Synchronizing audio and the project tempo

There are many reasons why you may want to synchronize audio clips with the project tempo. The following list presents a few common examples.

AudioSnap provides two ways to quickly synchronize audio and the project tempo map:

Applying an audio clip’s internal tempo map to the project’s global tempo map. Use this method if you want the project tempo to match an audio clip’s tempo and have audio beats aligned with the project’s Time Ruler.

This is useful in the following scenarios:

If you recorded an audio track without using the metronome, and you want the project’s measure and beat boundaries to align with the audio. For example, you may have recorded an audio track that you would like to use as the tempo reference when recording additional tracks.

If you want both audio and MIDI edits to snap to audio beats.

If you want to use the Quantize and Groove Quantize commands on audio clips, and have audio beats quantized correctly.

If you want to remix an existing song that has been imported into Cakewalk (from an audio CD or MP3 file, etc.). In order to add new drum loops and MIDI instruments that play in time with the original song, you need to create a tempo map from the original song.

For details, see To sync the project tempo to an audio clip.

Applying the project’s tempo to a clip’s tempo map.  Use this method if you want a clip to follow the project tempo.

This is useful in the following scenarios:

If you want to synchronize new audio with existing audio.

If you want to tighten up a new audio track so it fits well with the timing and tempo of an existing track.

If you want to globally change the project’s tempo after audio has been recorded.

For details, see To sync an audio clip to the project tempo and To copy the project tempo to an audio clip’s tempo map.

How does it work?

Each audio clip has an internal tempo map, which makes it possible to synchronize the audio clip with the project’s global tempo map (see Editing a clip’s tempo map).

Cakewalk automatically creates a tempo map for each audio clip. In some cases, Cakewalk can detect the wrong tempo. For example, Cakewalk might detect a tempo of 120 BPM when the actual tempo is 240 BPM, or a beat may be mapped to the wrong transient. You can easily remap the tempo map, if necessary.

You should make sure a clip’s internal tempo map is correct before using any of the tempo-related commands in the AudioSnap palette. For details, see Editing a clip’s tempo map.

To sync the project tempo to an audio clip

1.	Select the audio clip(s) that has the desired tempo map.

2.	Press ALT+A to open the AudioSnap palette.

3.	Click the Set Project Tempo From Clip button on the AudioSnap palette.

The clip tempo map is copied to the project tempo map so the tempo maps are identical.

Note 1: The Set Project Tempo From Clip drop-down list lets you specify at which resolution the clip’s tempo map should be copied to the project tempo. The options are as follows: 4 Beats 4 Measures (default) 4 Clip

Note 2: If multiple audio clips have their Clip Timebase property set to Musical, changing the project tempo will affect the relative positions of the audio clips. When using the Set Project Tempo from Clip command, Cakewalk will offer to convert the timebase to Absolute.

If you need to align the project tempo with freely played MIDI notes, see To sync the project tempo to freely played MIDI.

 

Tip: To copy a regular audio clip’s tempo to the project’s tempo map, simply drag the audio clip to the Time Ruler. Cakewalk will extract the tempo information using Melodyne and ARA and set the global tempo map for that region. It is not necessary to first convert the audio clip to a Melodyne Region FX clip, but this approach will not allow you to edit the tempo in Melodyne before extracting the tempo. For details, see To copy a Melodyne clip’s tempo map to Cakewalk’s tempo map.

To sync an audio clip to the project tempo

1.	Select the audio clip(s) that you want to follow the project tempo.

2.	Press ALT+A to open the AudioSnap palette.

3.	Click the Clip Follows Project Tempo button on the AudioSnap palette.

The clip is synchronized to the project’s tempo map.

Note: If the audio clip does not play back at the expected tempo, the clip might not have an accurate internal tempo map. For details about editing a clip’s tempo map, see Editing a clip’s tempo map.

To copy the project tempo to an audio clip’s tempo map

1.	Configure the project’s tempo as desired (either specify the tempo manually, or extract the tempo from another audio clip by using the Set Project Tempo from Clip button on the AudioSnap palette).

2.	Select the audio clip(s) that you want to follow the project tempo.

3.	Press ALT+A to open the AudioSnap palette.

4.	Click the Average Tempo box on the AudioSnap palette and select Set Clip Tempo From Project on the drop-down menu.

The global project tempo map is copied to the clip tempo map so the tempo maps are identical.

Note: AudioSnap will always attempt to find the tempo of any clip recorded or imported into Cakewalk. While several possible tempos are normally generated, in some cases AudioSnap may be unable to detect the correct tempo or may not detect a tempo at all. This can occur if the source material is highly compressed or does not contain transient markers on all actual beats. If AudioSnap is unable to detect a tempo from the clip, new transient markers are inserted on each beat corresponding to the project’s global tempo map. If AudioSnap detects possible tempos for the clip, existing transient markers (that appear within a defined window of the project’s beats) are reassigned to nearby beat markers on the clip’s tempo map.

 

See:

Editing a clip’s tempo map

Changing a project’s tempo

Using global tools on AudioSnap transient markers

Editing transient markers

Using the AudioSnap palette

Fixing timing problems in audio clips

Extracting MIDI timing information from audio

General editing

Using the Pool

Algorithms and rendering