In Cubase Pro there is a feature to record tempo changes (Ops Manual pg. 928) which sounds enticing but in its current implementation is nearly useless. Basically it is a slider that you can drag back & forth to write Tempo Track data during playback. According to the manual,
This is useful if you want to create natural sounding ritardandos, for example.
But the problem is you don’t hear the tempo changes until you stop/restart playback. Without audio feedback when using the slider, you are unlikely to create a “natural sounding” anything.
Two changes would convert this feature from an interesting concept into a useful tool.
Adjust the playback tempo in real time when using the slider so you can hear the actual changes while you’re making them. This is really crucial to making this feature useful.
Let the slider be assigned to a Quick Control. This would let you subtly adjust the tempo throughout a piece by turning a knob - almost like conducting.
You are being extremely charitable in the way you’ve phrased the request, Rodger, to your credit.
To use this, one must perform several calculations– mentally measure the proportion of the tempo change, compare it to the scale displayed on-screen, imagine the tempo change, and then attempt to perform it, all the while ignoring the sound of the music during playback. How absurd.
Since you must know before performing it where the tempo change starts, ends and what the tempos will be, there is no use for a slider, since drawing it in manually will be magnitudes faster and more precise. I would say the slider is just a vestigial remnant from when it was possible to use the remote to control tempo.
They must be backed into a corner regarding remote controlling tempo by some other programmatic issues.
I don’t know wich version of cubase you are using. In the 9.0.30 version i can hear chnges in real time when using the slider. I will be great if one could control this slider with a hardware controller.
Interesting. They pretty much sneaked that one in. Just checked the version PDF and there’s no mention of this change.
Checking it out I did find one bit of weirdness. It always creates new tempo points as “jump” even if it is set to “ramp” in the Tempo Track Editor.
While it can’t be set to have a controller change values (I was hoping maybe a CMC-AI would work, but no) it does respond to a mouse scroll-wheel - which doesn’t really cut it for subtle changes. Wonder if there is a way to make a cc controller look like a mouse wheel?
Anyway thanks for noticing the change & posting about it.
