App to calculate BPM based on loop length and # of beats

[Danny Wyatt]

EDIT: Here's the final product: http://bpmloopcalculator.cyclopaudio.com

 

So, now that I'm exploring JavaScript even more (who would've thought?), and after I released the Key Finder (http://www.keyfinder.cyclopaudio.com), I'm thinking of building another tool that I have for a long time as a spreadsheet: a BPM calculator.

Let's say you have a loop, but you don't know the original bpm...

With this tool you basically just put your loop's length in seconds/milliseconds (e.g. 2 seconds), then the number of beats (e.g. 4 beats/1 bar) and it will show you 120bpm

You can even go crazy and say that the loop is 1.34 seconds and 4 bars, and you will get the surgical result of 179.10447761194 bpm

 

Let me know if you think this could be a good tool or not.

 

EDIT:

This is the final version in terms of functionality. Now on to the visuals!

[Atlas007]

Interesting!

Are you aware that such a function exists in Logic?

BPM counter.

Tempo Operation window.

Or indirectly via the Smart Tempo analyzer function…

However, your tool could be handy as well!

[Danny Wyatt]

I don't think those are the same thing.

For example if you have an audio file with just a sine wave, the BPM counter will not tell you the BPM. Also, for files with transients, you need to open Logic, important the audio file, loop it, hit play, wait for the BPM Counter to (hopefully) get it right. With more complex drum patterns it's not always right.

 

The Tempo Operations: if you have a loop that's 1.34 seconds long and it's supposed to occupy 3.5 beats (for complex signatures, for example), how will that window tell you the final BPM? I don't think it will. Even for simple signatures, what if the loop is 1.34 seconds and it's 4 beats? or 8, or 16? The only thing I see there is the length and the BPM, but again, if you just want to see the information for a few files, all you need is an audio editor (external to Logic) and quickly see the information you need (length and number of beats).

 

Smart Tempo: I've never used it, so I don't know how that would be similar to this tool...? Looking at the images, I don't see how it could calculate a simple audio loop. But we go again to complex workflows: open Logic, import files, analyze using Smart Tempo, etc.

 

This tool is basically a tool to be used as a standalone tool, even if you don't have Logic opened.

 

I'm also including the calculation to find the right loop length in case you are editing files. You enter the BPM of your song, the number of beats and it will calculate the exact length of the audio file to make it loop perfectly with your song.

 

Here it is: http://bpmloopcalculator.cyclopaudio.com

Let me know what you think

[Atlas007]

Well definitely handy, considering there is no need to rely on Logic!

Big thanx for sharing!

[Danny Wyatt]

Well definitely handy, considering there is no need to rely on Logic!

Big thanx for sharing!

 

You're welcome

I have a few more ideas in mind that I will be working on soon.

Make sure you bookmark this and keep checking:

https://www.cyclopaudio.com

[Atlas007]

Well definitely handy, considering there is no need to rely on Logic!

Big thanx for sharing!

 

You're welcome

I have a few more ideas in mind that I will be working on soon.

Make sure you bookmark this and keep checking:

https://www.cyclopaudio.com

I sure will!

Thanx for the heads up!

[ba6035472]

On 3/9/2022 at 7:00 AM, Danny Wyatt said:

The Tempo Operations: if you have a loop that's 1.34 seconds long and it's supposed to occupy 3.5 beats (for complex signatures, for example), how will that window tell you the final BPM? I don't think it will. Even for simple signatures, what if the loop is 1.34 seconds and it's 4 beats? or 8, or 16? The only thing I see there is the length and the BPM, but again, if you just want to see the information for a few files, all you need is an audio editor (external to Logic) and quickly see the information you need (length and number of beats).

There is a way to do this, import the audio as is, and use the loop length locators to highlight how many beat/bar the loop is supposed to occupy, then select the region and go to Edit > Tempo > Adjust Tempo Using Region Length and Locators, then select Globally.

Logic will then calculate the BPM to fit the region within the loop length. 

