Tap Tempo Issue

[Shooshie]

Here's an interesting side-bit. In the tempo mode list, there is the "Tap Pad" which must be clicked upon. As far as tempo goes, it kind of works, but audio from the VI's get's chopped with every tap. (Also, I don't think it can be recorded into the conductor, but I may be wrong about that).

Conductor track? Nah, it just sets the metronome. Handy for that, but that's the end of it. Not very useful when playing live if it cuts off VI's.

Shooshie

[stubbsonic]

MOTU Support did give me one tip/workaround to try. He said that Tap Tempo won't go any faster than the tempo set on the slider. So try setting the slider at a higher value then tapping the tempo to see if that works better.

Worth at try.

[stubbsonic]

[EDIT: removing celebratory headbang, and qualifying/quantifying result]
Set the tempo mode to TEMPO SLIDER.
Set the tempo to some high value (higher than you know you will tap)-- e.g., 300 BPM.
Set sync to tap tempo with your preferred settings
sync on,
conductor track in record
record
tap

That made it at least partially work, with a track that had only MIDI in it. But, Shooshie notes below that this is a partial work-around that doesn't address all of the problems with Tap Tempo since the earlier versions where it worked as expected.

[Shooshie]

Set the tempo mode to TEMPO SLIDER.
Set the tempo to some high value (higher than you know you will tap)-- e.g., 300 BPM.
Set sync to tap tempo with your preferred settings
sync on,
conductor track in record
record
tap

Works here,

but didn't test with an audio track which was the other little issue from before.
Will report back when I know more.

That's been the time-honored work-around since about version 4. But it does not always work, especially for extreme tempo changes. And the last time I tried it, I couldn't get it to work AT ALL. I'm hoping that was just a file anomaly. The fact that it works at all has been preventing MOTU from getting serious about fixing it.

I mean, why are we stuck with a work-around in the first place? I'm not talking about a working method, but a genuine work-around that kinda sucks in the first place, considering that Tap Tempo does not work at all as documented in the manual.

Shooshie

[Timeline]

Shooshie, you have always followed this feature and I appreciate this. If you, the DP-TT champion cannot persuade MOTU to make the needed changes, then its doomed to remain as is.

I know whenever I have tried TT I have lots of audio in the path wishing for a click miracle. I have tried it by making a copy of the project and applying the workarounds as prescribed here, but for me, it will fail and I have not bothered to even try in Yosemite.

Some features dealing with time just need to be sus'd out by master guru programmers, as you called for up front on this thread. I wonder how much money they, MOTU can really delegate when requests for repairs are likely sitting there for years on the "wishlist" docket. The hardware development front for MOTU seems to be their big push with DP somewhere at or near the bottom.

I understand the make money angle but we have patiently paid the upgrade prices on versions I never even used like 6 and we deserve more, allot more.

[stubbsonic]

If folks who use Tap Tempo could make some videos showing Tap Tempo as it works/doesn't-work, that might help clarify (and publicize) the issue for MOTU

[Shooshie]

If folks who use Tap Tempo could make some videos showing Tap Tempo as it works/doesn't-work, that might help clarify (and publicize) the issue for MOTU

I keep thinking the same thing, and yet I never quite find the time to do it. I'm going to have to set aside a few hours to do that.

Shooshie

[stubbsonic]

I wonder if a work-around could be achieved with either a 2nd piece of software running in the background or some external hardware -- such that DP would be slaved to external beat clocks and the external software or device handled the realtime tempo control via taps.

The only hitch with this plan would be to somehow get the tempo info into the conductor. --Well that and what external thing? And limits to meter changes, etc.

Kurzweil's K25/K2600 had a tap tempo function-- but it didn't align the music to the taps the way DP does (did). It just let you tap in the tempo strictly measuring the time between taps to calculate tempo, it didn't care if your taps were on the beat. But maybe there's another box? MIDI solutions?

Come MOTU, there's an easier (for us) way!

[cowtothesky]

I gave up on MOTU's tap tempo and downloaded this iPhone app. It's free and works great!

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bpm-lit ... 39715?mt=8

[stubbsonic]

Are you talking about just finding a tempo? The app you mentioned certain does that as do many metronome apps.

In DP, the tap pad works fine for that.

The Tap Tempo feature is not about finding a specific start tempo. It is about being able to tap in a constantly changing tempo map into the conductor track in realtime. So as you tap, the sequence follows your every change in tempo. This is critical for rubato kinds of music.

Furthermore, since no sequence can entirely track taps in realtime (i.e., it CAN'T know you've slowed down or sped up until an early or late tap is received). So after you have finished recording a tapped tempo, the playback will be as you tapped.

The problem currently is that WHILE you are tapping a tempo map in, there are problems with DP's responding to the taps and outputting audio. Shooshie and I have both experienced it working right in the past. It is quite impressive when it works well.

Does Logic have a tap tempo function? Does it work?

[cowtothesky]

^^^^ Sorry for the misunderstanding. Yes, all I wanted was to be able to use it to find a starting tempo. Super simple. What happened after one of the recent updates (possibly 8.0), when I tap on it, it jumps me around at different locations in the sequence and I can't continue clicking because of the delay of jumping around. I never even thought to look to an app to do this for me. So, it worked out. I had always used DP's tap tempo before and was perplexed why it wasn't working now.

[stubbsonic]

I had another session today where I needed to tap tempo in for a MIDI accompaniment I sequenced. I warned the client that it the tap tempo thing was kind of hit & miss. Today it partially worked for one chunk, but absolutely did not work for the other-- I mean run-away sequence-- not just didn't work, but like an embarrassing mess. So we just called it quits for the day.

(I'm still booting on an external drive for other DP issues-- unrelated to tap.) So my system is pretty lean. DP is still kind of messy right now. I appreciate that others are having very stable times, but the display is ragged for me.