Inserting rubato section into existing track?

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NealF
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Inserting rubato section into existing track?

Post by NealF »

Hello,

I'm trying to find the best way to do this:
I have a song that goes through several time signatures. In the middle of the song is a rubato section.
I'm going to have the pianist play without a click and then I'd like to insert that section into the middle of the song where it needs to go. The other sections are already laid in with clicks in the conductor track.

What's the easiest way to do this? Can I somehow go to the end of the piece and record without the click, then just add enough measures in the middle and cut and paste?
Or is there an easier way?

Thanks.
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mhschmieder
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Re: Inserting rubato section into existing track?

Post by mhschmieder »

I'm sure there are a gazillion ways to do this, but will the pianist need context, some note overlap between the sections before and after? That obviously frames the problem differently!

Otherwise, I'd suggest having three separate chunks until the piano part is done, and then glue them together (if you wish; you can also have chunks play continuously if you'd prefer), without worries on the rubato section messing up the third section while you finesse its bar count etc.
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NealF
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Re: Inserting rubato section into existing track?

Post by NealF »

I think I can get away without the context.

If I do it in seperate chunks, how would I glue them together? Just cut and paste into the big hole I leave for the rubato in the main chunk?

Would using clippings work here? Haven't used them so I'm not familiar with them, but if that's a way to go I'll check it out.
MacPro5,1 6-Core Intel Xeon, Processor Speed: 3.46 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Memory: 32 GB. Mojave. DP 9 and Apogee Duet.
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mhschmieder
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Re: Inserting rubato section into existing track?

Post by mhschmieder »

Well, if you want to do it as a hole instead of as three separate chunks, you can use the high-local right-click menu to switch to real time from bar count, so you know how much actual time you need for that chunk when you insert it.

I figure that might be quicker and more precise than trying to calculate the number of bars, inserting tempo marking, etc. and leaving some initial fudge room.

Perhaps you'll want to "tap tempo" the rubato section before merging it into the hole for the main track though, it you are using tempo marking throughout?

You can also simplify this by taking a tempo average for that section, and setting it at the start of the piano solo, since no one will need to sync other parts to it anyway. That will also simplify the merge process.

Generally, as long as you are putting things in between two sections of audio vs. having a continuous audio track that goes through (with silence) the section to be spliced in, DP will do the right thing and adjust rather than get out of sync on the stuff that comes later.

It's easy enough to readjust the final section afterwards, if it comes to that, but you can probably avoid the need for that sometimes tedious step of realigning the downbeat of the first non-rubato bar.

Clippings might help for this task; I don't use them that much, but mostly because I'm not confident of the interaction with Undo/Redo when doing a complex sequence of things pre-commit. I'll often try several possibilities and depend heavily on Undo/Redo and an uninterrupted train of thought. :-)
iMac 27" 2017 Quad-Core Intel i5 (3.8 GHz, 64 GB), OSX 13.6.1, MOTU DP 11.31, iZotope RX 10
RME Babyface Pro FS, Radial JDV Mk5, Hammond XK-4, Moog Voyager

Eugenio Upright, 60th Anniversary P-Bass, USA Geddy Lee J-Bass, Yamaha BBP35
Select Strat, 70th Anniversary Esquire, Johhny Marr Jaguar, 57 LP, Danelectro 12
Eastman T486RB, T64/V, Ibanez PM2, D'angelico Deluxe SS Bari, EXL1
Guild Bari, 1512 12-string, M20, Martin OM28VTS, Larivee 0040MH
NealF
Posts: 701
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Re: Inserting rubato section into existing track?

Post by NealF »

Good info.

Thanks. Going to try it a few different ways. Unless my first choice works fine.
MacPro5,1 6-Core Intel Xeon, Processor Speed: 3.46 GHz
Number of Processors: 1
Total Number of Cores: 6
L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB
L3 Cache: 12 MB
Memory: 32 GB. Mojave. DP 9 and Apogee Duet.
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