Increase All Tempi in Project

[UCG Musician]

I downloaded a MIDI file and am working on it in Cakewalk.  All the tempos (tempi) are a little slow and there a large number of retards and accelerandos.  I would like to preserve the tempo changes but increase all tempi by a certain percentage or beats per minute, even if that means I have to adjust the retards and accelerandos somewhat afterwards.  Is there a way to do this?  Can't find it in the documentation...

[David Baay]

There is no simple, built-in function for doing this, but it can be done.  I've posted this workaround a few times over the years. Awkward, I know, but it works. It would be a lot easier if Cakewalk let you enter times in samples - or even minutes and seconds - but it doesn't so you have to do some SMPTE conversions:
 
1. Enable Auto-stretch (a.k.a. Clip Follows Project in Auto-stretch mode) on all audio clips.    
2. Select a MIDI or audio clip that runs the length of the project (or select in the timeline).  
3. Go to Process > Fit to Time.    
4. Convert the current Thru time to total frames (usually 30 frames/sec).    
5. Divide that by the desired tempo change factor (e.g. 1.10 to get a 10% increase, 0.90 for a 10% decease).    
6. Round and convert that new value to minutes:seconds:frames.    
7. Enter that as the new Thru, and select Modify by Changing: Tempo Map.    
8. Click OK.

P.S.  Since you're clearly a stickler for correct musical terminology (tempi vs. tempos), note that it's 'ritard' with an 'i'.

The old forum would not have let you write '*****'... or even 'ritard' IIRC. ;^)

P.P.S. Hmmm. ... I guess using derogitory terms is okay for groups, but not individuals.

Edited February 26, 2020 by David Baay

[UCG Musician]

Hi David,

Thanks for the help.  I got it to work and now the sequence is 8 minutes long instead just over 9.  (For me that means it's short enough to play art church!).  Sorry for the spelling error.  I DO know it's ritardando ("ritard." or "rit." for short)  but must have been in a hurry to get this posted.

UCG Musician

[David Baay]

9 hours ago, UCG Musician said:

I DO know it's ritardando

I figured... just had to throw that in. ;^)  Glad to hear you got it worked out.

[Promidi]

On 2/27/2020 at 7:35 AM, UCG Musician said:

I downloaded a MIDI file and am working on it in Cakewalk.  All the tempos (tempi) are a little slow and there a large number of retards and accelerandos.  I would like to preserve the tempo changes but increase all tempi by a certain percentage or beats per minute, even if that means I have to adjust the retards and accelerandos somewhat afterwards.  Is there a way to do this?  Can't find it in the documentation...

I am suspecting the "Fit to time function" would be useful here.  It can do this by adjusting the tempo but keeping the tempo changes intact.