Audio Tempo and Timestretch

Cubase
#1

Hi

I’m still confused with stretching an audio file to match a uniform tempo.

What I’m trying to do is use and old 60’s song and create a midi files from it, so I imported the song into Cubase and used the ‘Tempo Detection’ option. Unfortunately it looks like the song was not recorded with a click track as the tempo varies from beat to beat.

I would like to use Cubase to automatically adjust these tempo variations in the audio file so it uses a uniform tempo, as if it was recorded with a click track. Then use Musical Mode to slow the song down so I can start building my midi tracks.

Can anyone advise the best way to achieve this please.

Thanks

Glen

#2

I think I may have figured it out, but welcome any advice if there is a better way.

I opened up the audio file in the Sample Editor and selected Definition / Manual Adjust. Then moved the start position to the first bar’s downbeat and then moved each bar line to line up with (what I think is) the next bars downbeat, by moving the cursor at the bottom of the waveform and moving the ‘Set Bar Position’ line. Continued this to the end of the song and clicked ‘Musical Mode’. The lower ruler then lined up with the upper ruler and the song played at the selected tempo.

I think I have answered my own question, but if there is a better way, please advise.

Thanks

Glen

#3

Look up “Merge tempo from tapping”. It’s the opposite way you’re going (the end result is that the midi track follows the 60s track) but I think you may find it quicker to build a midi track that way as the midi data will follow the tempo set down by the “Merge tempo”. I think in this case that timestretch could bog you down somewhat and if you stretched / shrunk the track to a strict tempo you may find, as I did, that the track then sounds pretty naff.
Plus if you need to later, for Scoring say, you can separate the midi track and then straighten the tempo so the printout looks ok but in practise I find that not always necessary.
“Merge tempo” is a pretty simple process but take care at first and have a couple of runs at it making adjustments if you need to. It’s easier to do that explain. p469 ijn my manual (a half page).

ps: Yes, your second post indicates you’re going the right way with what you’re doing with Timestretch.