Disable Timestretch

How do you change tempo in Logic WITHOUT having it change the tempo of audio regions? Please note this question is not about apple loops.

 

I have studied the tempo section and timestretch sections of the Logic 7 manual, and I am stumped, they both tell you lots about tempo shifting, apple loops, changing regions to match tempo etc, but I want to do the OPPOSITE, and there appears to be nothing about disabling this feature.

 

I know I am missing something very basic...

 

I have imported wav files into my song (drag and dropped 24 bit wav files from finder into audio window).... Drag files from audio window into my arrange window, snap set to bar. My autoload is at 120, just the standard "24 track recording" template.

 

All of the tracks were recorded to click and all I want to do is adjust the tempo to match the recorded click so that my song lines up to grid. But when I change Logic's tempo, the files also change in tempo. Why?

 

Even more odd, although the files are all identical wavs imported at the same time, it seems some files timestretch and others do not?

 

I have tried highlighting one bar of the click track and using the command to "adjust tempo to region length" but still the audio files are time stretched... sometimes.

 

Thanks for the help.

Select your Audio Regions and in the parameter box make sure "Follow Tempo" is unchecked. You can change this setting for several Audio Regions selected at the same time.

 

 

When I select the region I do not see the follow tempo option in the parameter box. Screenshot attached.

 

 

 

Well, that's actually normal since the file wasn't recorded in Logic Pro 7.1.

 

What's not normal is that the file would follow your tempo change.. how do you change the tempo of your song when this is happening?

OK, Logic only displays "follow tempo" for audio files recorded in logic, first problem solved... thanks.

 

Well, I just using the tempo box in the transport bar, either with the mouse or by double clicking and entering... And the whole song goes HAYWIRE, some tracks changing and others not.

 

I just want to globally change the tempo of the song to match the tempo I know it was recorded at. (Or if not, figure it out from the recorded click track and then set it to that tempo, without effecting audio files.)

 

these are all audio files that were exported from pro tools sessions as wav files and are all identical sample length.

 

Thanks for helping me figure this out David.

 

(can't wait to get to my question about tempo mapping!)

And the whole song goes HAYWIRE, some tracks changing and others not.

 

I'm not sure what your Arrange Window is composed of?

 

Regions that are going to change tempo along with Logic's tempo:

• Audio Regions that have "Follow Tempo" checked.

• MIDI Regions

• Apple Loops, REX Files ...

 

Regions that will not change tempo:

• Audio Regions that don't have "Follow Tempo" checked or don't have the option at all.

 

So in your case, which is it that doesn't follow those rules?

David,

Imported audio broadcast wav regions that don't have the follow tempo option available in the parameters window ARE changing tempo when I alter the tempo.

 

Before I take more of your valuable time, I am going to troubleshoot this over the weekend so I can provide more detail (if available). Either way, I am only dealing with audio at this point, NOT recorded in logic and just using the "24 Track Recording" template.

 

I am only importing wav files that were exported from older pro tools sessions. We are remixing an album, quick and dirty, adding an overdub here or there. The songs have pre-recorded click tracks as audio files.

 

In the end, all I want to do essentially is change my grid VIEW so it lines up with my files, without effecting the tempo or pitch of the imported audio. Having the song line up to bar beat markers obviously makes navigation and editing much easier.

 

james

Imported audio broadcast wav regions that don't have the follow tempo option available in the parameters window ARE changing tempo when I alter the tempo.

 

Well.... that's definitely not the normal behavior! I'm not sure what the problem is here. Have you moved forward in your troubleshooting?

Yes I have David, and here is what I have discovered. It's not time compression or expansion, but how logic handles region location and changes in tempo when audio regions have been altered by either splitting or trimming. Logic is not maintaining the relationship in SMPTE time of the audio regions to each other, but instead relocates them based on their start points * unless they are SMPTE locked *.

 

This is probably not news to a seasoned user like yourself, but I found it puzzling, especially migrating from Pro Tools where I did this all the time with very different results. I also found the solution in the "Lock SMPTE Position" command.

 

However, I would suggest that the Lock SMPTE command be modified to allow edge trimming in EITHER direction. As presently designed, it seems trimming a SMPTE locked region from the right (with any overlap behavior selected) keeps the audio contained in that region (i.e the "region contents") at its original SMPTE position.

 

However, edge trimming from the left actually relocates the audio/region contents in time, and only keeps the region position (not the audio contained in the region) locked to the start point. That's not very locked from an audio editing perspective! Nor is it very intuitive from my perspective, since the same function - trimming regions - acts differently in opposite directions on SMPTE Locked regions. For example, it is a bit misleading to one who might expect the audio to remain in SMPTE position while just wanting to, say, clean up the starts and ends of regions. Trim from the right - audio stays in place. Trim from the Left - audio shuffles. Hmm.

 

I suggest the audio/region CONTENTS - not the region start point - be "locked" in SMPTE position. Maybe this too is already a feature buried somewhere in Logic?

 

Next up, an environment challenge for the Logic Gurus!

 

James

 

PS I originally thought time compression or expansion was occurring because we were only making minor adjustments in the tempo (like changing 102 to 102.7 bpm) and I did not notice unlocked regions were drifting slightly apart in the arrange view. Sorry for the "time machine rabbit hole", but in the interest of helping humanity, (or at least logic newbies and pro tools evacuees!) here is a link to the run down of how logic treats unlocked audio regions when changing tempo, along with some pictures.

 

http://www.inrealtime.com/record/audio/gear/audio_gear-logic.htm

embrionic, you just discovered two important points: that Logic is a Bar & Beats based sequencer, as opposed to Pro Tools, which is a SMPTE based sequencer. That is the whole reason why everyone will tell you Logic is more geared toward composers and song writers, whereas some Sound Engineers prefer Pro Tools, which acts more like a simple digital Tape Machine.

 

In Logic, if you place Audio samples of Kicks and Snares on the beat in the Arrange window, you can manipulate the tempo all you want, created accelerandos.. the samples will stay on the beat.

 

The second point is Logic's "slip edit tool". When SMPTE is locked, trying to adjust the lower left corner will result in slipping the Audio content within the Region. A bit counter-intuitive I agree, and I wouldn't be surprised if in the future that functions gets assigned to its own tool.

 

For now, to adjust the lower left corner, simply unlock the Region's SMPTE location. (and relock when you're done adjusting).

David wrote>>That is the whole reason why everyone will tell you Logic is more geared toward composers and song writers<<

 

Which is why I have arrived here after a long journey!

 

Your post explains the reasons behind the behavior very well David. Thank you. I agree with you that the SMPTE slip editing should be an option so that a tool doesn't create different results depending on which direction you are moving it!

 

I'm off to create key commands for lock/unlock SMPTE position!

 

James