Automate tempo changes

[Ian T]

Hey,

Is there a way to record tempo automation changes in Cakewalk next?

 

Thanks!

Ian

[msmcleod]

No.

Tempo isn't actually automation - it's just shown as an envelope.

Automating tempo makes no sense - tempo underpins everything in the engine. Automating it would be like changing your car wheel size while you're driving it.
 

[Ian T]

Hey,

I think we are talking past each other here Mark. ie potentially using differing definitions.

What I mean is: can I record changes in tempo or at least, gradually change the tempo after recording.

Playing at various tempos during a single piece,  is very natural for musicians.

In some DAWS you can map tempo to a controller, and record those movements. This is what I mean by automation.

Some DAWS even allow you to play at a varying tempos, without a click and try and work out the tempo fluctuations later, to map a grid to it.

 

Thanks,

Ian

 

[msmcleod]

As far as I know, Next only supports a single tempo at the moment.

A release with a tempo track is imminent though.

I think what you're talking about is tempo detection - i.e. automatically building the tempo track from an existing recording, so it effectively snaps to the grid (because your "grid" is changing to match the audio).

Tempo detection is on the roadmap, but won't be available in the first cut of the tempo track.

What you will be able to do however is record at a tempo of say 120, alter the tempo in the tempo track, then get you're recording to follow your tempo changes.

 

[Will.]

 

On 9/9/2024 at 2:06 PM, msmcleod said:

Automating tempo makes no sense - tempo underpins everything in the engine. Automating it would be like changing your car wheel size while you're driving it.
 

It's a widely uses in EDM and when altering Samples. 

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[Amberwolf]

On 9/9/2024 at 5:06 AM, msmcleod said:

Automating it would be like changing your car wheel size while you're driving it.

fwiw, this actually has benefits--you could reduce the circumference on smooth roads for better torque**** and performance and handling, and increase it to gain clearance on rougher roads and/or to gain speed****.  

 

****above and beyond what the gearing in the transmission (if any) or the motor kv/kt vs system voltage/current allows. 

 

 

as far as "automating tempo" goes, I wish my ancient sonar had envelopes in the tempo view instead of the prv-controller-like control method, which is extremely difficult to use to create a smooth and accurate tempo map with.   (perhaps the newer versions have it, but they aren't useful to me because of the way licensing and updates are handled by bandlab). 

[msmcleod]

On 9/9/2024 at 3:43 PM, Ian T said:

Hey,

I think we are talking past each other here Mark. ie potentially using differing definitions.

What I mean is: can I record changes in tempo or at least, gradually change the tempo after recording.

Playing at various tempos during a single piece,  is very natural for musicians.

In some DAWS you can map tempo to a controller, and record those movements. This is what I mean by automation.

Some DAWS even allow you to play at a varying tempos, without a click and try and work out the tempo fluctuations later, to map a grid to it.

 

Thanks,

Ian

 

Actually having re-read this, the way you can do this is using "Fit to Improvisation"

What you do is:

1. Create a MIDI track, and arm it
2. Start recording from the beginning and play a single note for each beat of your project 
3. Stop recording
4. Select the clip you've just recorded
5. From the main Process menu, select "Fit to Improvisation"

This will extract the tempo from what you've played and populate the tempo track.

If you simply want to adjust the tempo of what you've already recorded, all you need to do is alter the tempo envelope on the tempo track.

MIDI tracks will automatically follow the tempo.

Audio tracks can follow the tempo, if you set the clips to follow tempo within the clip inspector.

[Sock Monkey]

This is the Cakewalk Next sub forum Next doesn’t have a a tempo map. It also doesn’t read tempo from Midi files. 
It seems to have very little midi features at all. Like no midi tracks and hardware output. 
It would seem to be designed mostly for creating music?  using audio loops and samples and has everything you need for that. But if you’re a midi user it rates at the bottom. 

[msmcleod]

On 12/4/2024 at 3:43 PM, Sock Monkey said:

This is the Cakewalk Next sub forum Next doesn’t have a a tempo map. It also doesn’t read tempo from Midi files. 
It seems to have very little midi features at all. Like no midi tracks and hardware output. 
It would seem to be designed mostly for creating music?  using audio loops and samples and has everything you need for that. But if you’re a midi user it rates at the bottom. 

Next has a tempo track, and internally has a tempo map.

Adding a MIDI file to a blank project will import the tempo map from the MIDI file.

[Sock Monkey]

Since when? Was there  an update? 
I have dragged plenty of midi files into Next. I’ll try again later but seems I always did this before I started a project. No tempo map Just always 120 bpm. 
 

Otherwise it works great to pre view midi files. Sonar no longer can do this. 
 

I was surprised that Sonar doesn’t include all the effects and instruments from Next? 

Edited December 6 by Sock Monkey

[User 905133]

9 hours ago, msmcleod said:

Next has a tempo track, and internally has a tempo map.

Adding a MIDI file to a blank project will import the tempo map from the MIDI file.

6 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

Since when? 
I have dragged plenty of midi files into Next. I’ll try again later but seems I always did this before I started a project. 

@Sock Monkey Perhaps you need to update Next to the current version?

 

[Sock Monkey]

1 minute ago, User 905133 said:

@Sock Monkey Perhaps you need to update Next to the current version?

 

I just edited my post to ask that. Thanks But I just opened it yesterday and there was no notification?? 

[User 905133]

2 minutes ago, Sock Monkey said:

I just edited my post to ask that. Thanks But I just opened it yesterday and there was no notification?? 

Glad you found it worked for you. I would agree: changes / improvements to features such as the Tempo Track really ought to be listed in the Release Notes if they aren't!

[Sock Monkey]

In the help menu is a “View Release Notes” option that last time I tried it only shows “ There are no current notes to view “?? 

[Sock Monkey]

I just checked. It says Im up to date the version number ended in a . 200 something. 

So I went to the website and downloaded the file and this version ends with a 300 something. 
So what seems buggy is the update system?? 

It now has a tempo map and reads import tempo from midi files. 
This makes Next a usable Daw for transfer of projects from other Daw’s. Thank you. 

Edited December 7 by Sock Monkey