Globally changing a song tempo

[Aint Right]

Is there a way to select all and globally speed up or slow down recorded tracks/ the whole tune?

 

[Lukas]

Yes, by changing the song tempo.

If you have audio events, make sure the audio tracks are set to Timestretch and that the events have a tempo set (otherwise they can't be timestretched).

 

[Aint Right]

Do you have to detect tempo in each track or just type in the tempo in the inspector window?

 

[Lukas]

The events just need to have the correct tempo - it does not matter if the tempo is detected or set manually. If you know the exact tempo (song tempo, probably), you can just set it for the event multi selection.

 

[SwitchBack]

If speedup / slow down is all you want then you can make it work with all tracks set to an incorrect tempo too.

Say you started with a new empty song with tempo set to 120bpm. Frist you import a backing track of unknown tempo into the empty song, then start recording other tracks along to that backing track. All the newly recorded tracks will have their tempo set to the song's tempo of 120bpm. What remains now is to set the tempo of the backing track to 120bpm too, even if that isn't the correct tempo. With all tracks and the song itself set to 120bpm and all tracks set to Timestretch you can set the song's tempo say 10% higher to have the song play 10% faster.

 

[Aint Right]

ok I think I get it will try on something I have not started to edit first. If I have a bunch of edits on different tracks maybe I bounce each one then go from there.

 

[John Vere]

I’ve got to laugh because someone just asked the identical question on the Sonar forum. The replies would bring a weak man to his knees!
It’s a crazy multi level process to make it work.

So is Studio one is like Mixcraft where all you need to do is make sure the audio tracks are set correctly to time stretch? Then simply change the tempo?

 

[Aint Right]

I tried changing the tracks in the tempo window just a big mess..

 

[SwitchBack]

I’ve got to laugh because someone just asked the identical question on the Sonar forum. The replies would bring a weak man to his knees!
It’s a crazy multi level process to make it work.

So is Studio one is like Mixcraft where all you need to do is make sure the audio tracks are set correctly to time stretch? Then simply change the tempo?

In order for Studio One to automatically apply tempo changes to tracks it needs to have tempo information for each track/event, even if that info isn't the actual tempo of the music content of those tracks. Anything recorded in Studio One automatically inherits the Song's tempo setting(s) so that's fine (even if maybe incorrect). But when you import something into a Song then, more likely than not, it will become an event without tempo data. Easy to see when you right-click the event: The File Tempo box is empty. Such an event can't follow any Tempo (Track) changes automatically.

So per the example I gave 3 posts up the easy fix for imported events is to enter the tempo of the Song in the File Tempo box, to make all tracks behave the same when the Song's Tempo is changed (provided that all tracks are set to Timestretch).

Having said that, it become really nice when the correct tempo or tempo map is entered for each event. Now Studio One's grid and metronome also follow suit, and so does any other material imported with correct tempo data. But for simple speed up / slow down via the Tempo setting that's not essential. In such cases just remember that the changes are a percentage of the previous value, and not the actual tempo of the music content.

 

[Lipica]

I tried changing the tracks in the tempo window just a big mess..

This is not clear. Describe the steps of what you did exactly, and describe what was your desired result, if you want us to help.

 

[John Vere]

As a singer songwriter a very common starting point for me is to record a rough version of the new song with vocals and guitar. I always use the metronome or a simple drum beat to record along with. But at this point in the song development process it’s just a wild guess.

As the song progresses and I add bass and midi parts I often want to change the tempo. So to me this is a new song development tool.

In Sonar the easiest way was to redo the audio tracks after the tempo was changed. In other words a choice of using a very convoluted process or stating over.

As we all know certain workflows are often easier to do in different Daw’s. I just did this process in Mixcraft and was overjoyed by how easy it was to take my rough version and experiment with different tempos. You can even change the tempo as the song plays.

Im away from home for a few days so will try this with Studio one when I get home. It sounds like for basic audio tracks that it will be as simple as it was in Mixcraft.
Im still learning about how to use the inspector.

 

[Aint Right]

So I picked up on a couple things. I imported my recorded tracks from a studio into a new song … default tempo 120… recorded tracks variable tempo. After a few edits and added tracks I wanted to hear the tune slower. Do I have to detect tempo on each track with time stretch enabled then add a percentage not a BPM value in the inspector tempo window of each track?

 

[Aint Right]

I would also like to hear the tune at a constant tempo Quanitized.

 

[SwitchBack]

Maybe best to explain with a use case:

You have a backing track (or a previously recorded free tempo track) you want to use for recording vocals. The track has an unknown tempo which also varies. So you open a new song (120bpm default) and import the backing track. From this point onwards there are two routes you can follow:

1. First map the tempo of the backing track. There are several ways including video’s on how to do this. Once you have it you can drag the backing track to the Tempo Track, which effectively sets the Song’s tempo to match the tempo of the backing track including any tempo changes. The vocal tracks you’ll be recording next will inherit this correct tempo map too. Afterwards you can edit the Tempo Track as you see fit, and all your tracks will follow. You can even clear the entire Tempo Track for a fixed tempo song.
2. Simply start recording the vocals. The vocals will follow the tempo of the backing track, obviously, but the new files will inherit the tempo of the Song (120bpm). Not ideal, but no disaster either. The one thing to remember now is to set the File Tempo (right-click the event) of the backing track to 120bpm too. This 120bpm has nothing to do with the actual music content of the track but at least it allows you to play with the Tempo Track, and all your tracks will follow.

Note that with 2. You can still do the tempo mapping afterwards. It’s a bit more work because you have to stick the map to the vocal track files too, without mangling them first. But creating the map is the same procedure as with 1.

 

[Shadowplay]

It also depends what type of track it is.
Audio or midi, piano, drum or vocals.
Speeding up or slowing the tempo down will also effect the plug-ins.