Can someone please enlighten me as to how in the world I can record a project in 3/4 time?
I can of course change the time signature on the transport bar to 3/4, and that takes care of the click, but then the “grid” does’t line up properly, if that makes sense. What I mean is, the grid is still reading "1,2,3,4…2,2,3,4…3,2,3,4, etc., instead of 1,2,3…2,2,3,…3,2,3, etc. Can the grid be changed to an odd time?
Moreover, can I not use the Cubase 6 loops with odd times? It seems that they are all in 4/4 time and even though the click is now “accenting” every 3 clicks, the loops just keep plowing along in 4/4. Will I need to find a specific loop that matches whatever odd time I’m in?
For the time signature question, I would add a signature track and see what time signature changes are there already. Time signature on the transport bar gives me a headache. Maybe someone else can comment on this because frankly, I always wondered if it was intended to be this way or if there is something wrong.
Basically, Cubase will let you add a time signature change at a specific position from the transport bar (I think it puts it where the cursor currently is). But it only changes the time signature from the cursor forward OR to the next time signature change (which can be difficult to find!), hence my recommendation to add the signature track. You may be surprised how many time signature changes you have already added!
If you don’t want the signature track you can just delete all the signature changes, set it once at the BEGINNING of the track and then remove the signature track and it should work fine.
Concerning the loop, one thing you could do is open the loop in the sample editor and edit out the last beat. Of course, Cubase can’t figure out how to edit a loop that has four beats into a 3 beat measure. All it knows to do is squeeze the or stretch the loop to fit one measure at the current tempo.
I found a tutorial on line that states that I have to engage the tempo track in order for the grid to match the time signature. That is of course if I don’t add a signature track as you stated.
I thought I would have to edit the loop to fit the time sig., just wanted to make sure before I spent a lot of time on it.
Time signature changes are always, as Cubase (lets the user) puts them, at the beginnng of the relevant bar.
ie: You will never find time signatures half way or two of them in any bar.
It’d be great if Cubase could restructure the loops to fit the time signature. A worthy Steinberg feature I’d say. Drum machines do this of course, so why not the media bay too.
In fact, take this a step further and incorporate it into musical mode too. So I can change a section of my song into 3/4 or 7/8 and it removes the last beat of all tracks in real time. Now that would be really impressive for breakdowns and odd musical sections.
Will I need to find a specific loop that matches whatever odd time I’m in?
That’s why I think it’d be good if Cb could automatically chop a 4/4 loop into 3/4. For example, that’s what happens with drum machines and drum VSTi’s, they just retrigger the loop at the start of each bar. Seems like sense to me.
That would give a certain type of 3/4: Boom-cha-boom (from boom-cha-boom-cha 4/4) but not the classic boom-cha-cha. Somewhere you still have to tell the machines what to do. ie:which beat is to go first.
A time signature is not just that. Inside of that is a style that listeners and musicians can relate to.
The drum machines and VSTis you refer to are playing a preprogrammed chop-out of one original 4/4 loop but they have been told what to do.
I suppose Cubase could do it but whether it’d be interesting at any level is another matter. Maybe a guide for a songwriter but there’s plenty cheaper out there already. I get the feeling it would always be something furthest back in a Cubase programmer’s mind.
That is exactly what I have been trying to do. Did you figure out if it can be done yet. I have cubase 5.53 and all I get are 4/4 loops, very frustrating. Thanks for any help you could give on the matter
