Using Audio sample to provide tempo changes in Garageband / Logic Pro X

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Level 1

8 points

Using Audio sample to provide tempo changes in Garageband / Logic Pro X

Hi,

I'm looking to switch to Garageband from Ableton Live and there is a key function I would like to know whether it exists in Garageband.

Say I have a live recording of a band / piece of music, that changes tempo subtly throughout the piece. Instead of importing it into Garageband and using Flextime to force the audio recording to match the project tempo, I want Garageband to pick up the project tempo (and tempo changes) from the audio recording.

In Ableton Live what you do is you turn on "Warp", get the audio to line to the measures / beats (like Flextime) and then select "Master" in the audio clip options. What this does is that the Audio clip will actually play completely unchanged, but the project's tempo will warp faster / slower depending on the audio clip.

The reason for doing this is if I want to overlay a midi track on top of the audio, I can do so in time with the bars / measures / beats, but the feel and tempo of the midi track will change according to the Master audio track.

Is this possible in Garageband? If not is it possible in Logic Pro X?

Thanks

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Nov 6, 2016 2:27 AM

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Answer 1

Nov 7, 2016 5:46 AM in response to gggtraveller

I don't think you will have much fun in GarageBand when coming from Ableton Live. GarageBand is a very limited, entry-level DAW. Logic Pro X is a much better match.

The feature you are looking for is called "Beat Mapping" in Logic. The concept is the same but the procedure with the Beat Mapping Track is a little bit different.

Hope that helps

Edgar Rothermich - LogicProGEM.com

(Author of the "Graphically Enhanced Manuals")

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

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Answer 2

gggtraveller Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 7, 2016 5:49 AM in response to EdgarRothermich

Many thanks - this is exactly what I was looking for.

I've looked at some videos of Beat Mapping and can see how it works similarly to Ableton's Master Warp track.

In that case, in Logic, I've I have set a Beat Map against one of my tracks, does that mean the other tracks can do Flextime in line with the Beat Map? Also, I realised that Beat Mapping works with midi clips as well as audio clips. So does that mean the Flextime also works with Midi clips?

Thanks

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Answer 3

Nov 7, 2016 9:19 AM in response to gggtraveller

You have to understand what Beat Mapping is.

Beat Mapping itself does not do anything to Audio Regions or MIDI Regions directly. I does only one thing, it creates a Tempo Map (creates Tempo Events in the Tempo Master Track based on a reference Region (Audio Region or MIDI Region), and you manual adjustment.

MIDI Region and Audio Region "react" to that Tempo map. They don't know if that tempo map was created by manually adding Tempo Events or by using Beat Mapping.

All the main rules apply to what happens to your Regions when you change the Tempo in your Project

MIDI Region will follow the tempo changes (unless the Region or the MIDI Events inside are SMPTE-locked)
Track Automation will follow tempo changes (unless the Fader Events are SMPTE-locked)
Audio Region will not follow tempo changes, unless the checkbox "Flex" or "Follow Tempo & Pitch" is enabled and the is prepared to do that (Apple Loops, Flex Markers, etc.)

Hope that helps

Edgar Rothermich - LogicProGEM.com

(Author of the "Graphically Enhanced Manuals")

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

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Answer 4

gggtraveller Author

Level 1

8 points

Nov 7, 2016 9:34 AM in response to EdgarRothermich

Brilliant, thank you. That makes a ton of sense and actually, in some ways makes more sense (to me) than Ableton's way of doing this.

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