n00b questions -- trouble with beatmatching/warp

[nawenipwod]

I'm exploring using Live to "DJ" and I have 2 .wav files of techno tunes at slightly different BPM. One tune Warp is misinterpreting the BPM and I cannot seem to adjust it correctly. The BPM on the tune in question should be approx 125 or so and Live thinks it is 82.42? How can I fix this? When I raise it manually the playback tempo DECREASES and when I lower it manually the playback tempo INCREASES. I cannot get these tracks lined up and it is very frustrating.

Tutorial doesn't seem to help as it only references the pre-set up file.

Ideas on what I can try when Ableton misinterprets a BPM? Is there any recipe/formula/checklist? Thanks.

[!STiTCH!]

When you speak of "Manually Inc/Dec" are you using the global Tempo or the Seg. BPM in the Sample Editor?

[yur2die4]

Warped tracks when played back, automatically play at the tempo of the Master tempo. If you hit play right off the bat for a file that you are warping, chances are that Ableton Live changed the master tempo to default at the tempo of the very first clip you've triggered. In this case, it would be the clip that Live thought was 83 bpm. When you try to change the tempo of the marker in the clip to 125, it will 'fix' the clip so that it tries to play at the tempo of Live's master tempo. That is the strength of ableton live, that it forces your clips to play to its global grid. If you were to change your master tempo to 125-ish, and then adjust your warp marker's tempo, it should seem to be getting a lot closer to its original tempo. I tend to do this stuff visually first, and then I listen.. but I've been doing it for a while. haha

[nawenipwod]

When you speak of "Manually Inc/Dec" are you using the global Tempo or the Seg. BPM in the Sample Editor?

Seq BPM. I'm finding myself messing with Seg BPM on both tracks, and the global tempo, trying to find the right balance? & sometimes I seem to get semi close but not nearly close enough. I am familiar w/beatmatching on turntables, just trying to figure out an equivalent way to get beats matched right in Live.


Also is there some sort of plugin or freeware tool I can use to determine the "right" BPM for this track that Live is misinterpreting? I don't want to be guesstimating if possible. If I can determine the actual BPM could I not just type that into the Seq BPM field for the track? Adjusting it w/the mouse I am finding the Seq BPM stops at really weird increments and is difficult to get just right.

Thanks for all yr help

[yur2die4]

Do you use the metronome? It could be helpful for audibly hearing your results.

The most basic tips, if you are hand-warping from scratch are:

1. Clear out all warp-markers. Click one, hit ctrl+a, hit delete.

2. Find the first noticeable downbeat that starts a bar/phrase/section. You might have to play the clip out, listen, and get a feel for when something visually consistent first hits. Right click the transient for that and 'Place 1.1.1 marker here', then delete the other one.

3. Drag the transients of the clip's waveform a little bit, enough that it Seems to line up visually (doesn't have to be perfect). Helps also to look at the clip's bpm as you might have a good idea for what it kind of should be. Don't be worried if it is not an exact rounded off #.

3. Check your global master BPM, and turn on metronome. play the clip, see how the beat compares to the 4 clicks of the metronome. Try to fix it so that it lines up perfectly to the click, as if both the beat and the click are 'one'. Ideally, any other tracks that you would mix with it that have been warped in a similar fashion will ALSO match together so perfectly.

4. I tend to not be satisfied with just one or two markers, as there is Always the possibility that I am off, or the beat of the original track might go astray. I will usually have maybe 4 or 5, just to be safe. Check all of those markers to see that they are all onbeat.

5. Hit save!! haha

[nawenipwod]

Sometimes when I play a warped clip I can adjust Seq BPM and sometimes it is greyed out. Why is this?

[jsn]

Jon Margulies has developed a run of useful warping tips recently in his ongoing 365 Live Tips series. http://www.heatercore.net/livetipslist.html

[Bosh1989]

Sometimes when I play a warped clip I can adjust Seq BPM and sometimes it is greyed out. Why is this?

I'm not sure if this is the answer your looking for, but I've experienced that when using .REX files in ableton. .WAV are adjustable and it seems .REX aren't.

This might be one of many different reasons. Just one i've encountered, and I don't know if this is affected when playing the clip

Safe

[Ark Arsenal]

Sometimes when I play a warped clip I can adjust Seq BPM and sometimes it is greyed out. Why is this?

I realize this thread is a bit old, but here's one explanation - you need to have clicked a warp marker in the audio track. More here - http://www.heatercore.net/2010/06/warpi ... g-bpm.html.