Change the master tempo WITHOUT changing my audio!

_Adjusting the Tempo to Fit Regions_

The +Options > Tempo Adjust Tempo using Region Length and Locators+ command adjusts the MIDI tempo, making the length of the selected Audio Region exactly match the distance between the locators (Cycle area). If you want to use this function to adapt the MIDI tempo to match the tempo of a drum loop, make sure that the drum loop is cycling smoothly (use the Sample Editor for this), and that the length of the Region corresponds exactly to a specific musical length of the audio material. As an example, to ensure that the Region measures exactly two bars when played back, set a Cycle to match the musical length of the Region (two bars, in this case), and select +Options > Tempo > Adjust Tempo using Region Length and Locators.+

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If this isn't what you had in mind, you need to perform Beat Mapping.

The Beat Mapping track helps by defining the bar positions of existing musical events (e.g. accents in Audio Regions) without changing their absolute time position, thereby preserving the audible result with its original timing.

This is achieved in two steps: First, you graphically connect musical events (Transients in Audio Regions, which correspond to the beginning of strongly accented notes) to the desired bar positions in the Beat Mapping track, by drawing lines between them with the mouse. Logic will automatically insert a tempo change event for each of these bar position locations, causing the note to be played at its previous absolute time position, despite its altered bar position.

Logic must first analyze Audio Regions in order to find rhythmically prominent spots, which can subsequently be linked to a bar position. During this analysis, Logic searches for transients: Positions where the audio recording becomes a lot louder—over a very short time span (a signal “spike”, in other words). This is typical of drum recordings, but the analysis of other instruments or complete mixes (depending on the musical context) can also produce usable results.

To detect transients, select the Audio Region and click the Analyze button in the Track List of the Beat Mapping track. Following analysis, the transients are displayed as small vertical lines at the bottom of the Beat Mapping track, just like the notes in MIDI Regions.

What method are you using to change the tempo? When I change the tempo in the transport, my audio regions do not change. Is this what you're doing?

What should happen to audio when you change the tempo is that the actual files should play back at the same speed (& pitch), but that the Regions that make up the Track will change their relative positions — IOW, they will get closer together or further apart.

This will, of course, cause syncing problems (e.g. Regions cutting in before the previous Region has finished, or unexpected gaps).

So possibly this is what you have been noticing.

The solution is to reposition the Regions or to create new ones using the files in your Audio Library Window. Once you're sure the Tempo is correct, that shouldn't be too difficult.

Er… you're not using Apple Loops, are you? That would explain your problem. Don't import your audio as Apple Loops, & don't convert your audio to Apple Loops!

Catnip Toy wrote:
The deal is that, if I simply adjust the tempo in my transport bar, pretty much my beats are find, but it STRETCHHHHES my vocals this way and that. And other tracks. It would be faster to re-record (which I really don't want to do) than to reposition everything just so.

Sorry, just to clarify, do you mean the audio itself has been changed, or just the region length/position? If the audio itself has been stretched, then what you are experiencing is not normal Logic behavior.

I tried to recreate what you're doing, and it looks to me like the regions themselves are stretching visually, so that the beginning of one overlaps the beginning of the next. Is that what you're seeing?

+"No no apple loops. Unless importing songs from garageband converts them thus, but I don't think it does that."+

Yes — it certainly can do. I'm afraid you need to make sure that if you are exporting from Garage Band you are choosing a normal audio file format such as AIFF. It sounds exactly as if you are exporting Apple Loops, which will always try to fit themselves to the tempo if it is changed.

Normal audio files don't do that.

Anyway — if it isn't Apple Loops, it's Regions out of sync (as discussed above), so one way or another you've found your problem, & while the solution is unpleasant at least you know what it is!

But my money is on Apple Loops. +Don't export from Garage Band as Apple Loops!+

Does this help? I found this in the manual just before finding your topic.

(p.526)

Audio files recorded in Logic Pro can follow the project tempo—inclusive of tempo
changes—set in the global tracks.

As an example: If you record a bass solo at 100 bpm, you can change the project
tempo to 120 bpm and the bass solo will automatically be played back at the new
tempo.
The function works with all audio files that were recorded in, or bounced/exported
from, Logic Pro.

To make recorded audio files follow the project tempo (and first key signature):
- Select the audio region in the Arrange area, and turn on the Follow Tempo option in
the Region Parameter box in the Inspector.
The Follow Tempo option is synchronized for all regions that make use of the same
audio file.

All audio files that follow the project tempo (and first key signature) are indicated by
the following symbols in Logic Pro: <=>

(that symbol should appear in the audio region)