time signature and tempo

C

ConorC

New member
Hi all, I have a question, and I don't know if this is possible, or what it would be called if it was possible.

I have a short piece of guitar music that was recorded with no metronome or drums or anything. The piece is about a minute long and the tempo varies slightly a bit throughout the piece. Is it possible to bring it into a DAW, I use Reaper, Cubase and/or Audition, and get the DAW to recognize the where the beats are and adjust the tempo within the project to fit the varying tempo of the piece? Or I could mark where the beats are or something and the DAW would use those marked beats as the time signature maybe?

The reason I am asking is that I could then use this long piece as a loop and add in MIDI drums or other instruments which would keep the tempo of the original clip, even if it varies slightly.

Is this possible?

ConorC
 
Yes, but it is not easy. In Cubase you can use Warp tabs to do this. Without a percussive track, it would be impossible to detect hitpoints and have Cubase attempt to do it for you.

What version of Cubase do you have?
 
Hi,
I don't know about your software, but I do this in Pro Tools all the time.

I'm sure there's a shorthand way, but I just set the tempo so the start of the song matches, then hit play.
As soon as the song drifts from the click I stop it, go back a bar, and add a second tempo marker to compensate.
Then I go again and add a third change when it drifts.

Rinse and repeat.

I'll end up with a tempo change every second of third bar, usually.
It might take 4 or 5 minutes per 3 minute song, but it has been worth doing in the past.
 
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Thanks guys for the replies, and Jimmy, I know your name is not Jilly, I can only accuse my errant fingers of betraying me again.

I don't really use cubase that much because I find the interface annoying, I mostly use Audition but I have recently been using reaper which I am finding very nice to use. I will do a little research and see can reaper add tempo markers.

C
 
While I think Jilly gave you some good advice.......

Is there not a way to use some kind of "Tap Tempo" on most DAW's. I've never had to use it, so I don't know. But it seems like a pretty simple function most DAW's should have.
 
Steen's method will work in Reaper, too, but if your speed really varies all over the place you'll be setting a ton of markers.
 
Here's one I made earlier.
This is a willie nelson song with no drum kit, so the speed varies a good bit.

Screen shot 2012-08-25 at 14.31.06.png

You can't see every number because I'm zoomed out, but every green triangle is a change of 1-3 bpm.
 
Hey guys, thanks for the help on this. I haven't actually gotten back to this, RL keeps interfering with my music. Stupid bills insisting on being paid.
 
I thank you for the Reaper info as I drift in time on songs (when I do not use a click) and the artists I work with do so even with a damn click. It drives me crazy. BTW hope the H-cane is not as bad a Katrina. We shall see.
 
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