[ba6035472]

😎

[Danny Wyatt]

4 hours ago, ba6035472 said:

There is a way to do this, import the audio as is, and use the loop length locators to highlight how many beat/bar the loop is supposed to occupy, then select the region and go to Edit > Tempo > Adjust Tempo Using Region Length and Locators, then select Globally.

Logic will then calculate the BPM to fit the region within the loop length. 

 

The goal of this "app" is that people without Logic or any DAW are still able to find these calculations. Sometimes I'm just working on loop files and I don't want to open Logic for that, as I'm using another audio editor.

 

Also, using Logic, you need to open it, create a new project, save that new project. That itself, just to find the right ms of a file or the bpm, seems a bit too much work.

Then if you are working with 100 files, are you going to import one file at a time and go through all those steps you mentioned? A lot of work, in my opinion. :)

With this "app" you just need to see the length of the audio file, understand how many beats and bars and that's it. Pretty fast.

Sure, you can still use that method for specific scenarios. It's a matter of evaluating what needs to be done at a particular time.

[ba6035472]

Yes true, not trying to undermine your app, it's very useful.

If you are working with Logic, it will be more 'safe' to do it natively inside logic though, because when you manually input the BPM there may still be some rounding problem. Sometimes the audio region may appear to sit inside the grid according to the BPM but if you extend it out by looping it, or by pressing Cmd+R it runs the risk of going out of sync. 

If you just want to find the BPM of an audio file of course I will also opt to use your website, but in a musical sense, ultimately you will be working with a set BPM within a project so if I add other loops into a song it won't be necessary to know the BPM of each individual loop or sample, you will still flex them to the BPM of the project. 

Anyhow, thanks for this app, I have also bookmarked it! Kudos!

[Danny Wyatt]

4 hours ago, ba6035472 said:

when you manually input the BPM there may still be some rounding problem

But as you can see, you won't input the BPM, because that's exactly what you are trying to find and if "rounding" would be a problem, then Logic would be worse than my "app", because as you can see, my "app" gives you more decimals compared to Logic

 

4 hours ago, ba6035472 said:

Sometimes the audio region may appear to sit inside the grid

The main idea of this "app" is that you don't focus on a grid, because as I mentioned, this is primarily a tool for everyone to use it, with or without DAW. For example, if someone sends you an audio file and you don't know the BPM, but while playing it, you can clearly see that it has 8 beats / 2 bars. Ok if you see that the audio file has 3.29 seconds, those are the only 2 details that you need in order to find the correct BPM of that audio file.

 

5 hours ago, ba6035472 said:

if you extend it out by looping it, or by pressing Cmd+R it runs the risk of going out of sync. 

If the audio has some extra silence and it's not a perfect loop, neither my "app" or Logic will help you with that, because it will always focus on the full length of the audio, including the silence. You won't be saved there, regardless of the tool. You will always have an out of sync loop there. The issue will be the audio file, not the tool used to find the BPM.

 

5 hours ago, ba6035472 said:

it won't be necessary to know the BPM of each individual loop or sample, you will still flex them to the BPM of the project

It depends... sometimes FLEX sucks and using an external tool can be your best option. Also, working on loop files is not always only when working on a project. Maybe someone is working on their loop library, so having access to a calculator that is super accurate, will help them find the exact BPM of a loop, but more importantly, if they have to create a PERFECT loop, they will be able to do that as well, because using the option on the right, you will have the most accurate length of that file if you want a loop that syncs 100%

 

Anyway, I'm happy to know that people are using this tool and you find it useful.

In the end, tools are just tools and whenever you find this to be useful, go for it! Eventually one day I would like to create an app for mobile to make it even better, but that's expensive...

[ba6035472]

15 hours ago, Danny Wyatt said:

But as you can see, you won't input the BPM, because that's exactly what you are trying to find and if "rounding" would be a problem, then Logic would be worse than my "app", because as you can see, my "app" gives you more decimals compared to Logic

cool but by rounding problem that's what I meant. your app gives me a BPM of 156.1394871389431489174389, but when I put it into logic I can only go as far as 4 decimal place, so what should I do? feel me, that's what I meant by rounding problem.