any tool to get the tempo of an audio clip?

[micv]

In CbB is there a way to get the tempo of an imported audio file?  or is there a tool out there for this?

 

[David Baay]

Set the Edit Filter to Transients, right-click the clip and choose Edit Clip Tempo Map. Average tempo is shown at the bottom of the clip.

It may often be off by a factor of two. Play the track and verify that the downbeat markers are aligning roughly with the downbeat transients. If not, choose one of the alternate tempos from the dropdown. If all you want is that average tempo, you can just change the Edit Filter back to Clips.

Edited March 19, 2020 by David Baay

[dantarbill]

MixMeister Bpm Analyzer can do that.  I have an ancient freebie version from 2004 that has a pretty simple user interface.  You open the app, drag an audio file onto it and it tells you what the BPM is.

They now seem to have a much more feature rich version for a whopping $3.99...

http://www.mixmeister.com/bpm.php

Note that my 16 year old version still does what it was supposed to do...so I haven't upgraded.

[DeeringAmps]

@dantarbill Is this an average for the whole song or does it show the tempo changes?

 

t

[Lynn Wilson]

21 hours ago, David Baay said:

Set the Edit Filter to Transients, right-click the clip and choose Edit Clip Tempo Map. Average tempo is shown at the bottom of the clip.

It may often be off by a factor of two. Play the track and verify that the downbeat markers are aligning roughly with the downbeat transients. If not, choose one of the alternate tempos from the dropdown. If all you want is that average tempo, you can just change the Edit Filter back to Clips.

If you have Melodyne, just drag the file to the timeline and Melodyne will set the tempo.

[micv]

I can't seem to find where the 'Set the Edit Filter to Transients" is.

[micv]

46 minutes ago, DeeringAmps said:

@dantarbill Is this an average for the whole song or does it show the tempo changes?

 

t

would be great if it shows where the tempo change as well

[Matthew Sorrels]

Melodyne ARA tempo extraction

https://www.cakewalk.com/Documentation?product=SONAR&language=3&help=NewFeatures.036.html

CbB and Melodyne together do a pretty nice job.

[David Baay]

It wasn't clear that the OP actually wanted to have the project tempo reset to the clip tempo; just that he wanted to know the clip tempo.  That's one reason I suggested Audiosnap.

Also, if the clip was recorded to a click, I would recommend just setting the project tempo to that average tempo to avoid complications that can result when Melodyne inserts a tempo changes at every 8th note with interpolated changes of a fraction of a bpm.

[David Baay]

1 hour ago, micv said:

I can't seem to find where the 'Set the Edit Filter to Transients" is.

[DeeringAmps]

2 hours ago, Matthew Sorrels said:

CbB and Melodyne together do a pretty nice job

Yes, except

1 hour ago, David Baay said:

Melodyne inserts a tempo change at every 8th note with interpolated changes of a fraction of a bpm

t

[Matthew Sorrels]

8 minutes ago, DeeringAmps said:

Yes, except

Doesn't seem to happen for me.  Does it depend on which version of Melodyne you have perhaps?

[micv]

1 hour ago, David Baay said:

that works for average tempo. thx 

Interesting how it also gives other tempo in the drop down list, not sure what they are, and as you warned, double tempo.

[DeeringAmps]

7 minutes ago, Matthew Sorrels said:

which version of Melodyne

Studio, that's the upgrade to what we got with Sonar, right?

t

[David Baay]

5 hours ago, Matthew Sorrels said:

Doesn't seem to happen for me.  Does it depend on which version of Melodyne you have perhaps?

It may not happen with a recording that has a very tight tempo. I checked, and in that case, Melodyne may set a single constant tempo. But it if detects a little drift, it can get a little carried away inserting changes in my experience.

[David Baay]

5 hours ago, micv said:

Interesting how it also gives other tempo in the drop down list, not sure what they are, and as you warned, double tempo.

It's making a best guess at what the tempo is, and offering various multiples and fractions of that guess that might also fit. Melodyne also does this, and also often defaults to half or double the actual tempo.

[dantarbill]

On 3/20/2020 at 1:58 PM, micv said:

would be great if it shows where the tempo change as well

The ancient version I have only gives you a single value, which may or may not be an average.  The more recent, paid for version might support tempo changes.  I don't know.

[Jon White]

On 3/19/2020 at 7:25 PM, David Baay said:

Set the Edit Filter to Transients,

Quote

right-click the clip

and choose Edit Clip Tempo Map. Average tempo is shown at the bottom of the clip.

It may often be off by a factor of two. Play the track and verify that the downbeat markers are aligning roughly with the downbeat transients. If not, choose one of the alternate tempos from the dropdown. If all you want is that average tempo, you can just change the Edit Filter back to Clips.

Double left-click the clip ...

[David Baay]

Yes, double-clicking opens the Audiosnap Palette which is another way in too Edit Clip Map. The Palette also shows the average tempo and allows you to change it directly, but you really need to see the beat markers in the clip map to know which tempo is correct, unless you already have a good idea what it should be.