Need to sync to free running audio recorded in Live

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
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Digital Larry
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:13 am

Need to sync to free running audio recorded in Live

Post by Digital Larry » Fri Aug 12, 2022 10:33 pm

I have a modular synth setup and it can create rhythmic patterns which are not synchronized in any way to the computer or MIDI or pulse or anything.

How do I easily, without changing the pitch or tempo of the clip, select a bit of it (or trim the end off to make a clip), and say "that is 8 bars" and have the tempo of the arrangement line up to that?

I am reading the chapter "Audio Clips, Tempo, and Warping" and it is just overwhelming because there's too much presented that I don't think is relevant. I'm not importing the loop, I'm recording it right into Live without any synchronization.

Thanks for any helpful tips.

DL

yur2die4
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Re: Need to sync to free running audio recorded in Live

Post by yur2die4 » Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:39 pm

In that case I’d use Warp in one way or another. Can either warp and use a transparent mode or warp and then duplicate r the channel and mute the warped one while the duplicate is unwarped.

Heck. You could even just warp and then using that method, discover the tempo of that 8 bar section, then turn warp off.

The reason to use Warp is two folded. One, Warp is a way to determine a tempo, which is important for your case because 8 bars is meaningless without a bpm. But you can also use Warping to set the Leader/Follower option, which forces Live’s grid to conform to your audio clip (as long as you’ve defined the clip’s bars via warp marker).

If you need help with quickly warping, I can help you in this topic. The main idea is to set a 1.1.1 marker at the Start. Make sure start markers hang out along with it, and preferably no other markers.

Then find or create a marker at the perceived ‘8 bar’ point in your audio clip. Finally, drag that marker to bar 9.1.1, which makes the section from 1.1.1 to 9.1.1 8 bars.

From there, tap the marker which is on 1.1.1, whatever it says is the ‘segment bpm’ is the bpm you need in order for that amount of audio material to be “8 bars”.

Digital Larry
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:13 am

Re: Need to sync to free running audio recorded in Live

Post by Digital Larry » Fri Aug 12, 2022 11:43 pm

Thanks a lot, I will try it tonight.
Note that in general I am recording multiple tracks at one time, so it would also be nice to be able to make the other tracks follow the master then I can trim them all on a grid.

Will let you know how badly I screw it up. :D

DL

Digital Larry
Posts: 86
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2019 3:13 am

Re: Need to sync to free running audio recorded in Live

Post by Digital Larry » Thu May 18, 2023 2:26 pm

I am still struggling with this a bit. The context has changed a little. I'm bringing in loops which I have recorded on my looper pedal. So, the length of the loop is pretty much set (doesn't need any trimming). I brought 1 of these in with warp off, set it to loop, and dragged out 3 or 4 copies to form the song. Then I recorded the other parts without any MIDI or click (as they are obviously not in sync). This is OK, and I will probably complete this tune this way. However I would really like to be able to quickly:

a) import a loop without any tempo or beat info in it.
b) Align Ableton's beats TO THE TRANSIENTS rather than the other way around (at least initially). If this results in a tempo map, that's fine.
c) Possibly I will then want to warp and do some transient adjustments for anything that is out of whack.

One of the issues I faced when trying this recently was a challenge determining the time signature and how to tap that. My tune has a triplet feel to it. I can count 1-2-3,1-2-3 all the way through it. I can also count 4/4 at a slower rate. If I set the time sig to 6/8, then foot tapping wise I would be tapping two beats per bar, not 6, but it's not clear to me what Ableton expects or does in this situation. One thing I can tell you is that while I was trying to adjust the tempo manually to line up the downbeats with the bars, one downbeat would be on the 2/6, the next would be on 4/6, and finally the third one would be on 6/6 or the actual beginning of the bar. So there's some multiplicative factor going on here but HOW to get myself untangled out of that remains elusive.

I read the entire chapter in the Ableton 10 manual about tempo and warping and maybe I missed where they describe doing this. I've also watched a few YT videos about it. The issue is not the lack of partially relevant material. It is apparently the fact that what I want to do is not something that Ableton feels is very important. Seems like in their world, all source audio material is inherently WRONG and MUST BE WARPED to become legitimate. OK I'm being a little hyperbolic perhaps.

Thanks for any clues.

DL

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