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Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 5:26 am
by invisarts
I am trying to take some vocals tracks from a dance track and increase the tempo for a remix. I was hoping that the beats window (inside the waveform editor) would do the trick but moving the transient markers there does not affect the audio (the manual reassures me that this does not affect the audio). I am used to a simple interface (from Sonar

that actually allows you to affect the audio by moving the markers (without, of course, affecting the pitch).
Does DP not have an easy way to do this? BTW-the vocal tracks are broken down into relatively short phrases (as opposed to being song-length files).
I have studied the manual in the Beat Detection section and found nothing helpful.
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 6:47 am
by grouse
If you know the BPM of the original, (you can tell DP what the tempo is if it doesn't automatically know), you could use the "Adjust soundbites to sequence tempo" command (Audio menu) or say if you have a soundbite that you know lasts for 4 bars in the previous tempo, drag the end of the soundbite to last exactly 4 bars in the new tempo. You drag the top of the soundbite to do this. It's probably described better in the manual.
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:07 am
by TOD
If you're going to be doing this frequently, I would suggest dropping the coin to get Ableton LIVe. It does this effortlessly. I run it rewired in DP and bounce the tracks back and forth.
Tod
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:12 am
by invisarts
Thanks for the suggestions.
I could get a BPM for the original but what a waste of time!!!
The original BPM is really irrelevant....all I want to do is go through the soundbites and manually adjust each one, slice by slice.
I guess DP doesn't have this simple function. Do I need to use another program such as MachFive or Reason (neither of which I own)?
I do have AbletonLive but since my original vocals are not cut into even bar length segments, Live has trouble knowing what the original tempo was.
There must be something I am not thinking of....
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:03 am
by grouse
invisarts wrote:Thanks for the suggestions.
I could get a BPM for the original but what a waste of time!!!
The original BPM is really irrelevant....all I want to do is go through the soundbites and manually adjust each one, slice by slice.
I guess DP doesn't have this simple function. Do I need to use another program such as MachFive or Reason (neither of which I own)?
I do have AbletonLive but since my original vocals are not cut into even bar length segments, Live has trouble knowing what the original tempo was.
There must be something I am not thinking of....
I guess I don't really know what you're trying to do. You either know the BPM of the original or you don't. There's no waste if time there. If you're going through to "manually adjust each one, slice by slice", then maybe the original BPM is irrelevant. If the stretch is going to be automatic, DP, like Live will need information to know exactly how to precisely "stretch" to the new time. So the BPM becomes very relevant. Sometimes it's obvious as in a drum pattern.
If you don't have the BPM information I suggest using your ears and manually stretch the soundbite until it sounds right. It's basically the same as placing it in the right position and if the audio is already in short phrases it should only take a few minutes for a whole song. I'm not sure about Mach Five but Reason won't stretch audio unless the vocal you have is a Rex file.
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:21 am
by waxman
I have to use Peak for that kind of stuff. Ableton is also the bomb for that...
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:49 pm
by bayswater
invisarts wrote:Thanks for the suggestions.
I could get a BPM for the original but what a waste of time!!!
The original BPM is really irrelevant....all I want to do is go through the soundbites and manually adjust each one, slice by slice.
I guess DP doesn't have this simple function. Do I need to use another program such as MachFive or Reason (neither of which I own)?
I do have AbletonLive but since my original vocals are not cut into even bar length segments, Live has trouble knowing what the original tempo was.
There must be something I am not thinking of....
Doesn't Chapter 75 Scale Time explain how to do what you want?
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 5:58 pm
by mike_o
just use the little "hand" that stretches audio in the seq editor, just hover the mouse around the right end of the soundbite and move the cursor around a little until DP shows a little hand grabbing the edge of the soundbite, then grab and stretch, I do this all the time and it is a great feature.
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:58 am
by invisarts
That is what I was looking for!!!!
Thanks guys...the big black book can still be your best friend!
Re: Time Stretching for Remixing
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:46 am
by grouse
grouse wrote:You drag the top of the soundbite to do this.
That's what I was trying to say when I said the above. Think mike_o explanined it better.
