MIDI not changing with tempo change

[dang47]

I am trying to drag an audio file and MIDI notes from the clipping window onto a new sequence with a different tempo, the audio file adjusts to the new tempo but MIDI does not. I looked around here and could not find a solution to what seems to be simple. Looked into using "Preserve Original perforce" and MIDI track is not locked.

Thanks

[dang47]

I just realized that MIDI just doesn't change to tempo, is this true? I guess it would be to hard to calculate duration of notes?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Before importing MIDI to the new sequence, change the tempo in the source sequence, copy, and paste into the target sequence.

[Shooshie]

Ok, I'm going to have to make some educated guesses as to your predicament, so bear with me if I guess wrong.

1st guess: You may be using MIDI that had no beat information to begin with.
2nd guess: You may be pasting MIDI into a track that has no beat information.

Tempo consists of two parts: a note value and a speed. Thus, tempo may be "quarter note = 120," which is probably the default tempo. But if you take a bunch of MIDI notes that have no beat information, DP doesn't know if they are quarter notes or 8th notes or double-whole notes. Without the beat information, tempo is meaningless.

Time, measured by clocks, is the same way. We say 2 o'clock, which means two "of the clock," which means 2 out of 12 or 24 hours. Otherwise, it has no meaning.

So how do you get beat information? Turn on the Conductor Track. Then you set your tempo with the Project/Change Conductor Track/Tempo menu. If you've ever so much as taken a piano lesson or played in a school band, you'll know what to do, but if notes are new to you, it's probably best to go with a quarter note most of the time. (solid ball with a stick and no "flag.") Be careful not to use a dot (after the note) unless you are doing a triple meter.

If you use the Conductor Track, and if you copy MIDI from that sequence, it will paste into any other sequence that knows its beat values and adjust automatically.

IMPORTANT:
Now that I've said all that, I'll tell you that I lied a little bit to make this simpler. Truth is, you CAN work without the Conductor Track, even copying and pasting data from sequence to sequence, but the frame of reference is always the default. There is no guarantee that information from another sequence will slip into a beat-less sequence and do what you're expecting it to do, UNLESS their tempos match. You can also use Real Time rulers (Setup/Time Format) instead of beats, and then the tempo slider makes more sense, actually.

Now, if I've guessed wrong, or if this turns out not to be the problem, please let me know, and I'll try again, or maybe someone else will get it right.

Shooshie

[dang47]

Wow! I got the two masters helping me thanks guys, Yeah you're right I'm not sure what i am doing.... i am scoring a scene and for this scene i wanted to make a tempo map of a prerecorded audio file so some BFD drums would sync, i was kind of successful in my first attempted at doing so. The conductor track map tempo of this sequence fluctuates around 63 to 65 for a few measures before it levels off at 65:56.... i went to a 120 sequence with no conductor track info to copy some MIDI and copied into clipping window, to drag onto the sequence with the scene....... i will study and experiment with what you guys both wrote.... I've really got to sit down one day and study commit to learning this stuff!

Thanks so much!!

[Shooshie]

If you want to make a tempo map of pre-recorded material, you will probably want to learn about Adjust Beats, also under the Project/Change Conductor Track menu.

If you've got the time, here's a 16 minute video that kind of explains it. That comes from page 5 of the DP Tips Sheet Thread.

Warning: the audio drifts in that video. I really need to remake it and post it to YouTube, not just for the drift, but because DP and certain features are WAY out of date in the video. Best guess is that was about DP version 5.x. Anyway, if you can adjust your ears for audio that's way off (I don't remember which direction), then you will probably learn something from it. Sorry... I made it a long, long time ago, and the software apparently wasn't up to par.

Shooshie

[dang47]

Thanks Shooshie, i did come a crossed a post that you had mentioned the video while searching for my current problem, i will be sure to check this out.