Whats the best approach to convert an entire project to flex with the tempo?

[Maestro777]

This question isn't specifically directed to a single or couple of audio tracks nor just MIDI. I have a fairly large project and flex isn't turned on for any of the content. MIDI nor Audio. I may have enabled flex on 1 or 2 audio tracks to correct some timing but subsequently bounced those changes and turned flex back off.

So now I have a completed project that is in perfect sync following a set tempo. But I am now thinking that this song may song benefit from a slight faster tempo. What is the best approach to accomplish this? I have roughly around 70 to 100 tracks; mostly audio but a few MIDI tracks with VST instruments.

I am looking for a way to change the tempo of the entire project to find the best tempo that will compliment the arrangement; but I'm on a time crunch and I definitely don't want to start experimenting how to best accomplish this. So I'm asking for the most efficient method to get this to work.

Worse comes to worse, I suppose I could bounce the entire comp and import it into another project with flex enabled but I would ideally like to know how to set this up properly so I wouldn't have to resort to this type of method for future recordings.

Edited May 8, 2022 by Maestro777

[Atlas007]

Have you considered trying Varispeed?

[David Nahmani]

Indeed I would start with varispeed. 

If that does not give you the result you want and you'd prefer to try Flex, then turn on Flex view, select all tracks, turn Flex on for all tracks (only audio tracks need to be Flexed as MIDI will automatically follow the project tempo), then adjust the project tempo. 

[Maestro777]

Perfect, thanks gents. I wasn't familiar with varispeed until you suggested it. Seems to be very powerful and gets where I want to be very quickly. Only caveat (if any) would be that the actual tempo change isn't reflected in the transport bar but I can use the BPM tool to determine the new speed and then mark it in the Project notes.

Great stuff. I'll post another update after giving it a go

Edited May 8, 2022 by Maestro777

[Maestro777]

Bounces turned out great. I believe the proper way to do it would probably be to enable flex on all audio files so the the tempo in the transport would correctly reflect the change in real time; so I am going to practice the habit of doing that moving forward. I don't know if it would be more CPU intensive that way but  I'm suspecting it probably would.

Either way, it's good to have options.

[David Nahmani]

1 hour ago, Maestro777 said:

Only caveat (if any) would be that the actual tempo change isn't reflected in the transport bar

... unless you click the Varispeed unit to choose "resulting tempo", in which case you'll see this: 

 

[Maestro777]

14 hours ago, David Nahmani said:

... unless you click the Varispeed unit to choose "resulting tempo", in which case you'll see this: 

 

Thank you David  🙂

[David Nahmani]

You're welcome!