How to quantize audio clips ... NOT flex stretch them

I'm making splices right at the beginning of a transient and I want to just highlight the audio clip and quantize it so the beginning of the clip lines up with the grid.

 

I tried a few different things but nothing helped ... in fact, it looked like the audio was being transformed, which I don't want. I just need the actual clip to move, not stretch or squeeze.

Did you try flex time slicing?

Did you try flex time slicing?

 

not in this instance but I'm not a pro at FLEX stuff. I see the grid when FLEX is on and then presumably I make the cuts ... ?

No, with Flex you don't have to make any cuts. You just turn Flex on for the track, then choose a Quantize setting from the Region inspector just like you would for MIDI:

No, with Flex you don't have to make any cuts. You just turn Flex on for the track, then choose a Quantize setting from the Region inspector just like you would for MIDI:

 

This is a very interesting comment - does that mean that you could take say an entire multitrack performance ( in the case of say a live band multitrack recording ie bass, guitar, drums on individual tracks, horns etc, vocals) which had slightly varying time feel between the beginning and the end, as in when bands speed up slightly or slow down - and quantise the entire performance to the nearest mean tempo.

 

ie quantising in the same way you would a midi performance that was in accurately played in on a keyboard.

 

Which if you could would make editing so much easier ( because you could then cut up different sections and move them around and they would sound in correct tempo).

 

I am speaking from experience because in order to do the moving sections around, I have only been able to do that when the band has recorded to a click.. which for obvious reasons is less desirable than them playing normally and then quantising after.

 

Would love to hear any views on this...

The more information on an audio file, meaning different instruments or harmonic content and overtones, the harder it is for flex to find the transients.

A kick drum or acoustic guitar with their sharp transients is much easier to quantize than a keyboard pad or a very distorted guitar.

 

With a multitrack session of a whole band you could quantize everything, but it will loose any spontaneity or timing fluctuations that make a live performance exciting.

You should take a look at Smart Tempo for applications like that:

https://support.apple.com/sv-se/guide/logicpro/lgcp4e829ea1/10.5/mac/10.14.6

The more information on an audio file, meaning different instruments or harmonic content and overtones, the harder it is for flex to find the transients.

A kick drum or acoustic guitar with their sharp transients is much easier to quantize than a keyboard pad or a very distorted guitar.

 

With a multitrack session of a whole band you could quantize everything, but it will loose any spontaneity or timing fluctuations that make a live performance exciting.

 

Makes sense ... I will give up my dream of turning an old recording into a supertight fresh commercial dynamite

I will give up my dream of turning an old recording into a supertight fresh commercial dynamite

 

You can always quantize the parts where certain instruments are late or early and it sounds odd or wrong.

But you have to control the "urge".

Once you start and see it working, then you go "Oh, let's fix this now..."

 

Remember that the majority of commercial live albums have been fixed afterwards. Vocals probably redone in their entirety, depending on the artist or genre.