Converting 6/8 to 4/4

[jamieboo]

Hello folks

Working on an orchestral mock up here, mainly working in Cubase 13 score editor. I have a section in 6/8, but now I think it should be 4/4 (with occasional triplets).

Obviously I could change it all manually, but I just wondered if there is some way to automate the conversion?

Thanks

[kiwimusic]

You might want to see if Googly_Shakespeare (who’s probably one of the most experienced users of the old Cubase score editors) drops by!

[Reco29]

Tell @Googly_Shakespeare I said "Hi"when he drops by

[Googly_Shakespeare]

Did someone call?

---

I know squat about scoring, I just use it to enter notation from a printed score from an old hymn book I have, which I then proceed to give the Googly treatment.
But I’d be surprised if it was possible to convert 6/8 to 4/4. 2/4, yes, otherwise, I doubt it.
Maybe convert it to 12/8 first, then to 4/4.

@kiwimusic

Googly_Shakespeare who’s probably one of the most experienced users of the old Cubase score

Thanks for the compliment, but, alas and lackaday, I deserveth it not.

[steve]

Try this:

Converting time signature

First, making sure that all tracks are in Musical Timebase, and that any audio clips are set to Musical Mode in the Pool (with the correct initial tempo), change your time signature at the desired measure, then, at that same position, insert a tempo event that is 2/3 of the first tempo (e.g. if your tempo when in 6/8 was 120 BPM, change it to 80 BPM when in 4/4). Don’t forget to set the Score Display Quantize to show 8ths triplets during that 4/4 section [8th Triplets.jpg]

[alexis]

vic_france!

One of the kindest, most knowledgeable, and patient men to ever walk the planet. As advanced and smart as he was, he seemed to always be able to make time to answer the dumbest questions ever from yours truly when I was starting out on this “computer music” journey.

Thank you, vic_france, you are missed but never forgotten

One could do worse than sit down with a “pad of paper and pencil”, open every post vic_france made, and learn, learn, learn.

[Googly_Shakespeare]

@steve

Try this:

Now I’m curious as to why the OP didn’t look up his own 9 year-old thread.
I thought it was only my memory that was so…
Oh never mind, I’ve forgot what I was.
Saying.
Bye bye.

[jamieboo]

Eek - Now I feel ridiculous! I did a forum search for the topic, but I didn’t think to look through my own previous threads! Nine years ago and virtually exactly the same phrasing! That does not bode well for those moments when I think ‘Hey, I think I’ve come up with an original melody’!

Anyway, yes, even looking through that older thread didn’t lead me to a solution to my little conundrum.

Basically I would like to automate - as much as possible - some kind of conversion so that the two 6/8 bars here looks like the 4/4 bar:

[Reco29]

@jamieboo

Eek - Now I feel ridiculous! I did a forum search for the topic,

Don’t feel bad about it - the forum’s search engine is basically useless (run by Discourse, not Steinberg). It’s easier to go for a well-known search engine and add the words “Steinberg forum” or “Cubase forum” to your search.

[Googly_Shakespeare]

@jamieboo

automate

I don’t think it’s possible. You may have to just roll up your sleeves, pour a big, strong, cup of coffee, and get stuck in. (On a copy, of course.)

[jamieboo]

Thanks Reco29! Yeah, I’ll do that.

And thanks Googly_Shakespeare.

I’m sure I remember reading somewhere that you could do something - possibly in the logical editor - where you could somehow set a 0.6667 duration scaling to shorten all selected notes so they fit proportionally in a 4/4 context. Or something. Have I imagined it?

[Googly_Shakespeare]

I wish some of the really knowledgeable guys here would chip in. If there’s an answer that works with any time signature, that would be brilliant. For instance, I have a 5/4 section in a track that I want to change to 4/4, and have no idea how, other than manually. It’s about 4 minutes, too long for rolled up sleeves.

[steve]

@Googly_Shakespeare that’s a bit different, since the 6/8 to 4/4 thing involves time sigs that are divisible by two, so the downbeats can remain downbeats after the conversion.

However, the Process Bars dialog accessible via the Signature track might do the job

[Googly_Shakespeare]

@steve

the Process Bars dialog

I’ll check it out over the weekend.