores and parts from an audio track very quickly.

 

Another great use for this is transcribing, especially if you are a keyboard player because you can then cycle bits of the audio easily and accurately in bars and 'play in' a section of the music at a time. Usually it is quite quick to correct the score and make it look coherent musically shifting the notes around in the Matrix.

when programming Iggy Pop's The Passenger, I beat mapped the original

 

 

I love that song !!!!!

Hi all,

 

I'm REALLY new to beat mapping and I have a question about this that maybe David or some of you other fellows (gals) can help me with.

 

I'm trying to kind of ..ahem...copy the feel of another song that I really like, so I brought it into Logic and did "Beat mapping" on it. So now the song when I play it from front to back, I notice that the tempo changes (ie: from 103 1st bar to 104 2nd bar etc.)

 

Now, after that was finished, I went into Ultrabeat and started creating my own beat from scratch.

 

My beat now, with the kick bass, snare and hi hats follows the tempo that was previously created ( going from 104 bpm to 103 bpm etc at each bar).

 

I noticed the tempo change when first listrening to it...maybe because I created it, but when my wife listened to it she didn't notice it.

 

Am I doing the right thing here? Am I supposed to be creating the beat after I beat mapped the original if I want to follow that tempo? Will most people when listening to the final product notice that the beats are subtely changing bpm's?

 

I'm a bit anal I know, but I'm wondering if this is typically how some of you guys create a beat to give it some feel, by beat mnapping another song first and using that mapped tempo for your creation.

 

A bit confused so any heklp would be awesome.

 

PS. I've also used teh MPC groove templates and some swing quantization as well. Any other ways to make something feel less robotic?

 

Thanks Guys!

 

OQ

here is a long post about beat mapping.

 

i really still don't get it.

 

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=869664

It sounds to me like you're doing the right thing. If your tempo map has variations, and your programming it quantized to the grid, then your programming will have the tempo variations of the tempo map.

 

I don't think many (any?) people can tell that a song is going from 103 to 104, but that doesn't mean they're not hearing it. What I mean is that I believe that even if no one is going to consciously think "Oh, hey, the song just sped up by 1bpm, cool!", it will still somehow affect them.

Cool, thanks David. I was kind of worried I was doing something wrong, but you clarified otherwise.

 

Now that I kind of know this beat mapping thing, am Iupgraded from newbie status?

 

Editbrain. Thanks for that link! I haven't read it yet but plan on doing it once i get the kid to sleep.

 

Thanks both of you for your input. Man I would be nowhere without this forum

I hadn't heard of this beat detective in ProTools. This is exactly what I was talking about in another post I made on this forum a few days back. I figured out beat mapping, which is pretty cool but I quickly found out in Logic there is no way to do what ProTools Beat Detective apparently does, which is stretch the audio to be in sync with a constant click.

you know. i did the same thing.

i then opened up SoundTrack Pro, and it does this very, very easily.

 

all you do in STP is right click (cntrl click) select mark for looping, and then you can stretch and loop to your heart is content.

this may be controversial, but i'm yet to hear a track using beat detective that sounds natural - which i think defeats the object of a live drummer. i'm all up for editing live drum tracks, which i actually love to do in logic (sad, i know), but there ain't no short cuts if you just want to tighten loose bars and stray snares - you really have to use your ear and often ignore where the numbers say it should be!! i'm all up for beat mapping in logic by the way, thankgod for a more 'human' feature i say . .

It can be done. I've heard many tracks that were "Beat Detected" that sound quite natural. Getting it to work as well as it should takes a butt-load of practice though. 3/4 time is very tricky.

 

I'm 100% with you on cracking down on the drummer during tracking. Some drummers are more gifted than others though. I've had few sessions were it would be a waste of time to use Beat Dtective. However, more often than not - I have to use it. That's not to say you are wrong. I would much rather have a drummer every session that played so well it was un-neccesary.