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Need advice: sync MIDI to audio recording with variing tempo
Hi,
I want to record myself playing acoustic instruments and than add MIDI tracks to it for accompaniment. I know how to do this in Garageband and Cubasis, but with these apps it will only work if I use straight tempo.
But when I play my acoustic instruments I like to sometimes slow down and speed up to make the song more interesting. Of course I could record my MIDI tracks following the tempo of the audio track and ignore the set tempo and the inbuilt metronome. But then my MIDI notes will be totally off the grid and not nice to view nor edit afterwards.
I read that I could do this on PC/Mac with the “big” Cubase by using the “tempo track”. But I would like to do this on iPad. Is there any chance to do this? E.g. by having an app with a prerecorded click track with changing tempos and this would than control Cubasis which would play the MIDI arrangement in sync. Any ideas?
Thanks
RK
Comments
I believe that Auria Pro is the only DAW (I am not counting NanoStudio 2 as a DAW since it can’t record audio tracks) that has a tempo track. In Auria Pro, one wants to have that set up before the MIDI gets recorded as there is some weirdness about MIDI events changing the tempo after MIDI has been recorded.
Cubasis can’t change tempos or sync to an external clock.
Thanks espiegel123!
Unfortunately I couldn’t find any video showing how the time track would work in my scenario. And Auria Pro is priced too high for testing purpose only. Probably I’ll wait for the next sale offer which usually seems to be around spring time.
But if someone is willing to comment on my anticipated workflow I would really appreciate!
Worflow:
1) record audio track (eg rhythm guitar) to get the beat and the timing
2) adjust the tempo track so that the beats of the inbuilt metronome is in sync with the guitar
3) record more audio and MIDI tracks
Thanks!
RK
EDIT PS:
Now that I know whom to address I will ask my question over at Auria forum as well. So, dear Auria users, let’s probably better meet there...
There really isn't anything that will work well for this on iOS. Auria does have a tempo track, but even then, to do what you want would require manually setting the tempo track by looking at your audio peaks and laboriously creating timing changes to try to align beats.
... which is what you will need to do with any software. However, Ableton Live is the king of this kind of workflow and has the easiest to use tools. Even so, it's not exactly an easy or creatively inspiring task even in Live, but at least it's workable. If Auria Pro isn't affordable, then Live is 10x so, unfortunately.
Sorry to be so discouraging, but I'm pretty certain you're not going to find what you want on iOS. I think you're much better off just ditching the metronome, turning off quantize/snap, and ignoring the grid while editing parts. Or, just re-recording them until you get them right. If you break it up into small sections, it can be more manageable.
Reaper (a very good desktop DAW that is free to try and $60 to purchase) has a set of extensions which includes being able to build a tempo map in a variety of ways including tapping in the beats. I think Logic can so something like that as well. I don’t know of anything on iOS that has these capabilities.
RK The challenge of your projected workflow is that you'll have to match multiple beat grids to your audio recordings. Good luck with that.
I can only say how I would do it:
If you record without a metronome then good luck finding a grid that matches.
I've had to use and edit such live recordings that were done without a metronome, tried Xequence 2 with its cool MIDI time stretching of a selection, then had to switch to Logic Pro for MIDI editing, then swore to myself to never do that kind of job again.
@espiegel123's suggestion sounds reasonable if you think that you can reliably tap a tempo track.
Melodyne can do this on desktop. Can’t think of anything on iOS that would really do what your asking.
👌
I don’t do so much tempo changes and time sig changes in music anymore compared to when I was trying to be frank zappa jr.
My only advice is to not feel confined by the grid or not having a tempo track. Split it into multiple projects and fuse them together if needed. Turn the click off and make your own “grid.”
Use things like midi guitar 2 or FAC Envolver to create guide midi tracks from your guitar recordings.
In Ableton I have always just started several projects and stitched them together for tempo/time sig changes.
I have also been a part of sessions where musicians try to follow a tempo map and it hasn’t ended well. 😂
thank you all for your helpful suggestions and comments!
I didn’t think it would be this complicate. My goal is not to compose with weird time or meter changes but to play my acoustic instrument in a natural and expressive way, which means no click track with fixed/static tempo. And then compose some matching MIDI backing tracks using the piano roll.
Probably I’ll have to wait until Cubasis will introduce a time track. Or try Auria Pro for that matter. I am aware that I still would have to match the acoustic beats with the MIDI grid manually, but for me it is worth it.
Well, until I can do this with ease in some DAW on my iPad I may as well hire some human background band at fiverr :-)
Thank you guys!
RK
What I do is record in the DAW and treat it like tape when I want natural feel. I ignore the bar lines and grids. I lay down a rhythm track and play to that the way I would if I were laying down tracks on tape or with a band when a click track doesn’t seem the way to go.
I’m with @BroCoast. Just ignore the grid tools. Pretend you’re using tape and just go for it.
Yep. I'm with @espiegel123 and @syrupcore. A tempo track isn't going to make it any easier. In fact, I'm pretty sure it'll be more work trying to get a grid to line up to loose tempo changes. Even on a top of the line desktop DAW, its far from easy.
The only difference is you'll have a grid of some kind to look at.