Fit Tempo to Improvisation

The other thing that is driving me mad in Logic...

 

I've got a rubato audio track I've imported.

 

I've recorded some midi piano over it.

 

I'd now like to align the measures to the music.

 

I've tried what I used to use in Cakewalk:

 

I created a new 'click' track, with me playing a single note at each beat of every bar

 

I then hoped to be able to tell Logic to use that as the new click track, and to 're-measure' the track and tempo accordingly.

 

All I can find in online help is loads of stuff about smart tempo etc, which may be very smart, but doesn't seem quite what I want.

 

I then found the right-click option to 'apply region tempo to project tempo and downbeat' which sounded promising, but doesn't actually do anything.(well, it trimmed the first few secs of silent audio file, so that the playback starts from the first downbeat I played in my 'click track', but hasn't re-barred or changed the tempo setting

 

I'm sure there must be a way to do this...? Any help much appreciated!

 

Thanks,

Mark

try this then get back if it doesn't work for you.

https://support.apple.com/guide/logicpro/automatic-beat-mapping-lgcp85d272f0/mac

I've been doing some recording free tempo with an acoustic guitar and then recording a track of claves along with the recorded guitar , but quarter notes make it easier for beat detection to create a tempo track than one note mate every measure. If your one per measure click is a little off it will miscalculate the tempo for a whole additional measure.

Yes def 1/4 notes! Never understood why Logic defaults to downbeats

Sorry, I wan't clear. I meant quarter notes ("a single note at each beat of every bar").

 

I'll try the advice above as soon as a get a mo later today.

 

Thanks.

Just thinking about tempos, I've been working a LOT on trying to record something "live" and then establish a tempo track adhering to the feel. It's far more difficult than just picking a tempo and playing with the click. mechanical tempo is unnatural, only been done for about 30-40 years.

 

.I have both philosophical and aesthetic objections to "same tempo all the way through" tracks although for a lot of electronic I guess it sounds good. I think I'm a small minority on this-- even bands that have unlimited funds mostly record to a click now for instance Green Day.

 

Establishing a good tempo track actually takes me longer than most of the instrumental tracks. I think of the tempo map/track as a whole other important part of the song.

 

If you "free" play a piano, guitar part etc, rubato in reality there IS no actual objective tempo-- when you play one 1/8 note longer than another, was the slowdown before or AFTER that longer note pause?

 

So I've started to do a two-step tempo map creation. Play a song free running, THEN play along with drums or a percussion instrument what feels like a good tempo to you, then create the Logic tempo FROM THE SECONDARY TRACK. Often logics deduction is close, maybe gets the measure lengths right, but the clicks in the middle will be wrong.

 

I've also tried singing the song internally while I play and record the drums. It's been very time consuming and sometimes the time isn't well spent, but there's definitely a subjective difference with "free' music. we are all programmed--- If I hear a Motown track now, it sounds like wild jazz, they are varying tempos and the amount of expressiveness sounds near criminal. Glorious.

try this then get back if it doesn't work for you.

https://support.apple.com/guide/logicpro/automatic-beat-mapping-lgcp85d272f0/mac

 

Thanks for this, but I don't see a Beat Track. I press 'G" to show Global tracks, and I see "Arrangement, Marker, Signature, Tempo' then what appear to be two blank rows, but no 'Beat Track' - so I'm stuck almost before I start...

 

Thanks,

Mark

Just found it! Had to 'configure Global Tracks'

OK, and it worked! Thanks.

 

It did come back with an error ("Setting this beat would have caused the corresponding tempo value being too high. Try to delete bars.") but it did it anyway.