Time Change

[rpinon69]

Hello

I'm using Ableton 8.2.1 w/Superior Drummer. The problem I am having is setting up different BPM for different parts of a track. What I am doing is using a beat I like from the Grooves window in Superior and dragging it to my MIDI track. The beats I have chosen are 120bpm I would like to slow my intro track to 114bpm, but when I do that with the universal bpm in Ableton it also changes my other beats(verse, chorus etc...). I have also tried opening the beat clips themselves and changing it there, but then the beat shortens and there is a missed beat or silence for 1 second or so. I would greatly appreciate some input.

Thank you

[Akshara]

In Arrangement View, Tempo Automation can be setup on the Master Track. From section 18.4.5 in the Live Manual...

To edit the song tempo envelope, unfold the Master track, choose Mixer from the top envelope chooser and Song Tempo from the bottom one.

So if you want the first 16 bars to be 114 bpm, create an Automation Node at the beginning set to 114 bpm, and at measure 17 create another one for 120 bpm. Two nodes will create a smooth tempo increase over all 16 bars however; so to make a hard tempo jump, create a third node just prior to measure 17 and set it to 114 bpm as well.

In Session View, tempo changes can be assigned to Scenes (see section 7.2 in the Live Manual).

[rpinon69]

Thank you I will give it try and get back with you.

[rpinon69]

The value axis display is set to 60 and 200. I not sure how to adjust the tempo envelope at the beginning and Bar 20 as mentioned in the user manual 18.4.5
UPDATE: I'm dragging the red line down to the desired bpm but very difficult to get exactly 114.00. Is some way of entering a value or am I doing it completely wrong?
Thanks

[Akshara]

To make editing more precise, firstly increase the vertical size of the Master Track by clicking and dragging the bar/line at the top of the Master Track. Then to zoom into a specific frame or beat, click on the bar where you want the node to approximately be, then move the mouse toward the top of the Arrangement View window, hovering over the Measure numbers until it becomes a Spyglass, and then click/hold/drag to zoom in and out, changing the resolution of the time grid. Finally, to move the mouse in precise increments while creating or moving a node, press and hold the Apple/Option key while moving the mouse; or on Windows it is probably either the Windows or Control key, maybe Shift.

Ableton Live uses a lot of these kind of things for the deeper editing and features, which is why it is highly recommended to read through the manual at least once. It will take some time of course; however it is the only way to really get a handle on what all Live can do. If you do, it will unlock Live forever.

The built-in PDF version in the Help menu is also searchable. Before I posted the answers above, I ran a search and quickly looked these up, so as to give accurate information.

[kanuck]

Finally, to move the mouse in precise increments while creating or moving a node, press and hold the Apple/Option key while moving the mouse; or on Windows it is probably either the Windows or Control key, maybe Shift.

Do you mean left and right or up and down?

[Akshara]

Up and down. Just for modifying the node's parameter, not its position in time.

[kanuck]

Up and down. Just for modifying the node's parameter, not its position in time.

Do you know if there is a way to lock left and right movements for nodes to the grid? most automation is forgiving if you're slightly off but i'd like to be spot on when i'm automating tempo. Thanks.

[kanuck]

nevermind i answered my own question. if i use the pencil tool first it'll lock right in.

[rpinon69]

Thank you Akshara I appreciate your help I hopefully will have some time soon to read the entire user manual. I'm a business teacher during the day attending school at night to get my masters degree so time is at a premium. Once again thanks for taking the time I will continue where I left off last night when I get home. I will post any other question I might have.

[rpinon69]

I was able widen the master track vertically and zoom in usng the spyglass, but where I'm still at little bit of a loss is using the Ctrl key and mouse for precise increments. I can get to 119.98bpm or 120.07 but can't nail 120.00 is just a trial and error process.

[kanuck]

I was able widen the master track vertically and zoom in usng the spyglass, but where I'm still at little bit of a loss is using the Ctrl key and mouse for precise increments. I can get to 119.98bpm or 120.07 but can't nail 120.00 is just a trial and error process.

yeah that's a pain in the butt. I wish ableton would make it easier. there are a lot of workarounds but personally 199.98 won't sound any different to 120. And if you ever warp it to 120 later on it really won't make a difference.

[rpinon69]

Up and down. Just for modifying the node's parameter, not its position in time.

Do you know if there is a way to lock left and right movements for nodes to the grid? most automation is forgiving if you're slightly off but i'd like to be spot on when i'm automating tempo. Thanks.

Kanuck

Do you usually have 2 nodes one right above the other or 1 slightly to the left and 1 to the right? This is as far as I could move them left or right it gave me a nice transition into the faster bpm.

[kanuck]

Up and down. Just for modifying the node's parameter, not its position in time.

Do you know if there is a way to lock left and right movements for nodes to the grid? most automation is forgiving if you're slightly off but i'd like to be spot on when i'm automating tempo. Thanks.

Kanuck

Do you usually have 2 nodes one right above the other or 1 slightly to the left and 1 to the right? This is as far as I could move them left or right it gave me a nice transition into the faster bpm.

i usually just have them stacked right on top of each other. but that's because the songs i needed a bpm change needed those abrupt changes. otherwise I'd be having it sweep into the change.

[rpinon69]

How far can you go left or right for a sweep change?