Converting Logic time count (i.e. 2 | 3 | 2 | 240) to PT time count

Question

Level 1

4 points

Converting Logic time count (i.e. 2 | 3 | 2 | 240) to PT time count

A friend who works in Pro Tools sent me a couple of tracks to work with. He gave me his tempo and told me what time the files should be placed. His time format is bars, beats, ticks.

Example:
4/4 time
58 bpm
drop file at (Pro Tools time measurement): 2 | 3 | 950

In Logic, I'm accustomed to seeing time shown in four divisions. With my current (default) settings, he largest measure I can get in bar 2, beat 3 before ticking over to bar 2 beat four would be:

Logic time measurement: 2 | 3 | 2 | 240

How can I accurately convert between Pro Tools bar/beat/tick (2 | 3 | 950) and Logic's time (2 | 3 | x | x )? Does the Pro Tools tick turn over after 999 (or 1000)?

Thanks a million for any help. - Jeff

Dual Core G5, Mac OS X (10.5), MOTU 828 mkII

Posted on Nov 1, 2008 4:56 PM

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Answer 1

thehappyclub Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 1, 2008 7:17 PM in response to thehappyclub

I had thought that Logic had user-configurable preferences to choose the way time that was counted, but apparently it doesn't.

You define the time signature in the transport: 4/4, 6/8, etc.
Below that, you define how many times each beat is divided in the Arrange window.
i.e., if you choose "/16", a quarter note in 4/4 time will have four divisions (i.e. 1-e-and-ah, 2-e-and-ah,...)
i.e., if you choose "/16", an eighth note in 6/8 time will have two divisions (i.e. 1-and, 2-and,...)

Each division goes from 1 to 240.

So,
1 | 4 | 000 in PT (unless the division starts at 001, which I don't know)
equals
1 | 4 | 1 | 1 in Logic

And
1 | 4 | 999 in PT (unless the divisions run to 1000, which I don't know)
equals
1 | 4 | 4 | 240 in Logic

So, if there isn't a way to convert Logic's count to the way Pro Tools works, I just need to know the range of beat divisions in Pro Tools:
1-960?
0-1000?
1-999?

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Answer 2

thehappyclub Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 1, 2008 8:53 PM in response to thehappyclub

I just found in the the PT manual that it’s 960 ppq (pulses per quarter note)

with that info, the answer is simple. set the time signature, and set the "division" value equal to one beat. i.e.:

4/4 time
/4 division

6/8 time
/8 division

Then, Logic divides the beat into 960 bits. 1 = 1 !

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